“I just got my hair done two days ago, and she put grease in my sh*t.” Many will find it hard to forget those words. Chances are, thoughts about the Gervonta Davis–Lamont Roach Jr. showdown will persistently evoke an embarrassing memory – Davis taking a knee in the ninth round. When asked, the lightweight champion felt the latest hairdo might have caused the hotly debated slip-up.

Given the involvement of a third party – the hairstylist – many would expect them to lie low and allow the matters to simmer down. But not in this, as it turns out. Finding themselves under fire, they offered a clarification, which may perk up the prevailing doubts over Davis’ performance at the Barclays Center. Leaving Gervonta Davis red-faced, Lamont Roach Jr. not only took him the distance but also pulled off an unthinkable draw from a KO artist who entered the fight as a 16-1 favorite. Leave aside brownie points; Roach Jr. seems to have burst open the doors to bigger fights.

Hear me out too

Through an Instagram post, @happypunch shared the screenshot of the vile trash purportedly aimed at Gervonta Davis’s hairstylist. Comments such as “It’s your fault,” “Please no more grease…actually stay far away from him,” followed. A statement supposedly from the hairstylist also featured. “I did his hair WEDNESDAY. It’s SATURDAY! He did press, gym, and weigh in. That’s no excuse. How much grease did I use, damn?” the person reportedly said. An Instagram post from the Bronx-based hairstylist @leebthebrand actually had a short clip of Gervonta Davis sitting at the studio, perusing his mobile while getting styled.

But the fact is damage has already been done. Regardless of what Gervonta Davis stated or the clarification offered by his hairstylist. The whole act – Davis taking a knee in the middle of the fight, approaching his corner, and then resuming the fight – has come under intense scrutiny.

Gervonta Davis: A knee that humbled him

Referee Steve Willis‘ conduct, where he should have forced a mandatory countdown on Davis, seems to have perturbed many. Per boxing rules, touching the mat with hand and knee should be treated as a knockdown, meriting the mandatory count. Floyd Mayweather‘s 2001 title defense against Carlos Hernandez is one good example. In the sixth round, writhing in pain, the unbeaten champion touched the mat with his injured hand. Calling it a knockdown, the referee began the count without hesitation.

After the splash break, many felt Gervonta Davis rebounded to nip a historic upset in the bud. Even if the reasons are justified, the problem is that Gervonta Davis may have slipped out of the A-side. Doubts overshadow as questions about his next fight emerge. Will he be able to take on Shakur Stevenson or Keyshawn Davis? Both of whom have been calling him for title unification for some time now. A rematch with Lamont Roach Jr. could help him quell some of the aspersions.

With the hairstylist’s reported clarification, do you feel Gervonta Davis’ excuse for taking a voluntary knee hold on water?