Gervonta Davis Retains WBA Title Amid Controversy and Hair gel excuse
At the Barclays Center in New York on March 1, Gervonta Davis, who claimed hair gel affected his performance, defended his WBA lightweight title against Lamont Roach Jr in a bout that ended in a draw. Two of the three judges scored the fight 114-114, while the third had it 115-113 in Davis’s favor.
Despite the lack of a knockout in 12 rounds, Davis retained his title—but not without controversy. After the fight, the American fighter openly blamed his subpar performance on his recently styled hair and the absence of ring girls, claiming these factors disrupted his focus.
Gervonta Davis – Hair Gel and Ring Girls: Unlikely Culprits?
Davis explained that he had styled his hair two days prior and applied hair gel before the fight. As the bout progressed and sweat began to mix with the gel, his eyes started to burn.
“I splashed water on my hair, but maybe I didn’t do enough. My eyes were on fire,” Davis said, adding that if he had continued under those conditions, he risked taking more punishment or even being knocked out. He also pointed to the lack of ring girls as a distraction in the chaotic backstage environment, hinting that these missing elements forced him to rely solely on his own efforts during the bout.
Adding fuel to the controversy, Davis’s hair stylist took to Twitter to fire back. “I did his hair WEDNESDAY, it’s SATURDAY! He did his press, gym, and weigh-in. That’s no excuse—how much grease did I use, damn? Is the grease in the room with us?” she tweeted, accusing Davis of using these factors as excuses for his performance.
Controversial Ninth Round and Disputed Knockdown
The most contentious moment of the fight came in the ninth round. After receiving a light punch, Davis unexpectedly kneeled, a move that the referee, Steve Wilkes, did not count as a knockdown. According to the rules, if a fighter voluntarily kneels, it should be ruled a knockdown—and some argue that Lamont Roach Jr deserved the round 10-8, which might have swung the overall result in his favor.
Davis defended his actions, insisting that his discomfort from the hair gel had forced him to go to his knees to avoid further injury. While Roach did not directly challenge Davis’s claims, he maintained that the rules were clear: “If a fighter kneels, it should count as a knockdown. I believe I earned that round,” he said.
In the end, Davis’s explanation and the disputed scoring left many fans divided. Nonetheless, the bout goes down as a draw, and Davis continues his reign as WBA lightweight champion, while both fighters hint at the possibility of a rematch to settle the debate once and for all.
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