In recent years, the term “Pay-Per-View Star" has lost some of its value due to the pay-per-view model being one that is overpriced and over used even as subscription-based streaming has offered better value for consumers and generally produces higher viewership numbers than those events that are reserved for pay-per-view. There are, however, some exceptions or at least some fighters that a portion of Boxing fans will argue are worthy of the label “Pay-Per-View Star" even as the model is a dying medium. One such fighter is Gervonta Davis.
Davis, a fighter who has competed in three weight classes ranging from the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division up to the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division is known for producing knockouts that are the type that come suddenly and are often brutal. Along the way, Davis has won world titles in the Jr. Lightweight and Lightweight divisions, while for a time holding Interim/Regular champion status in the Jr. Welterweight division. As the current WBA World Lightweight champion, few fighters have been able to withstand Davis’ punching power and compete effectively. Unbeaten in thirty professional fights, with twenty-eight of those wins coming via knockout registering a career knockout percentage of over 90%, Davis climbed into the ring at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY to face current WBA Jr. Lightweight world champion Lamont Roach on March 1st in the main event of the latest pay-per-view offering on Prime Video promoted by the Premier Boxing Champions group of promoters.
Despite the fact that this was a fight between two current world champions, with a past history having fought twice in 2011 as amateurs, there were some who felt this encounter would be another note on Davis’ extensive record of knockout wins. Perhaps the perception of that beyond the track record that Davis has was rooted in the fact that Roach, who entered the fight with a record of 25-1-1, with 10 Knockouts, was not only moving up five pounds to challenge Davis for his world title, but was not known for his punching power. While their meetings as amateurs should not have been used as a way to attempt to measure what might happen when they faced off due to the fact that both were kids at the time, Davis did win both bouts via close decisions, which context aside, could have also led to the perception that Roach would be a footnote on Davis’ record. Although in recent times Davis has become known as a fighter that starts slow and gradually picks up his pace as a fight progresses, it did not take Roach long to establish that whatever perception a fan might have had of his chances going into this fight may have been misjudged.
Roach did this by applying tactical pressure on Davis early in the fight. While both fighters did not throw many punches through several of the early rounds, which resulted in a bout fought at an extremely measured pace, what was noticeable was Roach’s ability to gradually walk Davis backward. Despite neither fighter being able to establish a clear offensive output from the other and seemingly matching each other punch for punch, it was the challenger’s calculated approach that gave an impression that he may have had the upper hand, albeit slightly through the first six rounds of the fight.
Although it was not the most entertaining of fights for those who are looking for action, the level of competition between the two fighters is something that should not be ignored. Through the first six rounds, I felt Roach was ahead by a round, however, this observer has been around long enough and has certainly covered enough close fights in just about every scenario one could name in three decades to know that how I might be seeing things could be reversed for someone else or might be a little wider as well, in particular, how the three official judges might be see things.
Though Roach being able to be tactical and largely nullify the pace in which the combat was being fought was the most noticeable thing through the first half of the fight, the champion subtly began landing hard, thudding punches when he did let his hands go, which can leave just as much an impression on those scoring a fight as who might be dictating how a fight is being fought. The seventh round saw the beginning of a change in the pace of the fight as the challenger Roach seemed willing to stand and try to trade power punches with Davis. In that if Davis landed solidly on Roach, Roach would respond by trying to not only land punches that were as solid as the ones the champion was landing, but would try doing so in combination.
As the action began to heat up, an element of controversy would occur in the ninth round when Davis seemed to turn his back and take a knee. Under most circumstances, this would result in a knockdown being ruled against the fighter that took a knee. Referee Steve Willis would frankly blow the call and while he did admonish Davis and warn him that what he had done constituted a knockdown, he did not score one in favor of Roach. While in fairness, I did not see a punch land on Davis prior to him taking a knee, Willis’ decision to not call it a knockdown, which it should have been outside of something illegal like a low blow landing, would prove to be crucial even as the tempo of the fight had changed and we saw more heated exchanges between the two fighters.
What stood out as the fight entered the championship rounds was not so much that the tempo had switched from measured and tactical, to tactical yet with heated exchanges, was Roach’s willingness to play with fire and exchange with Davis, but more specifically seemingly getting the better of the action particularly when he was able to land with his right hand, often in a counter punch sequence. Going into the twelfth round, I felt the fight was close, but had Roach narrowly edging Davis, just as I had at the halfway point at the conclusion of round six. Roach seemed to get the better of the action in the final round leading me to have a seven rounds to five or 115-113 in points scorecard in his favor. Ultimately, one official judge had a seven rounds to five margin in favor of Davis, while the two remaining judges turned in identical deadlocked scorecards of six rounds to six or 114-114 in points resulting in a majority draw.
Just how crucial the first six rounds were in terms of who had the upper hand when the two fighters were matching each other punch for punch, but more specifically Steve Willis’ decision as the referee to not rule a knockdown against Davis will be heavily debated as to whether that decision cost Lamont Roach a victory and his second world title in this fight. If the knee Davis took in the ninth round had been scored correctly as a knockdown, it is logical to think that it would have been the difference maker on the two scorecards that resulted in a draw in turning what was a draw into a majority decision win for Roach as it would have been scored s 10-8 round due to the knockdown and not a 10-9 round, which though still resulting in a narrow score margin, would have determined a winner.
It is clear coming out of this fight that some decisions will have to be made. One, will Roach, who is still the WBA’s Jr. Lightweight world champion, choose to move back down in weight to defend his title or will he choose to remain at Lightweight. Two, will Davis, who was talking about retirement before this fight, indeed move in the direction or continue on with his career. While it is still to be determined as to how successful this fight proved to be as a pay-per-view attraction with a $79.95 price point, given what happened in the ring and the fact that for the first time since he fought Isaac Cruz in December 2021 that there was legitimate doubt as to the outcome and the fact that this turned out to be a draw and not a win for Davis, with the impression being left that it was Lamont Roach, who saw his stock go up, we should see a rematch. Whether we will and whether it comes in a timely manner as some other rematches have in the recent history of the sport remains to be seen.
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