Ryan Garcia Sums Up Gervonta Davis Taking a Knee Against Lamont Roach Perfectly in Just 5 Words
Gervonta âTankâ Davis clung to his WBA Lightweight World Title last night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, but the controversial majority draw against challenger Lamont Roach Jr. has left the boxing world divided, with many believing Roach deserved the victory. The fightâs explosive ninth-round momentâwhen Davis took a knee, claimed grease in his hair impaired his vision, and referee Steve Willis bizarrely failed to call it a knockdownâhas sparked outrage and debate. Now, Ryan Garcia, the only fighter to suffer a professional loss to Davis, has perfectly captured the absurdity of the incident in a succinct, five-word social media post thatâs gone viral, reigniting the controversy and fueling calls for a rematch.
The bout, broadcast live on SHOWTIME PPV, was a nail-biter from start to finish, pitting Davisâ explosive knockout power (28 KOs in 31 wins) against Roachâs gritty determination and technical prowess (now 25-1-2). As the rounds progressed, Roach grew stronger, landing crisp jabs and combinations that frustrated Davis, who struggled to connect with the devastating power shots that have defined his career. By the later rounds, âTankâ appeared cautious, unable to break down Roachâs resilience, leading many ringside analysts to score the fight in Roachâs favor.
The turning point came in the ninth round, when Davis, mid-exchange, suddenly took a knee, claiming grease from his freshly styled braids had burned his eyes. He stood up, retreated to his corner for a wipe-down, and continued fighting, but referee Steve Willisâ decision not to rule it a knockdown proved pivotal. The final scorecards read 115-113 for Davis and 114-114 twice, resulting in a majority draw that preserved Davisâ undefeated 30-0-1 record but left Roachâand much of the boxing communityâfuming. CompuBox stats showed Roach outlanding Davis 112-103, reinforcing the perception that Roach outworked the champion.
Post-fight, Davis attempted to explain the incident, telling *ESPN*, âI got my hair done two days ago, and she put grease in it. It burned my eyes. Why are you booing like this is bulls**t. Itâs real facts.â He also called for a rematch, saying, âHopefully we can run it back for sure. Letâs bring it back to New York and have the rematch for sure. I think I pulled it off with the last three rounds for sure. I was catching him with some clean shots. I was breaking him down as the fight went on. I didnât want to make mistakes, so I kept it cautious. He is a great fighter and has the skills. It was a lesson.â
But the real firestorm ignited when Ryan Garcia, 26, took to X to voice his outrage. The former WBC interim lightweight champion, whose only professional loss came via a seventh-round TKO to Davis in April 2023, didnât mince words. In a post thatâs amassed over 3 million views and 1.5 million likes, Garcia wrote, âLamont won that. Wildest. Knee. Ever. Seen.â Those five wordsâsharp, succinct, and dripping with incredulityâperfectly encapsulated the absurdity of Davisâ knee incident and Willisâ non-call, resonating with fans and experts alike.
Garcia didnât stop there. In a follow-up interview with *The Ring*, he elaborated, âLamont won that fight. Not calling that knockdown is the wildest thing Iâve ever seen in boxing. That type of stuff makes boxing look bad. Tankâs lucky the ref bailed him out, but everyone knows Roach outworked him.â His comments, echoing the sentiment of many, have fueled the #RoachRobbed hashtag on X, where fans are demanding justice and a rematch, with posts like âRyanâs rightâLamont got cheated, and that knee was a jokeâ and âDavis dodged a bullet thanks to Willis.â
Referee Steve Willis, who has faced intense scrutiny, defended his decision in a statement to *Yahoo Sports*, saying, âI saw Gervonta take a knee due to an apparent issue with his vision, not a punch. There was no knockdown, and I stand by my call.â However, the backlash has been swift, with boxing legends like Terence Crawford and Deontay Wilder weighing in on X. Crawford posted, âThat wasnât a knockdown? Câmon, Willisâthis smells fishy,â while Wilder added, âBoxingâs integrity is on the line here. Roach deserved better.â
Davisâ purse of $5 million and Roachâs $200,000 payout have also intensified speculation about bias or pressure, though no evidence of wrongdoing has surfacedâyet. The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) has opened a review of the fight, promising to examine Willisâ decision and the scoring, but no timeline for a conclusion has been set.
For Roach, the fight was a chance to cement his legacy as a lightweight contender, and his camp is pushing hard for a rematch. âWe know Lamont won, and the world knows it too,â said trainer Calvin Ford on *ESPN*. âRyanâs five words hit it on the headâwildest knee ever. Weâre not stopping until we get our justice.â Davis, meanwhile, remains defiant, telling *Sports Illustrated*, âI fought my fight, and Iâll run it back if I have to. The grease was real, and Iâm still the champ.â
Whether Roach gets his rematchâand whether Mayweatherâs accusation (see related story) gains tractionâremains unclear, but Garciaâs viral five-word summary has cemented the ninth-round knee as the defining moment of this controversial draw. As the boxing world awaits the NYSACâs verdict, #WildestKneeEver continues to trend on X, driven by Garciaâs sharp commentary and the lingering question: Was justice served in Brooklyn?