WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Lamont Roach Jr. of Washington DC (25-1-1, 10 KOs) gets the opportunity of a lifetime on Saturday as he battles undefeated Gervonta “Tank” Davis of Baltimore (30-0, 28 KOs) for his WBA Lightweight World title at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The fight card including undercard fights airs on Prime Video and PPV.com starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Cost is $79.99. NOTE: NY Fights is merely the messenger here.
Roach Jr. moves up to lightweight for the opportunity to challenge the undefeated Davis. While the belt is the big prize, Roach Jr. wouldn’t mind winning for regional bragging rights on behalf of his hometown. The D.C. vs. Baltimore rivalry dates back to multiple amateur fights between Roach Jr. and Davis.
While Roach Jr. is a considerable underdog, he has won his last six fights, including his first title fight win against Hector Luis Garcia of the Dominican Republic (16-1, 10 KOs) on the November 2024 undercard of Benavidez vs. Andrade in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Roach Jr. won a close fight on the strength of a 12th-round knockdown of Garcia with a left hook. It was enough to give Roach Jr. a split decision by scores 116-111 and 114-113, with a third 114-113 for Garcia.
The fight will surely be a battle of precision and skill from a champion who’s stopped more than 90 percent of his opponents, versus a hungry challenger willing to do whatever it takes to win.
Roach discussed the upcoming fight during a workout at the NoXcuse Boxing Club in Washington D.C.
Feels Great, Can’t Wait
Roach says he’s ‘super comfortable.’ “I feel great and I can’t wait,” said Roach. “Moving up to 135 pounds makes everything super comfortable. “There’s no stress on the weight cut, and I won’t feel drained at all.
“The hard work I’ve put in shows that I deserve a fight like this. I’ve worked to become one of the best fighters in the world, if not the best fighter in my weight class. And now I have the chance to prove myself against a pound-for-pound talent.”
Past History Helps Roach Today
Roach acknowledges the tremendous career Gervonta Davis has achieved since they crossed paths as young amateurs, but he’s also made plenty of improvements.
“Gervonta has definitely become a world-class fighter since our amateur days. We were both good as kids, but we’ve both evolved a lot. I’m going to prove that I’ve evolved more.
“There’s a lot of stuff that I know based off our familiarity with ‘Tank’ that we can use, and that I will use, to my advantage,” vowed Roach.
No B-Side Mentality
Roach says the mistake made by many of Davis’s opponents is coming in believing in their hearts they are the less talented person in the ring. “I’m not coming in there with a B-side mentality. That’s a lot of people’s first mistake against Tank, especially. They’ve already fallen short before the fight ever starts.”
Roach says it won’t happen to him.
“The IQ and the skillset that I have, compared to everyone else that he’s fought, it’s just levels above. The tenacity that I’m gonna combine with it is definitely something he’s not used to. I’m bringing the total package.”