The boxing universe is in a frenzy after Gervonta âTankâ Davis emerged from his March 1, 2025, showdown against Lamont Roach Jr. with a stunning majority draw that has ignited a firestorm of controversy. Held at a packed Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the WBA lightweight title fight ended in a decision so contentious it left Davis, fans and pundits alike in an uproar. Now, the undefeated knockout machine is blasting the result as a robbery, shouting, âI was robbed!â and calling for a rematch to settle the score. With a near-knockdown in the ninth round fueling the chaos, has Tank been cheated or is he running from a brutal truth?
Davis, the 30-year-old Baltimore phenom with a 30-0-1 record, entered the ring as the favorite against Roach, the 29-year-old from Washington, D.C., with a 25-2-2 record. The fight was a thriller from the start: Tankâs thunderous power matched by Roachâs slick footwork and stamina.
But the drama came to a head in the ninth round, when Roach landed a brutal right hand that sent Davis reeling and staggering, his knee scraping the canvas. Referee Steve Willis controversially ruled it a slip, not a takedown, despite replays showing Davisâ glove touching the ground to keep his balance â a ruling that has since exploded on social media. âLamont Roach taught Tank a lesson and he got screwed,â read one post from X, capturing the fury of fans who saw Roach as the rightful victor.
The scorecards added fuel to the fire: One judge went for Davis at 115-113, while two saw it tied at 114-114, cementing a majority draw that preserved Tankâs belt but left a scar on his pristine legacy. In the post-fight chaos, Davis did not hold back. âI was robbed, plain and simple,â he lashed out. âThat was no slip; the whole world saw it. I demand a rematch!â The Brooklyn crowd roared in agreement, flooding the ring with boos as Roach stood poised, robbed of glory.
In a shocking twist, however, Davis then hinted at a detour, muttering: âIâve got something else going on,â leaving the boxing world up in the air: will he seek redemption or bolt for a bigger payday?
Roach isnât giving up. Armed with a rematch clause, heâs ready to prove his point. âIâve outpointed him once, Iâll do it again,â he vowed, eyeing a second shot at Tank before a potential jump to 140 pounds to seek Rayo Valenzuelaâs crown. Rumors on X claim the WBA is leaning toward ordering a second shot, with president Gilberto Mendoza reportedly âfuriousâ over the ninth-round blunder. âRematch is a sure thing,â one source tweeted, increasing the pressure on Davis to face the music. CompuBox stats paint a very close picture: Davis landed 98 of 258 punches (38%) to Roachâs 92 of 326 (28%), with Roachâs jab advantage (50-26) offset by Tankâs fury at the end of the round. But that unsanctioned knockdown? It could have turned the fight around: a 10-8 round could have crowned Roach the champion.
The fallout is tearing fans apart. Some are hailing Roachâs masterclass, arguing that it exposed Tankâs vulnerabilities with more precise boxing and a near-definitive finish. âRoach was cheated, a robbery,â one X-user fumed. Others are clinging to Davis, insisting that his onslaught from rounds 10 to 12 sealed the win. âTank managed to get through; give him the win,â another retorted. But the ghost of the ninth round looms over them; had it been scored, it might have tipped the scales. Davisâ rage hurts more than pride; this draw damages a legacy built on knockouts and supremacy. A rematch looms, but his hint of a mystery fight â perhaps Devin Haney or Shakur Stevenson â suggests a champion torn between revenge and flight.
Across sports, parallels emerge. Red Bullâs Max Verstappen dodged punishment after a scrape in Bahrain, while NASCARâs Kyle Larson let off steam on chaotic tracks â both champions are battling the pain of controversy. For Roach, itâs Larsonâs determination he mirrors, battling the odds. Davis, however, channels Verstappenâs defiance, refusing to bow. Will the WBA force Tank back into the fire, or will his next move elude justice? With fans screaming for answers and the stakes rising, this drama is just heating up. Was Davis robbed, or is Roach the real victim? Tell us what you think below â boxingâs wild ride continues!