WBA president picks side in Roach vs Davis debate | Sports News

WBA president Gilberto J. Mendoza Jr has sounded off on the controversey which saw Gervonta Davis escape penalty for ‘volunteerially’ taking a knee during the bout – a decision that has been harshly criticised.

When Davis purposely dropped to one knee in the ninth round, Referee Steve Willis started the count – but when he reached three the action should have been ruled as a knockdown. Willis alledgely did not rule Davis’s kneeling as such and this inaction went on to affect the points outcome of the fight.

Had this been declared a knockdown, Davis’s opponent would have been awarded the decision – a very different result to the draw (03/01/2025) that evenuated.

Lamont Roach Jr and his team – upset by the incident – had their attorney send a letter to the New York State Athletic Commision requesting the decision be overturned to record Roach as the winner.

Mendoza Jr, WBA president, said in a statement on X: “Let me repeat – I stand by what expressed last Sunday in Ring Magazine, based on my 30 years plus experience. Taking a knee without a punch shall be rule a knockdown. It affected the result of the fight.”

By taking the knee, ‘Tank’ Davis was protected because Roach could not legally punch him. It also brought the champion time as after he kneeled he went to the ropes to wipe his face with a towel – later blaming his hair style for his decisions. He claimed the products used on his hairdo two days before the fight “came into my face and it burned my eyes.”

But, because the debacle was not counted as a knockdown, two judges scored the bout as 114-114, and the third judge gave it to Davis as 115-113. This allowed Davis to achieve a majority draw and retain his championship belt. Mendoze Jr is not the only public figure to speak out about the controversey with professional fighters Terrance Crawford and Ryan Garcia agreeing that Davis’s opponent should have got his hand raised.

Roach also agreed that the right call was made in relation to the result of the fight. He said: “If you voluntarily take a knee and the ref’s not counting, that’s a knockdown. If that’s a knockdown, I win the fight.”

It was reported that on Monday, the commission revealed that while they attempted to review the footage, technical issues made it difficult. A spokesman said: “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. Therefore, the referee’s in-ring decision was relied upon and the fight continued.”

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The spokesman went on to add the Commision is dedicated to preserving the integrity of combative sports and to ensure technical issues do not affect ringside instant replay feeds to officials in the future.

However, in spit of these details, with an official complaint now raised – Roach’s team will be hoping that if the knockdown is recognized then he will be declared the new WBA lightweight champion. This course of action would also mean that Davis would suffer the first professional defeat on his boxing record.