A controversial knockdown call quickly became the center of attention in Saturday night’s thrilling showdown between local amateur rivals, WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis and WBA super featherweight champion Lamont “The Reaper” Roach Jr.
The event commenced at 8 p.m. on Prime Video Pay-Per-View with some exciting preliminaries at 8 p.m. ahead of the main event square off. The fight marked a major milestone in attendance at Barclays Center, with 19,250 fans packing the Brooklyn venue.
Davis shattered his previous attendance record from May 2022 when he defeated Rolando Romero. Capping it all off, the DMV turned up the heat etching its name in the history books.
In an extraordinary turn of events, Roach, a D.C. native and heavy underdog, managed to force a majority draw, securing a moral victory despite the fight’s disputatious moments. His performance was indeed impressive against the powerful Baltimore native, and was highly contested as a win amongst many.
“I thought I won. I thought I did enough to get the victory over a spectacular fighter,” said Roach. “I told y’all from the beginning that I got the skills to pay the [expletive] bills. I’ve been told y’all that and I’m just glad and I’m just glad I got to show it.”
Davis’ tendency to fight passively in the beginning of his fights has been a notable pattern throughout his career. His ability to adjust and land punishing shots after studying his opponents usually leads him to straight success in the ring. However, Roach’s persistence kept him in the fight, outlanding Davis in total punches and matching Davis’ power.
“You know you live and you learn,” said Davis. “That was on me, too. That was on me for sure because I didn’t pick it up when I was supposed to pick it up and I could have definitely [done] more.”
After 12 rounds of a fiery exchange between the local rivals, the final scorecards read 115-113 for Davis and two even split cards of 114-114, which generated the contested draw.
Both boxers have expressed interest in a rematch that could possibly take place later on this year. This showdown could even sway Davis’ decision for an early retirement but only time will tell. Meanwhile, Roach is eager to run it back, ideally back home in the DMV.
“That’s a goodie right there, I hope so. I’m gonna bargain for that for sure. No question I’m trying to do that,” said Roach.
Knockdown or Not?
Throughout the 12 rounds, Davis appeared passive, which allowed Roach to outland him overall. While Davis held a slight advantage in power punches, it was Roach’s unwavering pace and ability to match his opponent that set the tone.
In what turned out to be the pivotal moment of the night in the ninth round, Roach landed a jab before Davis unexpectedly took a knee, as he walked to his corner for his team to wipe his face. Despite the sequence following a clean punch, the referee opted that it was not a knockdown, which left Roach without the crucial point he needed to win.
“I wasn’t relying on that. I was relying on what I was doing in there,” Roach said. “I think I was taking control. I think I was landing more shots. I think I was landing more power shots, and I thought I was doing my thing. I’m not really that frustrated about that. But if that was counted as a knockdown, I would win a majority decision,” said Roach.
This moment sparked debate, as boxing rules declare that taking a knee after a punch is considered a knockdown. Had Davis been penalized for taking a knee, Roach would have won the fight, claiming a majority decision victory.
However, Davis claimed that the knee was a result of hair grease dripping into his eyes, but the excuse was met with heavy criticism from other boxers and fans.
“I didn’t wanna get caught while my eyes were burning and you know like, you can get knocked out like that,” said Davis.
The Rise And Celebration of Local Boxing Talent
In addition to the battle of the Beltway, between Baltimore’s Davis and D.C.’s Roach, there were other DMV fighters who stood out as part of Saturday’s showdown.
Gary Antuanne Russell
Despite his disappointing loss to Alberto Puello, DMV’s own Gary Antuanne Russell roared back with a dominant victory over Rayo Valenzuela. Russell showcased his elite skill set in the ring, controlling nearly every round to claim WBA Super Lightweight Championship (140lbs). The final scorecards read for Russell 119-109, 119-109, and 120-108.
David “The Bodysnatcher” Whitmire
D.C. native, David “The Bodysnatcher” Whitmire, went head-to-head with the intense Angel Munoz in a thrilling six round showdown. By round three, Whitmire unleashed a series of punishing body shots, gaining tremendous momentum to close out the fight.
In a dramatic final round of heavy blows, Whitmire secured a unanimous decision victory, further engraving his name in the boxing world. Whitmire now holds an undefeated 9-0 record.
Jarrett “Swift” Hurd
The boxing star hailing from Accokeek, Maryland, Jarret “Swift” Hurd, announced his retirement from the sport of boxing following a hard fought split-decision loss to Johan Gonzalez. The former unified world champion at 154 pounds leaves boxing putting an impressive stamp on the division. Two judges scored in favor of Gonzalez 98-92 and 96-94, while the last just judge scored in favor of Hurd 96-94.
“God is good. Both fighters made it out healthy,” Hurd said. “This is my first time fighting an opponent with three arms and I’m a man of my word. This will be the last time ya’ll see me. I thank each and every one of y’all for the love and support. Yessir, I had a wonderful career.”
Deric “Scooter” Davis
The rising boxing star from Washington, D.C., Deric “Scooter” Davis wasted no time in making a statement in the preliminaries at Barclays Center. In his sixth professional fight, Davis unleashed an unstoppable barrage of punches against Jamal Johnson.
This led to a stunning first-round knockout for Davis, considering him to be amongst the top contenders in the boxing world. His fight against Johnson has solidified his reputation, as he now holds an undefeated 6-0 record, with 6 KOs, 5 of which came in the first round.