Junior bantamweight Jordan Roach of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, may be 21 years old, but he’s already earned a nickname that reflects his cool composure in the ring: ‘The Iceman.’
Roach returns to action on Saturday against 37-year-old Robert Ledesma of San Antonio, Texas. The fight will stream on the ProBox TV app and is promoted by Roach’s father and trainer, Lamont Roach Snr. Roach is also the younger brother of WBA junior lightweight champion Lamont Roach Jnr.
Roach (1-0), with just one professional bout, fights with the calm and confidence of a seasoned veteran. He earned his nickname during tournaments, where his ability to deliver in clutch moments became clear. The father of his teammate, welterweight Benjamin Johnson, coined the nickname, as Roach explained.
“Ben [Johnson]’s father called me that in the corner one time, and it stuck,” Roach said. “Before they released open scoring, they’d say, ‘Hey, you need this last round. Go out there and get an eight count,’ and I’d do it. They started calling me the Iceman, saying I’m clutch like that.”
Roach recalls an amateur fight against Raimier Walker when the nickname came in handy. “I lost the first round 5-0, and they told me to turn it up. By the end, it was a clean sweep,” Roach said. In another bout, Roach remembers his corner pushing him even though he had the fight under control. “They told me I needed the last round, but the scores ended up being 30-26,” Roach said.
As Roach prepares to face Ledesma (3-12-1), his icy demeanor remains unchanged. “I’m always going be that [the Iceman],” Roach said. “You’ll see it from the start—it’s not an alter ego. It’s in me, always.”
Against Ledesma, Roach will be aiming for the first stoppage of his career. His cold-blooded focus might be the key. “People tell me my face is the same the entire time—just cold,” Roach said. “When I’m about to fight, I’m locked in. I don’t have to hype myself up. It’s just time for business.”
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