WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis is facing a wave of controversy following his fight against Lamont Roach Jr. last Saturday night in New York. Once seen as untouchable, Davis is now under intense scrutiny, with many questioning his true abilities in the ring. Amid the drama, Shakur Stevenson‘s trainer has shared a revealing story about Davis—one that could offer some much-needed perspective.

Much of the debate remains surrounding the knee ‘Tank’ decided to take in the middle of the ninth round during his fight against Lamont Roach Jr. Referee Steve Willis had started the mandatory 10 count but stopped when he saw Davis run to his corner to get his face wiped clean, which later turned out to be grease from his hair.

Regardless, the incident has now caught NYSAC’s attention, and the commission is reviewing the incident, which could overturn the decision in Roach Jr.’s favor. The 29-year-old himself, through his attorney, urged the commission to overturn the decision because Davis decided to take a knee. While it’s uncertain what the commission’s ruling would be, Stevenson’s trainer, Coach Rell, was reminded about an incident 10 years ago after hearing all this.

While appearing in an interview with YSM Sports Media, Rell said, “I was surprised, but then it took me back to maybe 10 years ago when Tevin Farmer and Gervonta Davis were going in there.” Rell recalled what Farmer had told him about Davis, noting, “Tevin Farmer said out of the mouth, Gervonta Davis [doesn’t] like to get hit. He [doesn’t] like when n***a fighting back. If you let Gervonta be Gervonta Davis, he will.”

“But if you put a little emphasis on him trying to do what he’s trying to do, it’s going to f**k up his plan. And I just saw the headlines, that’s [Davis] coming with heavy punches, but [Roach], the guy took him and he punched that man back. He’s like, ‘Oh, let me fall back.’ Maybe, it was Lamont [who] had a little better pile ball. I don’t know, but he was that damn truck.”

Whether Gervonta Davis’ plan got ruined by Lamont Roach Jr. or not, they must have a rematch. While both parties seem interested, a new report from WBA has attempted to defend referee Steve Willis’ decision.

WBA defends Gevonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach Jr. decision in a now-deleted report

The WBA attempted to justify referee Steve Willis’ controversial decision in the Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach Jr. fight before deleting their statement. The March 1 bout ended in a majority draw, allowing Davis to retain his WBA lightweight title.

In a now-deleted post, the WBA stated, “From our perspective, Willis’ decision was not unreasonable or unjustifiable.” They argued that he ruled “in real-time that Davis had not been struck by a punch before going down.”

Meanwhile, the NYSAC has launched a review into the incident, pledging to prevent similar “technical issues” from affecting future bouts. Due to these issues, the commission was unable to review the knee incident during the fight.

That being said, Shakur Stevenson’s coach has provided a new perspective on why Gervonta Davis’ plans during the fight derailed, allowing Lamont Roach Jr. to capitalize on them. The simple solution seems to be fighting back against Davis’ power. What do you think about the statement?