Top trainer Robert Garcia believes he knows exactly why Gervonta Davis took a knee against Lamont Roach.

The controversial moment came earlier this month when ‘Tank’ was defending his WBA lightweight title against Roach at the Barclays Center in New York.

It was expected to be a straightforward fight for Davis, but it turned out to be anything but that, with Roach giving his rival the toughest test of his career so far.

As the competitive fight unfolded, Davis surprised everyone in round nine when he voluntarily took a knee and retreated back to his corner. The referee initially began counting but then stopped and decided it wasn’t a knockdown, something that left Roach furious.

‘Tank’ later claimed it was due to grease dripping down from his hair into his eyes, but Trainer of the Year award winner Garcia now has a theory of his own.

Garcia has operated at the highest level in boxing for a number of years, currently working with top fighters like Vergil Ortiz and Bam Rodriguez, and Garcia told Pro Box TV he feels ‘Tank’ took the knee because he simply couldn’t cope with Roach.

“He was in there with a better man than him and kind of lost it a little. Taking the knee because he was frustrated. There was no other question than that’s what happened.”

The fight ended in a majority decision draw after scores of 115-113 Davis and 114-114 twice, meaning if the ninth had been scored a 10-8 round for Roach, it would have been enough to see him become the new WBA champion.

The controversial moment led to Roach’s team filing an official appeal with the New York State Athletic Commission, but it was rejected and the original decision will remain.

While he may have not got the result overturned, it’s looking increasingly likely that Roach will get an immediate rematch with ‘Tank’ this summer.