NEW YORK - WBA president Gilberto Mendoza told The Ring on Sunday that he is poised to pursue a Gervonta Davis-Lamont Roach rematch following the controversial Round 9 of their majority draw Saturday evening.

Davis, the WBA lightweight champion, was part of a bizarre scene where he absorbed a few punches from Roach in Round 9 before he took a knee. Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs) then proceeded to his corner where one of his cornermen wiped his face with a towel.

Davis, 30, later said that a hair treatment with his braids led to grease that “burnt my eyes.”

Under the unified rules, when a boxer’s knee touches the canvas following a punch - even if the impact of the shot didn’t necessarily cause the action - it is considered a knockdown. It’s also illegal for a fighter to call timeout (only the referee can halt the action). Furthermore, a fighter’s corner can’t wipe his face with a towel at any time during the round.

Despite all this, referee Steve Willis only admonished Davis and didn’t rule a knockdown nor deduct a point. The veteran referee’s failure to do so was the difference on the scorecards. If Willis had correctly ruled a knockdown, Roach (25-1-2, 10 KOs) would have pulled off the upset on the scorecards.

Davis, The Ring’s No. 8 pound-for-pound boxer, said at the post-fight news conference that while he welcomed a rematch, he didn’t expect it to be next. But Mendoza could order an immediate return encounter.

“I think it's not going to be no doubt about having a rematch on this,” Mendoza said. “ … think this supersedes the public perception of boxing involved here with a huge star for the sport and we need to send a strong message out there. … It was a very controversial night.”

Mendoza will likely make a motion for the WBA Championships Committee to vote on an immediate rematch. Roach, who was a major underdog, is the WBA junior lightweight champion. If a rematch is formally ordered, rules mandate the fight would take place within 120 days. Davis can exercise his contractual right to an immediate rematch because he didn’t win.

“Maybe [Willis] saw a competitive fight,” Mendoza said. “Maybe he saw it wasn't a punch, but how can you understand how he put the knee on the canvas?”

Still, it’s curious that instant replay wasn’t utilized when it is available in New York.

Terence Crawford observed on X after the fight that Floyd Mayweather once took a knee after injuring his hand against Carlos Hernandez in 2001 and it was correctly ruled a knockdown.

Now, Roach is left to wonder what could have been and hope he will have a chance at justice in an immediate rematch.