The recent fight between Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach Jr. has sparked intense controversy in the boxing world, particularly regarding Davis’ decision to take a knee in the ninth round. The result—a majority decision draw with scorecards of 115-113 for Davis and 114-114 twice—has been widely debated. Had the ninth round been scored as a 10-8 in Roach’s favor, he would have been declared the winner.
Terence Crawford, one of boxing’s most respected figures, has now weighed in on the controversy. During an appearance on The Big Podcast With Shaq, Crawford shared his thoughts on Davis’ decision to take a knee.
“It should have been called a knockdown—1,000%. If you take a knee in any scenario during a fight, that’s a knockdown. I don’t know if he had grease in his eye or what, but I know he took a knee, and that should have been counted,” Crawford stated. “The referee started his count, so he definitely should have continued. I don’t understand why he stopped, but that’s something he’ll have to explain.”
Who won the fight according to Crawford?
Crawford went even further, stating that even without the knockdown, he believed Roach deserved the victory. “My honest opinion? I thought Roach won without the knockdown. It was a close fight, and both fought a good technical fight,” Crawford said.
“They were countering each other and knew each other well, but I thought Roach was the busier and sturdier fighter. I felt he landed more shots than Tank. Tank controlled the middle rounds, but Roach edged out the early rounds due to Tank’s inactivity. In the final rounds, I thought Roach showed he wanted it more.” Crawford added.
Rematch confirmed and Crawford’s Future
The controversy surrounding their first bout has led to an immediate rematch, set for this summer. According to Roach’s promoter, the fight is a “fait accompli”. Fans eagerly anticipate the rematch, wondering if Roach can capitalize on his performance and secure an undisputed victory.
Meanwhile, Crawford has his own major challenge ahead. In September, he will jump two weight classes to face super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez. This fight marks a significant leap for Crawford, and his ability to handle the weight jump will be a key factor in his performance.