Gervonta “Tank’’ Davis didn’t lose the fight, but he lost his aura of invincibility.
His fight Saturday with heavy underdog Lamont Roach Jr. ended in a majority draw.
Davis (30-0-1) and Roach (25-1-2) traded big shots over the 12-round lightweight fight at New York’s Barclays Center and, incredibly enough, Roach ended the fight on his feet.
The judges scored it 115-113 (for Davis), 114-114 and 114-114.
“Hopefully we can get a rematch,’’ Davis said.
Before the fight, Davis said Roach would be the most skilled boxer he’s faced. It was no exaggeration, even though Davis did retain his WBA lightweight world title.
“For sure, Lamont is a great fighter. He’s got the skill, like I said before,’ Davis said. ‘He got punching power.’’
Both fighters were cautious early, but by midway through the fight, punches were flying and landing.
“I’m one of the best fighters in the world, and I showed that tonight,’’ Roach said, indicating he wants a rematch. “I want to run it back for sure.’’
Davis-Roach controversy
Is Davis’ hairdresser to blame for Roach having to settle for a majority draw Saturday night?
Or is referee Steve Willis to blame?
Early in the ninth round, Davis took a knee.
Willis may have been able to rule it a knockdown, which would have resulted in a one-point deduction for Davis on all three judges’ scorecards.
But Willis allowed Davis to go to his corner without penalty. The fighter later said the incident was all the result of getting his hair done.
“I just got my hair done two days ago,’’ Davis said during a post-fight interview in the ring, explaining that sweat led to grease getting into his eye.
The explanation apparently did not go over well with the crowd, which booed.
“Damn, why you all booing?’’ said Davis.
One of the judges scored the fight 115-113 in favor of Davis and two scored it 114-114. A one-point deduction presumably would have changed two judges’ scorecards to 114-113 in favor of Roach and the third judge 114-113 for Davis – creating a split-decision victory for Roach.
“If that’s a knockdown I win the fight,’’ Roach said. But in welcoming a rematch, he also said, “It is what it is.’’
Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Lamont Roach Jr. declared majority draw
Round 1
Lamont Roach Jr. throws a right to the body. It misses. But he’s still on his feet. Call it a victory for Roach. Gervonta “Tank’’ Davis showing no interest in opening up early. Roach throws a couple of jabs and that could be enough to seal this round. Half a dozen and Davis finally throws a punch – a right that does not land. Roach is the aggressor, but with caution. Davis scores with a halfhearted left. Roach 10, Davis 9.
Round 2
Roach opens with a couple of left jabs and this remains tactical. He throws a right. And a left. Davis looks to be content watching the punches miss. Davis lures Roach into the corner but Roach won’t take the bait. He keeps a wise distance. Davis fires a hard left. Then a right. But nothing for the highlight reel. Davis slightly more active. Slightly. Roach 20, Davis 18.
Round 3
Roach attacks with a left. Davis fends it off. Boxers still very careful here, although Roach is the technical aggressor. Davis fires a left and a right but looks tentative. Davis smiles as he sees Roach flinch. Davis scores with a left and Roach answers with a nice left. Scores with a chopping right. Davis connects with a left. Roach 29, Davis 28.
Round 4
Roach out quick behind left jabs. Davis unleashes a nice left and scores to the body. Roach wraps him up and fires a right. Davis loosening up, on his toes and fires a couple of rights. Neither connect, but he’s busier. A little showmanship from Davis. But where’s the big punch? Roach lands a nice left while Davis is complaining to the ref. Roach 38, Davis 38.
Round 5
Roach is the aggressor, but not showing a ton of confidence as he “stalks.’’ Fires his jab. He squeezes a right through Davis’ high guard. But Davis is deflecting most of the punches coming his way. Not a fan-friendly affair to this point. They trade lefts and Roach shows some aggression. Davis connects with a solid left and Roach looks agitated. Roach talking to Davis and closes the round with a jab to Davis’ face. But Davis scored effectively to the body. Davis 48, Roach 47.
