Why are fans calling Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach ‘rigged’? Explaining knee controversy 

WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis defends his belt against top challenger Lamont Roach in a controversial fight.

Why are fans calling Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach ‘rigged’? Explaining knee controversy 

Fans accused the fight to be rigged after Gervonta Davis took a knee while fighting Lamont Roach (via Washington Post/X)

Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach was one of the most hyped fights, which had fight fans excited. The fight took place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and Davis controversially defended his WBA lightweight title. The judges scored it a majority draw which raised several questions, fueling controversy.

Davis has always been a slow starter, and he maintained the same pace against Roach in this fight. His output was less in the first round and Roach matched the same energy. As the fight continued, both boxers tried to connect more shots, but remained calculated. 

Tank, as expected, was great on his feet and frequently went to the body and head, but none of them had the intensity. In the fourth and fifth round, the tensions increased as both fighters started landing heavy shots. The same momentum was carried to the ninth round, where fans witnessed one of the most awkward and controversial moments in recent boxing history.  

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Gervonta Davis’ controversial knee 

In the ninth round, something bizarre happened that caught the attention of all fight fans. Lamont Roach managed to land some combos. Davis had no answers for the combos, and he took a knee and immediately ran to his corner. The whole crowd thought it was a knockdown and the commentary team couldn’t believe what they saw. 

Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach controversial decision
Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach controversial decision (via X)

However, the referee didn’t rule it as a knockdown, which was absolutely shocking. Davis explained that he forgot his mouthpiece and the referee had a conversation with him, but no points were deducted. The fight was allowed to continue, leaving fans in limbo. After that, Roach tried to capitalize on the situation but wasn’t successful.

Was the Gervonta Davis vs Lamont Roach fight rigged?

After 12 rounds, the judges scored the fight 115-113, 114-114, 114-114 and it was declared a draw. As expected, it didn’t go well among the fight fans and other boxing experts and it started a debate on the internet. Many were convinced that the referee was paid off and rigged the fight in favor of ‘Tank.’ Controversial refereeing is very common in boxing, but this was beyond explanation.

Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach was declared a majority draw by the judges
Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach was declared a majority draw by the judges (via X)

Some of the big names in boxing such as Terence Crawford, Claressa Shields, etc, publicly stated that it was a clear robbery. During the post-fight interview, Gervonta Davis mentioned that he believed he won, especially in the last rounds. However, the crowd boos were louder and did leave him surprised. On the other hand, Roach, against all odds, performed incredibly and is ready to run it back. 

Related: Team Gervonta Davis links Devin Haney’s absence with ‘Broken Jaw’ after Ryan Garcia beatdown