Gervonta Davis finally had to explain himself. Raising eyebrows, he unexpectedly took a knee as his fight with Lamont Roach Jr. entered the championship rounds. According to boxing’s official rules, this should have been ruled a knockdown – but nothing of the sort happened.

The fight went the distance, ending in a majority draw, with ‘Tank’ Davis retaining his lightweight title. Many criticized both his action and the referee’s decision. Terence Crawford, who hasn’t been on the best terms with Davis lately was among the loudest voices calling out the apparent oversight. Perhaps realizing how controversial his move appeared, Davis addressed the situation in his post-fight interview.

When an external distraction threw off the champion

During the post-fight interview, when asked, “Tank, you voluntarily took a knee midway through this fight. It was not ruled a knockdown. What happened?” The lightweight champion explained, “I just got my hair done two days ago, and she put grease in my sh*t. When you’re sweating and sh*t like that, the grease came into my face, and it burned my eyes.”

The response didn’t sit well with the crowd. Boos echoed throughout the arena – an arena where ‘Tank’ had previously scored some of his most memorable victories, including his first world title. Smiling, Davis defended himself. “Damn, why y’all booing like I’m saying some bullsh*t? This is real facts. Come on, man, look at my hair. I just got mine done, but it’s all cool, man. You know how they love you and then they hate you.”

But Terence Crawford wasn’t buying it. Earlier, he bluntly questioned the ruling: “I never seen someone take a knee, and they don’t count it as a knockdown. Must’ve forgot the rules for tonight,” he posted.

Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach Jr.: Not the Desired Outcome

Footage of the incident clearly shows referee Steve Willis reacting with surprise to Davis’ sudden move. Instructing Roach Jr. to go to his corner, he approached ‘Tank,’ raising his hands as if questioning the reason behind his actions. Later, as Davis prepared to resume fighting, Willis had a brief exchange with the champion.

Following the results, Terence Crawford doubled down, stating, “They robbed that boy, and it’s crazy.” For example, he referenced the 2001 fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Carlos Hernandez. During the sixth round, Mayweather experienced pain after throwing a left hook at Hernandez, causing him to drop his injured hand to the canvas. As a result, the referee gave him a mandatory count.

It wasn’t a performance ‘Tank’ Davis would be proud of. It soon became clear that Lamont Roach Jr. came in with a game plan. This wasn’t the usual ‘Tank’ fans were used to seeing. Struggling to land his signature power shots, he seemed to move from one round to the next without his usual dominance. Even though he fell short of becoming a two-division champion, Roach Jr. nevertheless earned the respect of many.

On the other hand, disappointment was written all over Lamont Roach Jr.’s face. “I’m a little disappointed in the decision. I thought I pulled it off,” hoping for a rematch to settle unfinished business, he admitted. Nevertheless, showing class, the Washington, D.C., native thanked his rival for granting him a career-defining opportunity.

Do you agree with Terence Crawford’s claim that it was a ‘robbery’?