Round 6
Davis, angered by a potential low blow, unleashes a flurry of punches. Roach’s body is the target. Davis unloads with a left with KO power, but it misses. They’re at the center of the ring now, and Davis lets fly with a couple of lefts to the body. Roach answers, only to be hit again. Davis connects with both hands and looks increasingly confident. Davis lands another good left. Davis 58, Roach 56.
Round 7
Roach marches forward and fires a left and right, then doubles up to the body. Not sure if anything landed. Davis smiling. Takes a left, and answers with a left. Davis surges behind two lefts. Connects with an uppercut. Roach scores but takes a hard left and then a hard right. Davis sticks out his tongue. Roach lands a hard right! And a second right. Roach showing courage. Great exchange as the round ends, and Roach puts together his best round. Davis 67, Roach 66.
Round 8
Roach inching forward but showing more caution now. May be able to give CompuBox the round off. Roach throws a double jab and Davis darts in only to be tied up. They exchange punches. Davis lands a hard right and then looks stunned by a counter right. Roach lands another solid right and eats a left, but he’s on his feet. Bell rings and Davis taps Roach as if acknowledging his worthy effort. Davis 76, Roach 76.
Round 9
Roach standing his ground. Takes a left and fires back with a right. Davis takes a knee. He went to his corner for an unspecified reason. Davis unloads and Roach fires right back. Davis is firing with that KO power, and Roach counters with a big right. Roach not backing down. Roach connects with another hard right. Roach 86, Davis 85.
Round 10
Action slows. But Davis scores with a left hook to the body and a combination. Davis lands a left and Roach connects with a harder right. Again, standing his ground and then moving forward. Davis lands two lefts and Roach fires back with the jab. But it’s Tank’s round. Roach 95, Davis 95.
Round 11
Roach out quick again behind his jab. They trade more big punches. Davis scores with a big left and digs into the body. Bu Roach storms back. Roach may be growing fatigued. And just like that, he lands another right. Roach lands a big right. Catches a body shot. They are, center of the ring, exchanging big shots. Davis warned for a low blow. Davis throwing heavy leather, and Roach up to the challenge. Davis 105, Roach 104.
Round 12
Round begins. Davis looks skyward with some confusion. He better stay focused on Roach. They open with a nice exchange. Davis tries to bait Roach. Davis darts in, takes a punch. Delivers a left. More nice exchanges here, and Roach getting the better of it. Davis lands a left, but Roach counters. Roach moving forward. Roach grabbing Davis by the ankles. Holding on. Roach takes a right as the bell rings, but it’s harmless. Davis 114, Roach 114.
Gary Antuanne Russell def. Jose Valenzuela by unanimous decision
Coming off the first loss of his career, Russell turned in a sterling performance.
He threw almost 1,000 punches and dominated Valenzuela with relentless pressure while winning the WBA super lightweight title.
The staggering numbers from Compu Box: During the 12-round fight, Russell threw 957 punches and landed 252, including 175 power punches.
The swelling and bruising on Valenzuela’s face attested to the power behind the punches.
The judges scored it 119-109, 119-109, 120-108 as Russell, 28, improved to 18-1.
In his previous fight, Russell lost to Alberto Puello by split decision – his first defeat. On Saturday, Puello defended his WBC super lightweight world title
Valenzuela, 28, who landed fewer than half as much punches as Russell did Saturday, fell to 14-2.
Round-by-round analysis:
Round 1: Gary Antuanne Russell sporting flashy gold shorts. Fires some rapid-fire punches with some matching gold-colored gloves. Jose Valenzuela answers with a big shot, but Russell with a powerful right. Russell 10, Valenzuela 9.
Round 2: Russell opens up firing quickly again. Valenzuela answers with his own jab. Scores with a right – right to the kisser. But Russell displays even more speed and connects to the body. Russell stalks. Russell lands a hard right late. Russell 20, Valenzuela 18.
Round 3: Russell throwing punches as if intending to win by pure output. He’s scoring too. Valenzuela has yet to find much rhythm. Lands another flurry. Valenzuela connects, but Russell fights right back with body shots. Russell cornered, and yet he connects with two shots. Russell 30, Valenzuela 27.
Round 4: Russell comes out stalking and, yep, more flurries of punches. Valenzuela connects with an overhand left, but Russell looks unfazed. Valenzuela shows more precision, but his output doesn’t match Russell’s. Russell 40, Valenzuela 36.
