For the people who have ties to the DMV area, this one is for the culture, as the WBA world lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis will defend his title against the WBA super-featherweight champion Lamont Roach Jr, tonight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, live on Amazon Prime PPV.
The defending champion Gervonta Davis is a generational talent who is expected to step inside the ring on Saturday night and deliver a highlight reel style knockout. The challenger Lamont Roach is the underdog who has been receiving a lot of doubt, but he believes he will shock the world by pulling off the massive upset.
The last time a Gervonta “Tank” Davis fight went the distance was back in December 2021 when he faced Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz. Since the Cruz fight, Davis has produced four consecutive knockout victories.
In his most recent bout against the previously undefeated Frank Martin, Gervonta Davis did his normal routine of actually giving away the first few rounds while taking time to download the data. Once Davis felt Martin’s punch, figured out the timing, and the proper distance, he started to aggressively press forward.
When Tank Davis applied the physical and mental pressure, Frank Martin folded. With 1:44 left to go in the 8th round, Davis ended the fight when he landed a devastating left hand shot. Now Gervonta Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) is set to take on an opponent who is a local rival.
After winning his first 20 professional fights, Lamont Roach Jr received his first opportunity to fight for a world title in November 2019 when he challenged the then WBO super-featherweight champion Jamel Herring. It was a rough night for Roach as Herring clipped him with counter shots all night long.
At the conclusion of the 12-round contest, Jamel Herring won the match by way of unanimous decision. Lamont Roach Jr would go on to regroup and win four consecutive bouts. In November 2023, Roach received his second opportunity to fight for a world title.
At the midway point of the 11th round in his match against Hector Luis Garcia, Roach landed a big right hand that buckled Garcia’s knees. Roach proceeded to hit Garcia with a flurry of shots, but Garcia was able to survive the round.
In the 12th and final round, Roach scored a knockdown when he connected with a counter left hook. At the conclusion of the contest, Roach was declared the winner by split-decision, and the new WBA super-featherweight champion.
Now Lamont Roach (25-1-1, 10 KOs) is on the verge of facing the biggest challenge of his professional career. Roach will step inside the ring tonight as a huge underdog, as most fans believe Roach’s faith is to become Tank’s 29th knockout victim.
In order for Lamont Roach to pull off the massive upset over the southpaw Gervonta Davis, he has to execute his game plan to perfection. Roach must be smart, patient, defensively responsible, utilize the jab, lateral movement, and connect with the straight right hand.
On paper this bout is a mismatch, but it’s a popular event due to geography, and the star power of Gervonta Davis. From a geographical standpoint, Baltimore and Washington DC are approximately 40 miles apart.
For decades, these two cities have carried on an intense rivalry that is based on cultural differences. With that being said, Gervonta “Tank” Davis is from Baltimore and Lamont Roach Jr is from Washington DC.
On the night of March 1st, many residents of Baltimore and Washington, DC will congregate under one roof at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The question is, will the Baltimoreans witness the knockout they expect to see, or will the Washingtonians leave the Barclays Center pleasantly surprised?