It wouldn’t be boxing without a good dose of controversy.
The latest entry into the record books has the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) scrambling to excogitate how this could have transpired. After 12 hotly contested rounds, the Gervonta Davis–Lamont Roach fight ended in a majority draw. Two of Saturday’s three ringside judges submitted two 114-114 scorecards with a final tally of 115-113 for Davis, turning what appeared to be a clear Roach upset win into a heavily disputed outcome. Though it may seem improbable, that doesn’t even scratch the surface of the flagrant buffoonery and criminality that was on full display at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
The scorecards for #TankvsRoach pic.twitter.com/bdXBgkb7wB
— Abraham Gonzalez (@abeG718) March 2, 2025
In the ninth round, Davis took a knee, essentially called his own timeout, and ran to his corner, where a team member wiped his face with a towel. At the very least, that’s a knockdown. If “Tank” slipped or tripped, that’s a different scenario. But in this case, he voluntarily took a knee, and referee Steve Willis—there’s no other way to put it—turned a blind eye to it, i.e., he let it slide. And his decision to exemplify blatant disregard for the rules cost Roach a signature victory of a lifetime, to become a two-division world champion against one of boxing’s most destructive punchers of the era. Instead, Davis retained his WBA 135-pound title with boos reigning down from the crowd. But Willis is not the only person or entity to blame for this disaster.
“You take knee like that, it looks like a knock down.”
No. It is a knockdown. #Boxing#BOXINGnBBQ#DavisRoach
pic.twitter.com/JaTVWdfnXm— BOXING n BBQ (@BOXINGnBBQ) March 2, 2025
If Willis is not fired or, at the very least, suspended, it is inexpiable and indicative of systemic corruption that has plagued boxing for generations. We can cut some slack if this were an amateur fight with a novice referee. That is not the case with Willis, who has been employed as a professional referee for the past two decades. He knows the rules and chose not to enforce them. He even started the count and stopped. Did he nearly commit the cardinal sin of doing his job correctly? To boot, despite having every possible tool to make the correct decision, NYSAC made no effort to do so. This is as crooked as you can get.
There’s instant replay in New York. According to NYSAC, the use of the technology was approved via vote last September. According to their bulletin:
- When adequate technology is available, instant replay may be used to determine the correct outcome of a bout, including but not limited to: • Causation of a cut or other injury; • Knockdown, trip, or slip; • Accidental or Intentional fouls; • Fight ending sequence.
- The Commission will assign an instant replay official for each bout. The instant replay official will be provided a monitor and a headset at ringside next to the Commission table.
- Only the in-ring referee or instant replay official is authorized to initiate instant replay review.
- The in-ring referee may consult with the instant replay official to determine the correct outcome.
- In order to modify the original call, the instant replay official and the in-ring referee must agree that the replay shows clear and conclusive evidence that the in-ring determination was an error.
- Best efforts shall be made by the reviewing officials to complete the review during the one-minute rest period.
- An additional 30 seconds may be added to the rest period by the reviewing officials upon notification of the Commission, timekeeper, and athletes of the need for such additional time, if needed, for completion of the review and announcement of the determination regarding whether a change of a call is warranted.
- If a determination cannot be rendered based upon the review within the one-minute rest period and, where necessary, the additional 30 seconds, the in-ring call shall stand.
- The Instant Replay Official and In-Ring Referee shall notify the Judges and Commission score table of the decision prior to the start of the next round.
- If the incident occurs in the final round, the instant replay official and in-ring referee shall have up to 5 minutes from the conclusion of the round to make a determination.
However, following the pattern of many forms of government, all of this is meaningless if they don’t abide by their guidelines. So NYSAC is basically stating that both Willis and the instant replay official agree that the “in-ring determination” was correct. This is a joke, folks. It can’t be incompetence unless Willis’ rapid eye movements suddenly caused a case of vertigo. We hear fighters come up with a wide array of excuses for testing positive for banned substances. Can we expect the same from our officials, who very clearly should never work a fight again? I wouldn’t be shocked by anything at this point.
We don’t know who the replay official is, but a guy with decades of experience, in most cases, should be enough to make the right call. To put it succinctly, the powers that be wanted Tank to win the fight. And it appears that was enough for Willis to forfeit his morals in exchange for job security. If that’s the case, he’s a coward who should never work a fight again. And given Tank’s corner decided to work on their fighter mid-round, Willis was also within his right to disqualify Davis, albeit that likely would have resulted in mass chaos. Davis was also warned a myriad of times by Willis for an assortment of illegal blows late in the fight with no point deduction. Roach was fighting four bouts in a sense, and it’s a miracle he came out with a draw.
If there’s any question whether Davis or any other fighter is being singled out, that’s simply not the case. Take Floyd Mayweather Jr., for instance. In 2001, the future pound-for-pound great suffered the only official knockdown of his career, which wasn’t from a punch. Fighting Carlos Hernandez in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Mayweather connected with a left hook to Hernandez’s head and immediately grimaced in pain and turned away. He subsequently bent over, and his left glove touched the canvas. Referee Dale Grable correctly ruled it a knockdown and issued an eight-count to Mayweather. Ultimately, he overcame injuries to both hands to outpoint Hernandez for his seventh defense of the WBC junior lightweight world title. We simply want the rules to be followed. It’s that simple.
As per usual with this pretentious sport, we had an opportunity to see a voluminous upset and a young man propel to the pinnacle of the sport with a win against one of boxing’s elite talents, inspiring a contingent of young people that they too can become world champion. Instead, the sport finds itself a laughingstock submerged in feculence as impropriety takes center stage.
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