Round 5: Russell pressures again, stalking Valenzuela and throwing those rapid-fire punches. Valenzuela finally answers with authority. Lands a pretty left cross. Russell goes back to his game plan and tags Valenzuela up against the ropes. But Valenzuela finishes strong. Russell 49, Valenzuela 46.
Round 6: Russell shows no let-up. Leading with that right jab and keeping up with pressure. Valenzuela lands and Russell quickly answers. Trading some heavy punches. Russell 59, Valenzuela 55.
Round 7: They come out slugging. Valenzuela shows aggression, but nothing is slowing Russell. It’s target practice for Russell. Russell has Valenzuela on the ropes and he fights back. Only to have Russell close with a surge. Russell 69, Valenzuela 64.
Round 8: Valenzuela lands a hard left. Russell responds with a fierce left of his own. Valenzuela still looks puzzled by the pressure. Russell showing no fatigue. Eats a left and answers with three lefts. Another big exchange. Russell 79, Valenzuela 73.
Round 9: Russell stalking again, and connects with right hooks early. Giving Valenzuela little breathing room. Valenzuela connects and pays the price: The bruising on his face deepens. Valenzuela goes on the offense and eats big punches as a result. Russell loading up and Valenzuela looks to be in trouble. Valenzuela takes a beating. Russell 89, Valenzuela 82.
Round 10: Russell out with his signature energy. Valenzuela understandably tentative. Russell in control. Russell 99, Valenzuela 91.
Round 11: Ringside doctor inspects Valenzuela and lets the fight continue. Poor guy. Russell taking punches, and landing about three for every one he takes. Russell pounding away now. Russell wraps up Valenzuela briefly. The first sign of fatigue? They’re tangled up and Russell may need a breather after finishing the round with a flourish. Russell 109, Valenzuela 100.
Round 12: Ringside doctor inspects Valenzuela’s face again. The bout will go on. Russell firing fast and fierce. Valenzuela moving forward before covering up. He delivers a body shot but that won’t be nearly enough to hurt Russell. Valenzuela lands a big uppercut and Russell responds with a furious left. Russell lost his mouthpiece but not his aggression. Impressive exchange as the round ends, but there’s no doubt about the winner. Russell 119, Valenzuela 109.
Alberto Puello def. Sandor Martin by split decision
Puello didn’t seem to mind the scattered boos after the decision was announced following the 12-round super lightweight fight.
After all, Puello retained his WBC super lightweight title. He did it with a willingness to trade punches at the center of the ring and finished strong.
Martin had his moments in the championship rounds, but he also had blood dripping from his nose.
The judges scored it 115-113, 113-115, 116-112 in favor of Puello, the 30-year-old from the Dominican Republic who improved to 24-0.
Martin, the 31-year-old Spaniard, fell to 42-4.
Round-by-round analysis:
Round 1: Both fighters open by throwing crisp rights. Martin presses forward as things turn more tactical. Translation: limited action. They trade punches again and Puello gets the best of it. Martin stalks again and they mix it up without landing any significant blows. Puello 10, Martin 9.
Round 2: Martin stalks. Puello moves. Martin shows some hesitation. Martin scores with a left and Puello counters with a hard right. Martin lands a hard right and evades a shot late. Puello 19, Martin 19.
Round 3: Tangled up early. Martin throws a couple of hard jabs and left. Puello works Martin against the ropes and a nice exchange ensues. Martin 29, Puello 28.
Round 4: Tied up again early and Martin sneaks in a body shot. He looks quick as he throws a couple of rights. Martin lands two lefts as remains the aggressor. Martin targets the body, with success. Nice exchange. Both fighters willing to get hit for the chance to hit. Martin 39, Puello 37.
Round 5: Martin connects with a hard left and follows up with a combination and then digs into Puello’s body. Puello shows some aggression, but Martin answers blow for blow. Big swing and a miss by Puello. Martin shows good defense. Martin 49, Puello 46.
