Paulie Malignaggi wasn’t surprised to see Gervonta Davis have problems against Lamont Roach last Saturday night in their lightweight world title fight in Brooklyn, New York.

“Cherry Pick” Gone Wrong

The contest was ruled as a 12 round majority draw, but fans saw it as a loss for Tank. Malignaggi views the fight as a cherry pick gone wrong for Tank. Despite the lightweight division being loaded with talent, Davis picked out Roach from the super featherweight division, believing he would be an easy mark.

He agrees with the fans that the referee’s blown call on the knockdown prevented Roach from winning the fight. Malignaggi points out Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs) is 30, and hasn’t fought any of the top fighters in the 135-lb weight class. He’s been making money all these years on PPV, fighting beatable fighters.

Roach took advantage of Tank fighting in spurts, and could control large portions of each round because he wasn’t throwing. Davis got frustrated and began using different fouling methods, hoping to intimidate Roach but it didn’t work.

Tank captured a belt in 2017 off of super featherweight world champion Jose Pedraza, and he’s been taking sure-thing opposition ever since, mainly with Mayweather Promotions. He was with them until 2022.  Malignaggi notes that Tank acted like he wasn’t even bothered when he the fight was ruled as a 12 round majority draw.

Over the past eight years, Gervonta fought limited opposition. His best win came against Ryan Garcia, but that was one with a double whammy of a catchweight and rehydration clause. Ryan was foolish to agree to either of those things.

“Steve Willis was supposed to count that as a knockdown, and if he counts that as a knockdown, Lamont Roach wins by one point on two scorecards,” said Paulie Malignaggi on his YouTube channel about the Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach fight last Saturday.

Top Lightweight Debate

“There are at least six or seven lightweights better than Lamont Roach. It’s not like he went out of a weak division to go and pick Lamont Roach for this fight. He went and got Lamont Roach as a cherry pick. It makes you wonder, ‘Is he [Gervonta] that guy?’” said Malignaggi.

There are at least six good fighters that Davis could have selected but didn’t. He could have had his pick of the best fighters at 135, and they’d have all said yes.

“He has no resume to speak of. This is a guy that’s 30-years-old and speaks like he’s accomplished what Muhammad Ali has accomplished, talking about how he’s going to retire because he’s done everything. He’s actually done nothing.

“This guy has never chased a top guy in his weight class,” said Paulie about Gervonta. “Has he ever had a fight where you said, ‘That’s the best guy in the weight class and Gervonta Davis went and chased him and made it.’

“Shakur Stevenson, even with injured hands, probably would have beat him tonight. Keyshawn Davis would have beat him for sure. Edwin De Los Santos would have beat him tonight.”