Davis' last victory over a name fighter came on February 18, 1944, before an audience of 17,654, at the expense of former and future NYSAC lightweight champion and future boxing hall-of-famer Bob Montgomery, who he knocked out in the first round. Though a 4-1 underdog, Davis came out swinging and in the first fifteen seconds put Montgomery down with a left to the jaw for a count of four. After he arose, Davis caught him along the ropes, delivering another left to the jaw, and when he went down the referee counted him out. The ending, 1:03 into the first round, was the fastest knockout at Madison Square Garden since it had opened in 1925. The fight was Davis' first in the Garden since he had been barred from boxing in New York, after his fight against Fritzie Zivic. Montgomery would go on to take the world lightweight crown from Beau Jack only two weeks later.