Round 6: Martin scores early with the left. Puello shows urgency too. Starts to stalk. Now they trade at the center of the ring, and Martin scores with body shots. Puello answers with a hard right, then jabs. But the round ends with Puello whiffing with a right and Martin landing. Martin 59, Puello 55.
Round 7: They both come out swinging. Sharp exchange at the center of the ring. Puello finally connects with authority. Scores with a double jab and draws blood, too. Martin 68, Puello 65.
Round 8: Puello opens with a big right hook, but Martin stands his ground. He’s quickly throwing punches rather than defending himself. Inside fighting commences and Puello lands a nasty left followed by a solid right. Puello looking more comfortable. Action picks up. Puello’s power more evident as Martin’s bleeding from the nose. Martin 77, Puello 75.
Round 9: Martin comes out slugging and lands several body shots. All inside boxing now as exchanges ensue. Martin looks most effective in close quarters. Trading big shots. Martin throwing punches with more urgency and authority. Big miss again by Puello. Martin 87, Puello 84.
Round 10: Bell rings and slugging ensues. No running. Just trading punches at the center of the ring. They’re tangled up and Puello uses the opportunity to land a hard right before Martin chases after him. Puello connects with another brutal body shot. Leather flying. Martin 97, Puello 93.
Round 11: Straight they go to the center of the ring and slug. Puello appears to hurt Martin with a wicked left. Puello showing more authority. Puello slickly dodges a couple of punches as the round ends. Martin 106, Puello 103.
Round 12: More of the same. Straight to the center of the ring they go. Martin circling and scores with the right. He allows Puello to stalk and responds with body shots. Puello showing no sense of urgency, much less desperation. Then suddenly he smothers Martin. Martin 116, Puello 112.
Yoenis Tellez def. Julian Williams by unanimous decision
It was experience vs. youth, and it was a mismatch.
Tellez, the 24-year-old Cuban, bloodied and battered Williams, the 34-year-old from Philadelphia, in a 12-round super welterweight fight.
Tellez improved to 10-0, won the interim WBA super welterweight title and clearly won Williams’ respect. The judges scored the fight 118-110, 117-111 and 119-109.
Williams, a former WBA and IBF super welterweight champion, landed dozens of jabs. But his face told the story: He was bleeding from under both eyes and the lip.
Tellez got hit, but not nearly as hard as he hit, punishing Williams with a hard right and assortment of punches.
Round-by-round analysis:
Round 1: Julian Williams out quick behind the jab. Yoenis Tellez’s pink gloves waiting for action. There flies a jab from Tellez. More lefts follow as Tellez becomes and aggressor. But Williams scores with two hard rights and a left hook. Williams 10, Tellez 9.
Round 2: Williams opens with a couple of jabs and Tellez responds with heavy fire. Tellez stalking as Williams fires the jab, then combinations. Williams landing with more power. Tellez finishes strong, but too late. Williams 20, Tellez 18.
Round 3: Tellez comes out the aggressor. Williams still firing jabs to keep his opponent at bay. Tellez breaks through with effective body punches and a big uppercut. Williams urgently moves forward out of the corner and Tellez retreats. Tellez delivers with solid combination and Williams backpedals. He’s bleeding over the left eye as the round ends. Williams 29, Tellez 28.
Round 4: Tellez stalks again. Williams showing some effectiveness with the jab as Tellez needs time to find an opening. Action has slowed. Now Tellez is using his jab to close the distance, and Williams responds with expert use of his jab and a couple of hard body shots. Tellez counters with an uppercut. Williams 38, Tellez 38.
Round 5: Williams lands combinations, but it’s not enough to stop Tellez. The young Cuban keeps marching forward and the swelling on Williams’ face is evident. Tellez continues to pepper Williams’ face with jabs while unloading heavier punches when the opportunity presents itself. Tellez 48, Williams 47.
Round 6: Tellez pushing forward behind that jab and uncorks an overhand right. Lands two body shots and Williams looks non-threatening. Williams stands his ground, but his face is taking a beating. Another strong finish for Tellez. Tellez 58, Williams 56.
Round 7: Williams looks wary. Or is it weary? Maybe both. Tellez is 10 years younger and looks fresh. Williams lands a combination, but Tellez counters with a nasty left hook. The action is turning increasingly lopsided in favor of the pink-gloved Tellez. Tellez 68, Williams 65.
