Boxing

Lamont Roach Jr. Alleges Gervonta 'Tank' Davis Brought 'Illegal Irritant' Into Fight

The letter that Lamont Roach Jr.'s team sent to NYSAC asks for Gervonta "Tank" Davis' disqualification because of an "illegal irritant".
Grant Young|
WBA Lightweight Champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis faces off with Lamont Roach Jr. on February 28, 2025.
WBA Lightweight Champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis faces off with Lamont Roach Jr. on February 28, 2025. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Despite the Gervonta "Tank" Davis vs. Lamont Roach Jr. fight for the WBA lightweight championship having taken place last weekend, the fight's outcome is still embroiled in controversy.

This is due to the sudden knee that Davis took during the ninth round that came seemingly out of the blue. After taking this knee, Davis went over to his corner and requested a member of his team wipe his face with a towel before returning to the fight.

The knee could have (and most think absolutely should have) been ruled a knockdown while essentially calling timeout and accepting assistance from the corner in the middle of the round was grounds for disqualification. However, the knee wasn't called a knockdown, Davis wasn't disqualified, and he escaped with a majority draw.

Lamont Roach Jr. is furious about this outcome. And ranting on social media is not all he's doing, as his attorney sent a letter to New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) executive director Matt Delaglio requesting that he overturn the majority draw into a decision win for Roach Jr.

Per the initial report of this letter from Dan Rafael of Fight Freaks Unite, one part of the letter writes, "Mr. Roach is confident that the Commission will agree with the millions who have seen the fight and determine that Mr. Roach is the true winner of the bout – either via TKO due to Mr. Davis removing himself from the Bout or being disqualified for carrying an illegal irritant into the ring, or via decision after scores have been adjusted to reflect the knockdown."

The suggestion from Roach Jr.'s team that Davis get disqualified due to an "illegal irritant" (which is surely due to the hair gel/grease Davis was wearing that has prompted its own post-fight controversy) is fascinating.

While Davis did cite having grease in his hair as the excuse for his cornerman wiping his face off in that fateful ninth round, Roach Jr. would probably have a better shot at getting the fight overturned through the knockdown than by disqualification due to hair grease.

The Latest Boxing News:

Lamont Roach Jr. Argues Fight Overturn vs Gervonta 'Tank' Davis In Social Media Rant

Lamont Roach Jr's Attorney Sends Letter To NYSAC Requesting They Overturn Result vs Gervonta Davis

Lamont Roach Jr. Teases Gervonta 'Tank' Davis Fight Overturn Announcement

Gervonta Davis' Hairstylist Pulls Out Receipts After Hair Grease Controversy

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young is a Staff Writer for On SI’s Boxing, New York Mets, Indiana Fever, and Women’s Fastbreak sites. Before joining SI in 2024, he wrote for various boxing and sports verticals such as FanBuzz and NY Fights. Young has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis on sports nonfiction from the University of San Francisco, where he played five seasons of Division 1 baseball. He fought Muay Thai professionally in Thailand in 2023, loves a good essay, and is driven crazy trying to handle a pitpull puppy named Aura. Young lives in San Diego and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.