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Gervonta Davis or Lewis Crocker? Which referee made the biggest error this past weekend? The DAZN Panel Discussion
It is very rare the officials steal the headlines rather than the fighters but that is exactly what happened this past weekend.
Marcus McDonnell was the centre of attention in Belfast when he disqualified Paddy Donovan after he hit Lewis Crocker after the bell and the drama for the night was not finished.
In New York, Gervonta Davis, struggling against Lamont Roach, took a knee in round nine before he was allowed to return to his corner to have an issue with his hair addressed by Steve Willis.
Both incidents received widespread scrutiny, but which referee made the biggest error?
The DAZN News panel looks back at the weekend's action.
Chris Walker – DAZN News
Steve Willis made the wrong call. Marcus McDonell got it absolutely spot on.
Referees are there to enforce rules and that is exactly what McDonnell done despite Donovan’s dominance and brilliance, and he should be commended for that as many referees would not have had the courage to make such a bold decision in front of a hostile crowd.
Willis on the other hand will know in the immediate aftermath that he made an absolute mess of it and there is every chance he let Davis’ standing in the sport get the better of his judgement.
Roach’s name should be up there with the likes Buster Douglas and Frankie Randall, but his opportunity to cause one of boxing’s biggest shocks has cruelly been denied by one of the strangest referee calls ever seen inside a boxing ring.
Matt Astbury – DAZN News
This past Saturday was a day to forget for referees on both sides of the Atlantic, but for me it was Steve Willis who made the worst decision in the Gervonta Davis vs Lamont Roach fight.
While McDonnell could have done several things to minimise the possibility of a disqualification such as step in between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan at the end of round eight, he was enforcing the rules of the British Boxing Board of Control, therefore, Donovan’s late hit on Crocker was by rule of the law a disqualification.
Willis on the other hand decided to not rule a knockdown despite Davis taking a knee after a punch from Roach landed in round nine. Instead, Davis was allowed to quickly rush to the corner to get his face wiped, buying him crucial time to recover.
With the fight going the full 12-round distance and proving difficult to call, the lack of a knockdown has had huge implications on Roach’s career, and while a rematch is likely, Willis has seemingly snatched away Roach’s dream of becoming a world champion.
Mark Lelinwalla – DAZN News
I did not like McDonnell's disqualification call in the Crocker-Donovan fight. He could have deducted another point from Donovan instead of waving off the fight, altogether. That said, Steve Willis, who is a terrific referee, got it more wrong in the Davis-Roach fight.
When ‘Tank’ took a knee in the ninth round, Willis started counting but inexplicably stopped. A fighter taking a knee — for any reason — triggers a knockdown count and Roach should have been credited with the knockdown. It is as simple as that.
Andrew Steel – DAZN News
Steve Willis, without a shadow of a doubt. Both calls were touch-and-go, but in the case of Crocker against Donovan, there had been the requisite escalation, warning and penalties applied. Whether the call was wrong is another matter - but by that point, the damage had been done for the latter.
Across the seas though, Davis survived what appeared to be a textbook knockdown with a touch of official intervention. Referees are human too, but Willis will likely see some repercussions trickle down from his decision, especially with Roach angling to make history too.
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