Gervonta Davis suggests retirement awaits in 2025 ahead of Lamont Roach showdown

“After next year, I’m out of it,” Gervonta Davis said on Tuesday evening, indicating he plans to retire at the end of 2025. Before that he will presumably face old amateur rival Lamont Roach on March 1 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in New York.

A mere 90 minutes after the advertised start time for the press conference, “Tank” Davis and Roach addressed the media to publicize their 12-round contest for the WBA lightweight title.

“I want to thank you all for staying out a little late,” Roach began, perhaps alluding to the fact that he himself was on time. “This is a hell of an opportunity and we’re gonna conquer it.

“You’re gonna be surprised [by the result of the fight],” he continued before motioning to Davis, who looked distracted at times while chewing gum intently.

“I know he gonna be surprised. For all the naysayers, I think he actually took the fight [because] he know I’m a dog and you’re gonna see what happens when two dogs fight. Obviously, I’m gonna be the one coming out victorious. We’re gonna put on a hell of a show for y’all.”

Roach, 25-1-1 (10 KOs), is the reigning WBA junior lightweight boss and a sizable underdog. The uber-talented Davis, we’re often told, is the future of boxing. But with Tank recently rolling beyond his 30th birthday, some critics have suggested time is running out for that future to manifest itself to the extent many expected.

Tank first thanked PBC, Amazon, God, and Al Haymon. “I’m excited to be a part of this,” he went on. “Right now, I’m not really big on getting into it and stuff like that… Come March 1 it’s definitely going to be a great show… We just got to wait and see. We got three months, we just got to get ready.”

When asked why he chose to fight a boxer he twice bested in the vest, Davis said: “He got skills… Come March 1, everyone will see.”

The 29-year-old Roach won a world title in his second attempt in November 2023 when he deservedly squeaked past WBA 130lbs boss Hector Luis Garcia on a split decision, four years after he was outhustled over 12 by Jamel Herring in a bid for the WBO title. He followed the victory over Garcia with an eighth-round stoppage of a gutsy but outclassed Fergal McCrory in June.

Davis, meanwhile, has been dominating better opposition. Since Roach lost to Herring in November 2019, Tank has defeated, among others, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Leo Santa Cruz, Mario Barrios, Isaac Cruz, Ryan Garcia, and Frank Martin while winning and defending titles from junior light to junior welterweight. Even so, there is still a sense that he is operating below his substantial pay grade.

Roach suggested those who fell at his opponent’s feet had questionable durability, however.

“We gonna test his chin out,” Davis responded. 

The visibly more focused and clear-eyed Roach said: “I’m tough and great, I’m smart and witty. Whatever I gotta pull out my bag of tricks that’s what I’m gonna do.”