Round 8: Williams opens fast with a couple of jabs. He lands a good right, but Tellez looks unconcerned. They trade solid body shots. Tellez stalks again and drives a left into Williams’ midsection. Catches up to Williams and lands two flurries of punches. Tellez 78, Williams 74.
Round 9: Williams fires a couple of hard jabs. Tellez responds with heavier punches. Williams looks content to stick-and-move-and-get-stuck-with-punches. Williams bleeding profusely under both eyes. He absorbs some big body punches before countering with solid punches. They’re trading jabs. Williams can use an ice facial. Tellez 88, Williams 83.
Round 10: Tellez comes out … looking for the KO? But he heats a couple of jabs before responding with three big rights. Williams connects with jabs and Tellez answers with jabs to the body. Tellez has Williams on the ropes and he scores repeatedly. The assault continues. Tellez 98, Williams 92.
Round 11: With the round set to begin, the ringside physician inspects Williams’ bloody face. The fight ensues. Williams lands a flurry of shots, but none hurt Tellez, who hurts Williams with an uppercut and an assortment of shots. Tellez 108, Williams 101.
Round 12: Williams’ trainer imploring the boxer to land a liver shot to Tellez. Williams looks whupped. He’s firing shots with his left, but Tellez starts to punish Williams with body shots and an accompaniment of blows. Tellez clubs Williams a few more times before the bell for good measure. Tellez 118, Williams 110.
Johan Gonzalez def. Jarrett Hurd by split decision
Hurd, the former unified super welterweight champion, announced his retirement moments after losing to Gonzalez in the 10-round middleweight bout.
Hurd held the IBO and IBF super welterweight titles in 2019, but did not turn back the clock against Gonzalez. He found himself under attack from the outset and looked mostly lackluster until the final rounds.
The judges scored it 96-94, 94-96, 98-92 in favor of Gonzalez, the 33-year-old from Venezuela who improved to 36-3.
Hurd, 34, started out his career 23-0. But it ends after he went 2-4-1 in his final seven fights.
David Whitmire def. Angel Munoz by unanimous decision
Whitmire, also known as “The Body Snatcher,’’ lived up to his nickname during the six-round welterweight bout.
Whitmire punished Munoz with body shots and did some meaningful headhunting, too.
Munoz managed to stay on his feet and connected with hooks, but he lacked the power to hurt Whitmire.
All three judges scored it 60-54 for Whitmire, 19, who improved to 9-0. Munoz, 22, dropped to 7-1.
Deric Davis def. Jamal Johnson by TKO
Davis knocked Johnson down twice in the first round of their super lightweight bout for a TKO victory.
The first knockdown came on a body shot. Johnson’s mouthpiece went flying as he went tumbling to the canvas. The second knockdown came on a left hook that dropped Johnson and prompted the referee to call the fight with 1:04 left the first round.
Davis, 22, improved to 6-0 while recording his fifth first-round stoppage.
Johnson, who entered the ring wearing a black mask, fell to 2-1.
Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Lamont Roach time
Prelimary fights begin at 6 p.m. ET with the main event card beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The Davis-Roach fight has an approximate ring walk of 11 p.m. ET.
Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Lamont Roach fight card
Main Card
WBA lightweight title fight: Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach
Super lightweight: Jose Valenzuela vs. Gary Antuanne Russell
WBC super lightweight title fight: Alberto Puello vs. Sandor Martin
Super welterweight: Yoenis Tellez vs. Julian Williams
Prelims
Middleweight: Jarrett Hurd vs. Johan Gonzalez
Super featherweight: Geo Lopez vs. Grimardi Machuca
Super welterweight: Cristian Cangelosi vs. Jarrod Tennant
Super welterweight: Dwyke Flemmings Jr. vs. Florent Dervis
Welterweight: David Whitmire vs. Angel Munoz
Super bantamweight: Alexis De la Cerda Landin vs. Sharone Carter
Super middleweight: Nasheed H. Smith vs. Tariq Green
Lightweight: Deric Davis vs. Oscar Eduardo Gonzalez Jr.
Where is the Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Lamont Roach fight?
This WBA lightweight championship fight will get underway on Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Davis vs. Roach card start time
Main card: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (Amazon Prime PPV)
Prelims: 6 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. ET (Prime Video)
How to watch Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Lamont Roach fight
Coverage starts at 8 p.m. ET for the main event card and will be available on Amazon Prime PPV. Preliminary bouts starting at 6 p.m. ET available on Prime video.
Watch Davis vs. Roach with Amazon Prime PPV
Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach fight odds
All available odds are for moneyline bets as of Friday, according to BetMGM. (Check for new odds before adding to file)
Main Card
WBA lightweight title fight: Gervonta Davis (-2000) vs. Lamont Roach (+750)
Super lightweight: Jose Valenzuela (-110) vs. Gary Antuanne Russell (-120)
WBC super lightweight title fight: Alberto Puello (-135) vs. Sandor Martin (+100)
Super welterweight: Yoenis Tellez (-1600) vs. Julian Williams (+650)
Prelims
Middleweight: Jarrett Hurd (-120) vs. Johan Gonzalez (-110)
Super featherweight: Geo Lopez vs. Grimardi Machuca
Super welterweight: Cristian Cangelosi vs. Jarrod Tennant
Super welterweight: Dwyke Flemmings Jr. vs. Florent Dervis
Welterweight: David Whitmire vs. Angel Munoz
Super bantamweight: Alexis De la Cerda Landin vs. Sharone Carter
Super middleweight: Nasheed H. Smith vs. Tariq Green
Lightweight: Deric Davis vs. Oscar Eduardo Gonzalez Jr.
Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach predictions
CBS Sports: Pick Gervonta Davis
Brent Brookhouse writes: ‘While Roach is right that the amateur fights between the two do provide some direct knowledge of being in the ring with the champ, it also overlooks that, even as teenagers, Davis was the better fighter. That hasn’t changed as the years have ticked by. Davis is too smart, too disciplined and too powerful for Roach. The challenger may win an early round or two given Davis’ tendency to start slowly while he scouts out his opponent and figures out where the openings are to hurt them. But once Davis gets rolling, it will likely be a matter of time before he lands some big shots to end things.’
Yahoo Sports: Davis KO
Darshan Desai writes: ‘I expect Roach to have success in the early rounds at long range and occasionally catch Davis in exchanges due to his reach advantage, similar to the success Rolando Romero had against Davis. But Roach leaves himself open to counters, and I expect Davis to capitalize devastatingly in the second half of the fight.’
Boxing Scene: Jim Lampley picks Davis
David Greisman writes, according to Lampley: ‘Even if Tank did not possess his shocking punching power, he would be an elite lightweight on the basis of his crafty boxing, southpaw style advantage, clever footwork and visible killer instinct,” Lampley said. “But it is pure power that really sets him apart. He doesn’t just beat his opponents. He annihilates them in breathtaking, often scary fashion.’
Boxing News: Oscar De La Hoya picks Davis
The site reported that Oscar De La Hoya said: ‘I think Lamont Roach is a terrific fighter, he might be a little over his head with Gervonta Davis. Gervonta Davis is, I mean, to say the least. He’s a beast. He really is. He’s (Gervonta Davis) a tremendous fighter. He’s a dedicated fighter when it comes to training and fighting and making sure that he’s in optimal conditions when he steps inside that squared circle. It’s gonna be a tough night for Roach, but you can never count him out.”
Has Tank Davis ever been knocked down?
Officially, Davis never has been knocked down. But that’s a matter of debate. In 2020, during the first round of his fight against Leo Santa Cruz, Davis ended up on the canvas. The referee did not rule it a knockdown – but judge for yourself.
What is not in dispute is the Davis’ highlight-reel KO that ended the fight in the sixth round.
Who is Tank Davis’ girlfriend Vanessa Posso?
Vanessa Posso, Davis’ girlfriend, is the mother of two of the boxer’s three children. She is a model with her own jewelry line called “Rich Girlz.’
Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach live stream
Coverage starts at 8 p.m. ET and will be available on Amazon Prime PPV with prelim fights available on Prime Video.
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