Lamont Roach vows fight with Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis won’t look like fans expect

Lamont Roach Jr. knows how a consensus of boxing fans and critics alike perceive him challenging undefeated WBA lightweight world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis.

After all, it is Roach, the current WBA super featherweight world titleholder, moving up in weight and on the precipice of trying to hand one of boxing’s most electric fighters and best knockout artists in Davis, his first loss. For that, he is installed as the large underdog.

As he lounges back during a recent Zoom session with DAZN News, Roach has a quiet confidence brewing. Simply put: The 29-year-old Washington DC native is ready to flip this fight narrative on its back in a career-defining performance against Davis on Saturday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and live on pay-per-view.

“I have no doubt in myself, my skills, my strength, my will, whatever the case may be. We’re going to put it all together,” Roach vows. “The fight might not even look like how a lot of people expect it to look, honestly. It’s going to be a real spectacle for everyone.

“The mission never changes whether I’m the underdog or whether I’m the favorite,” he tacks on for good measure. “It’s just, I got one goal and that goal is to win.”

To critics wondering how Roach will prevent Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) from walking him down, especially considering how “Tank” is willing to take shots in order to generate that highlight-reel knockout punch, Roach vows to reveal his answers in the ring.

“They’ll just have to wait and see. I really don’t … it’s so many saying the same thing. For real, for real, I couldn’t care less about the doubts they have or them questioning my skills and my abilities,” he affirms. “At the end of the day, I know what I’m capable of. I know what I’ve been training for. Ya’ll gonna see March 1.”

This unwavering self belief comes from a lifetime’s body of work.

In many ways, Davis’ superstar power as a generational talent shades the fact that the ‘B’ side in this case is a world champion himself who has amassed a 25-1-1 record with 10 knockouts. After suffering his only pro defeat, a unanimous decision loss to then-super featherweight world titleholder, Jamel Herring, Roach has fully stepped into his scrappy, often unrelenting pressure style of fighting.

It has led him to six straight victories including scoring a split-decision over Hector Garcia to win the WBA super featherweight world championship in November 2023 and recording his first title defense via an eighth-round TKO of Feargal McCrory last June.

Roach is a boxer who can rely on his sweet science skills or flat out fight when needed.

“I’m gonna use that sweet science,” Roach says, “to hopefully knock his ass out.”

Roach’s rich conviction also stems from his familiarity with his opponent. He and Davis have been intertwined since youth in DC and Baltimore, respectively. Davis’ trainers Barry Hunter and Calvin Ford and Roach’s trainer and dad, Lamont Roach Sr, know each other well. The intimidation factor that Davis’ held over opponents in the past hasn’t reared its head against Roach just yet.

Perhaps that helps to explain why the buildup to this fight has been void of verbal jabs and major disrespect. Instead, much of it has been shrouded in respect, including Thursday’s final fight press conference.

“Competition — It’s two guys in their prime wanting to be the best. That’s what it is, not more not less,” Roach says bluntly. “I’m working and I’m pretty sure he’s working. He’s trying to protect what he’s got and I’m trying to take what he’s got.

“I think the fight is going to constitute to a Fight of the Year candidate,” he adds. “I’m telling y'all now so make sure ya’ll tune in.”

(Rey Del Rio/Premier Boxing Champions)

Lamont Roach lost his cousin and head trainer, Bernard "Boogaloo" Roach, to a heart attack back in 2017.

Now, on the brink of the biggest fight of his career, Roach can close his eyes and hear his late cousin’s voice reverberating through his soul.

“‘This is exactly where we’re supposed to be. This is exactly where we’re supposed to be and we’re going to get it done’”, Roach says are the words that Bernard would have told him.

“He always told me that I was going to be one of the best to ever lace up a pair of gloves and I think this fight here is the start of that journey.”

What many anticipate as another sensational “Tank” knockout downloading, Roach is viewing as the coronation of a new king of the sport.

The 29-year-old almost views this collision as a rite of passage stemming from what he describes as an intrinsic Baltimore-DC rivalry.

Though roughly 40 miles separates the two, Baltimore and DC have their own distinctions.

"Growing up, Baltimore is just different,” Roach says. “A lot of people outside the area don’t know that. It’s so different. It’s so different … we’re so close, but it’s so different from the way we talk, from the way we act, the activities that go around, even the inner city is just like we have the same stuff going — kind of — but it’s just way, way, way different.”

He adds: “DC we take pride in everything that we got, that we have, our swag, our style, the way we talk, the way we dress, everything. It has always been a competition with the smallest things or whatever the case may be whether it’s sports, whether it’s regular every day stuff. It’s been a rivalry ever since I’ve known and it’s just natural.

“It’s just a little spark, a little rivalry that you were born with.”

When DAZN News informs Roach that Davis was granted the key to Baltimore back in 2019, Roach lights up when pondering what DC should give him if he’s able to produce the monstrous upset.

“Aw man, they might have to give me an office or something,” Roach says with a megawatt smile and deep laugh from the gut. “I need an office and a key.”

Fighting for himself, scrapping for his late cousin, his father and trainer, and his city will all be on Roach’s mind Saturday night.

“I’m definitely going to have DC on my shoulders,” he says proudly. “DC has always been a hotbed for boxing. DC always had great champions in the area — some of the best fighters of all time.

“I’m just going to be a reminder of that, for sure,” he touts, “and put us back on the map.”

An upset of “Tank” would make the boxing map his.