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Gervonta ‘Tank' Davis did not officially suffer the first loss of his career against Lamont Roach Jr., but many fans believe he should have. While the two lightweights fought to a draw at the Barclays Center on Mar. 1, many, including Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard, felt that Roach was robbed of the potential crowning moment of his career.
Lillard is a known combat sports fan and has publicized his affinity for Davis since gravitating to boxing. However, he was one of the hundreds of fans on social media stating his belief that Roach should have become a two-division champion on Saturday night.
“I ain't gone lie,” Lillard tweeted. “I'm a big Tank fan, but I thought Roach edged that one out, bro.”
Since late in his Portland Trail Blazers career, Lillard has been a big fan of boxing. He avidly watches both boxing and MMA but actively trains in the sweet science. Lillard became one of the first NBA players to lace up a pair of gloves during the offseason, which has become his go-to workout.
With the Blazers, Lillard began boxing with Portland-based coach Cem Eren at the nearby Lion's Den gym. Despite now playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, Lillard still lives in Portland in the offseason. He often returns to Lion's Den whenever back in the area.
Controversial Gervonta Davis-Lamont Roach Jr. decision
Davis entered the fight as a massive 20-1 favorite but was caught in a back-and-forth affair with the scrappy Roach. After 12 rounds, one judge scored the fight in favor of the champion, with the other two scoring it an even 114-114, resulting in a majority draw. The result allowed Davis to retain the WBA lightweight title and remain undefeated.
While many were split on who won the fight outright, the biggest controversy came in the ninth round. In the middle of an exchange, Davis oddly took a knee on the canvas, causing the referee to call a timeout. By rule, the knee should have been scored as a knockdown for Roach, which would have given him a 10-8 round and, thus, won the fight.
Instead, the referee allowed Davis to walk over to his corner and wipe off his eye before re-starting the fight. Davis explained after the fact that grease from his hair got into his eye. Regardless, the knee was improperly ignored by the in-ring official, directly causing Roach a big upset victory.
Heading into the fight, fans expected Davis to pick up another knockout win and set up another lucrative super fight later in the year. Many have been clamoring for ‘Tank' to face WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson for years, a fight that Riyadh Season's Turki Alalshikh has openly pursued. Instead, a rematch with Roach is likely in Davis' immediate future.
