The most important fight of last weekend was undoubtedly Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach Jr. After twelve extremely close rounds, in my opinion, the draw was a fair decision, though there was some frustration due to the referee’s mistake, as he became a protagonist throughout the entire bout.
In the ninth round, had he had the courage to apply the rules by issuing an official warning to Gervonta or starting the count, he would have certainly steered the victory toward Lamont Roach Jr.
The first six rounds were very balanced, with Davis simply controlling his opponent by moving around him, never taking the initiative or the center of the ring. He was boxing on the counter, trying to limit his opponent’s actions by timing his shots or countering him with precise movements, dodging and returning fire.
From the seventh to the ninth round, the champion finally showed some aggression, but without any real impact, as his shots were absorbed by the challenger’s arms. From the start of the ninth round onward, Roach dictated the pace and took the initiative, landing the cleaner shots and becoming the more effective fighter.
It was in the ninth round that the turning point occurred, leaving a bitter taste. Davis placed his knee on the canvas and then walked to his corner on his own initiative, without any signal from the referee.
A serious mistake was made here: according to the rules, when a fighter puts a knee on the ground, the referee must start a count—yet this did not happen. Another mistake followed: Davis voluntarily went to his corner to have his face wiped.
To correct his previous mistake, the referee could have issued a warning to Davis and deducted a point for unsportsmanlike conduct. None of this happened, so the judges could only score each round independently, awarding a point to one or the other fighter up to the twelfth round.
I found the fight monotonous, with neither boxer clearly superior. The champion was content to control the action, while the challenger never decisively took the initiative to prove he was the better fighter.
So, can Gervonta Davis really be considered a true superstar in international boxing right now? Is he overrated due to the selection of his opponents? Maybe, by not considering fighters from a higher weight class as rivals, his true value remains unknown?
In my humble opinion, Gervonta Davis, since becoming a World Champion, has been a spectacular fighter to watch, demolishing his opponents with dominance and skill. However, under Floyd Mayweather’s management, he was never matched against opponents who could truly challenge him.
This allowed his fiery personality to explode, creating an arrogant character. And when he switched management to PBC, his level of protection increased even more, leading him to face mediocre fighters who were not on his level, either in skill or physical structure.
In my view, the right path for him would be to move up in weight and face fighters and champions who can push him to the limit and bring out the true Davis in high-level, competitive bouts.
Returning to the analysis of his last fight, I found Gervonta’s corner inadequate and very distracted, unable to agree on who should speak and give Davis instructions round by round, or even on who should assist him with drinking, his mouthguard, or applying Vaseline to his face.
Perhaps the most likely scenario is that Davis did not prepare properly, underestimating his opponent, possibly because he did not consider him to be on his level due to the lack of high-profile names in his record. This could explain why, over twelve rounds, Roach surprised Davis with his physicality and hunger for victory.
I believe a rematch is the right call, as it would truly show Gervonta’s worth. Once he settles the score with Roach, in my opinion, he should move up in weight and face the top fighters. That way, he can finally shift gears, find the right key to improving his performance, and shine again in all his spectacular glory.