The dream run is over, the record is tarnished, and it is time for Gervonta Davis to face reality. Everyone expected the Lamont Roach Jr. bout to be a walk in the park for Davis, considering Roach was an active Super Featherweight. However, the winds have now shifted direction after the fight. Fans are not talking about Tank’s dominance this time, and his blistering reign is now under attack after the majority decision draw.
The Baltimore native voluntarily taking a knee in the ninth round without any repercussions from referee Steve Willis has sparked a debate amongst the boxing community like never before. Experts and enthusiasts have been calling out Davis and his team. Well, we can now add former six division world champion Oscar De La Hoya on that list as he has a lot of questions regarding the now infamous incident.
Oscar De La Hoya perplexed by the alleged ‘favoritism’
On Tuesday, in a conversation with iFL TV right after the official Fatal Fury fight press conference in New York City, De La Hoya talked about various things going on in boxing. As the conversation proceeded, interviewer Colm McGuigan asked the Golden Boy about the Gervonta Davis-Lamont Roach Jr. fight controversy. The 52-year-old boxing veteran believed that the officiating was a bit biased towards the WBA lightweight champion. “Very very interesting. I mean call it what it is, it was a great fight. I think there was a little favoritism,” stated the Los Angeles native. Expectedly, he was perplexed by the decision and couldn’t believe that referee Steve Willis had led the ninth round knee to slide unscored.
“You know from whoever the commission or the referee. I was actually surprised that the referee allowed that even to take place. Because that referee is a professional referee and he’s an experienced referee,” he stated. Indeed Willis is a seasoned veteran and has 268 professional bouts under his name. Furthermore, he has even been a part of a few Golden Boy Promotion events, so Oscar De La Hoya is aware of his work. That is why this lack of credibility surprised the promoter even more.
Coming back to the bout, the former world champion was impressed by Lamont Roach’s inspiring performance. “I just feel that he(Roach) did extremely well against Gervonta Davis. I think Lamont Roach was on his game, and it was a great fight,” he declared. However, even after a dreadful performance, De La Hoya is not doubting Tank’s capability. He enjoyed the fight and believes, “Davis is a terrific fighter,” and will come back strongly. Well, this blip on Tank’s resume will only go away after a rematch against Roach. Something that even he knows very well.
Gervonta Davis pushing for an immediate rematch
Everybody expected the 30-year-old to push for a rematch as soon as possible. After all, the fight has put his legacy in jeopardy. However, in the post-match press conference, to the disappointment of everyone, Davis claimed that the fight might not happen immediately. “I am not sure, bro. Definitely not sure… Hopefully, we can get it before, um, it probably won’t be this year,” Tank told the reporters.
However, it looks like the constant call out on social media by fans and other fighters has frustrated Gervonta Davis enough to change his earlier stance. Desperate to prove everyone wrong, Tank took to his ‘X’ and retaliated against Lamont Roach. “Your b**ch a** just happy you didn’t get knocked out..your dad was jumping up and down in the corner when y’all made it to the 12 rd. Foh,” Davis wrote defending his performance.
In the process, he revealed that even he is pushing for a rematch and, unlike before, wants it as soon as possible. “And say no more. I’m pushing for the rematch. The rematch can be soon too.. like end of may,” he stated.
After how the first fight turned out, fans would love to see Gervonta Davis-Lamont Roach Jr. rematch to settle the debate. Furthermore, undoubtedly Roach deserves this opportunity and maybe this time we can get a fight without any controversy. What are your thoughts on Oscar De La Hoya’s statement?
The post Oscar De La Hoya Keeps It Real on Gervonta Davis Getting ‘Favors’ vs. Lamont Roach Jr.- “Was Surprised the Referee Allowed That” appeared first on EssentiallySports.
