It was supposed to be another routine night at the pugilistic office for Gervonta Davis and company this past weekend.
The moment his showdown against Lamont Roach was announced, Team Davis never appeared concerned or unnerved. Roach was a familiar face and had a more than respectable record. And while he did hold a title, he was considered the smaller man.
Viewed as a sizable underdog, Roach (25-1-2, 10 KOs) fought like a man with something to prove. From the beginning, he boxed beautifully from the outside. When Davis forced him to abandon the jab and fight on the inside, he had no issue.
By the time the final bell rang, fans inside of Brooklyn’s Barclays Center stood dumbfounded. Although they enjoyed 36 minutes of pure violence, they were unsure who would be awarded the victory.
As the scores were slowly being tallied, Team Davis patiently waited. In the end, the grins that were etched upon their faces were eventually wiped away as their man was forced to settle for a majority decision draw.
For the first time in his pro career, Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs) walked out of a ring without an official win. As he slunk into his chair backstage, his team, including Barry Hunter, shook their heads in disapproval at the decision.
Hunter, who was pushed into the leading role ahead of Calvin Ford, believes the judges got it wrong. From his vantage point, Davis had his hands full. There would be no point in being mendacious about it but he’s fully convinced that during the last few rounds, Davis turned a close back-and-forth battle into a clear-cut win.
“We take our hats off to the other side," said Hunter to ESNEWS. "But I thought down the stretch, the last two rounds sealed the deal. I thought we pulled it off.”