Debitage breeds debitage.
The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) has decided not to overturn the draw between WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis and super-featherweight champion Lamont Roach.
The unbeaten Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs), one of boxing’s top stars, took a knee in Round 9 after Roach (25-1-2, 10 KOs) connected with a jab. He later cited that a hair product ran into his eyes and caused them to burn. Referee Steve Willis counted to three before stopping and didn’t rule it a knockdown.
The commission denied Roach’s protest because “the bout continued for more than three full rounds after the referee’s no knockdown call, and because the boxers necessarily adjusted to the referee’s ruling, the referee’s call was not outcome-determinative.” They also added that in order for the commission to reverse a referee’s decision, “sufficient, conclusive evidence must be demonstrated that (1) the referee made a clear error, and (2) the error was outcome-determinative with an improper outcoming resulting.”
The commission agreed that Willis made a clear error but argued that it had no impact on the result. This is the part that should really bother everybody: “For a referee’s clear error to be considered outcome-determinative, it must take place at the end of a bout, or what should have been the end of the bout but for the error.”
This ruling sets a very dangerous precedent and makes it attainable for a referee to make incessant gaffes without suffering consequences. That’s the politically correct way to go about it. It’s absolutely encouraged to be a complete lunkhead as long as it doesn’t impact the final round or the closing stages, just as long as the house fighter gets their hand raised at the end. If NYSAC disciplined or fired Willis, we certainly didn’t hear anything about it on Friday. What a bunch of crap. This exemplifies why boxing has steadily lost its popularity over the years and why the sport is having to rely on a new league established by a Saudi billionaire and a longtime rival of boxing, UFC President Dana White, to rebuild on its ashes.
As we reported on fight night, there’s instant replay in New York. The use of the technology was approved via vote last September. However, 48 hours after the conclusion of the fight, NYSAC farcically announced that they suffered “technical issues” that prevented them from viewing the footage and ordered an investigation into the matter to discover what materialized. Guess what was oddly omitted from Friday’s announcement? That pseudo inquiry into their replay system.
The bottom line is that NYSAC will go out of its way to protect powerful figures and their lousy officials, as will a majority of organizations. There’s no such thing as morals in a sport that refuses to conform. The Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act is a fine example. As benevolent as it might be, no one is enforcing the law, and no one in boxing is attempting to remedy its glaring flaws. The rules don’t apply to the hierarchy. It’s always been the wild-wild west, and it may remain that way in perpetuum.
If the roles were reversed and Roach took the voluntary knee in the ninth round, it’s guaranteed that NYSAC would have flipped the script. We can liken this situation to a popular fighter testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. While an unknown fighter would likely have the book thrown at them, a star boxer would have the powers that be on their side making every excuse in the book, whether it be eggs, a pig, tainted dog food, a chicken’s sphincter, it doesn’t matter. If there’s money to be made, boxing will find a way to defend misconduct.
Order the rematch, but the world knows Roach won the first fight, and there’s nothing you can do to change our minds.
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