The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) is reportedly reviewing the controversial kneel-down that marred Saturday’s Gervonta Davis-Lamont Roach fight at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
During the ninth round of the fight, Roach (25-1-2) landed a hard right hand followed by a jab. Davis (30-0-1) looked at referee Steve Willis before suddenly taking a knee in what appeared to be a delayed reaction to the blows (video here).
Davis taking the knee arguably should have been ruled a knockdown, which would have likely cost him a point on the scorecards. But Willis let the fight continue without signaling a knockdown.
The final result was a majority draw. Two judges ruled the fight a 114-114 stalemate, while another scored it 115-113 in favor of Davis.
The NYSAC has the power to review replays during a fight to correct any improper rulings. However, the commission stated that a “technical issue” prevented it from receiving proper replay video to review the incident in time.
“During the round in question, following the commission’s request for the replay video, there was a technical issue preventing the commission from receiving it within the allotted time for review,” a commission spokeswoman stated, via ESPN’s Mike Coppinger. “Therefore, the referee’s in-ring decision was relied upon and the fight continued.”
The commission also stated that it is “reviewing the matter” and remains dedicated to preventing similar technical issues from happening in future fights.
After the bout, Davis explained that he took a knee because of “hair grease” that allegedly got into his eye during the match.
Davis had a rematch clause in his fight contract in the event he did not win, which he sounded very eager to exercise days after the match.
