Lamont Roach Jr., boxing world reacts to his second controversial majority draw of 2025

All Lamont Roach Jr. could do is shake his head in disgust, being forced to swallow the realization that it happened yet again.

For the second time in 2025, Roach Jr.'s fight was ruled a majority draw, despite the Washington D.C. native and many in the boxing world feeling like he did enough to win.

It happened back on March 1 when his fight against Gervonta 'Tank' Davis was scored a draw despite Roach Jr. registering a knockdown that he wasn't credited for.

It then reoccurred Saturday night when judges called his bout against Isaac Cruz a majority draw, despite Roach Jr. outlanding 'Pitbull' in every punch category. Judges inside the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas scored their pay-per-view headlining fight 115-111 for Cruz, 113-113, and 113-113 for the draw, keeping the WBC interim super lightweight title with 'Pitbull.'

"All I want is a fair shake, man, that's it," a dejected Roach Jr. told PBC in reaction to the draw. "I think I pulled that fight out, a close victory."

He added: "It's some bulls—t. I don't know what I got to do. I don't know. I don't accept this at all, I clearly thought I won."

The verdict was especially tough to accept for Roach Jr. considering he recovered from suffering the first knockdown of his career when Cruz unloaded a left hook that forced his glove to touch the canvas during the third round.

Roach Jr. stood tall in the pocket, weathered the storm and unloaded his best punch of the night in the form of a check left hook that landed flush in the sixth round. Something clicked for him as he made the adjustment and kept finding a home with his left hand. The weapon not only tamed the pressure of 'Pitbull,' but it gave Roach Jr. control of the fight that he kept with his measured sweet science skills.

He was further aided by the referee penalizing Cruz a point in the seventh round for excessive holding. DAZN News scored the sixth through 10th rounds and the 12th and final frame for Roach Jr. for a 115-111 edge that none of the three judges ruled in his favor.

Cruz pushed back on the draw as well.

"I won this fight," Cruz said, "and the referee took this fight from me."

Others in the boxing world — and beyond — reacted to the draw as well with at least one former champion actually agreeing with the scorecards.

Here are some of their reactions: