Gervonta “Tank” Davis, the WBA lightweight titleholder, needed an opponent.
Vasiliy Lomachenko, the IBF titleholder, had pulled out of negotiations for a unification bout, deciding to take off the remainder of 2024. Many believe Lomachenko will retire in 2025.
Davis’ team eyed two fighters in particular: Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela and Lamont Roach Jnr.
(WBC lightweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson, a free agent after departing Top Rank, soon signed with Matchroom Boxing and announced a fight with Joe Cordina, which was called off when Stevenson suffered a hand injury in training camp.)
As for Valenzuela, Davis’ team was told he wouldn’t be fighting for the rest of the year. At the time, it was also expected that Isaac Cruz, the man Valenzuela beat for the WBA belt at 140 in August 2024, would exercise his rematch clause. That didn’t happen. Instead, Cruz will take on Angel Fierro on the February 1 undercard of David Benavidez vs. David Morrell, while Valenzuela may face Gary Antuanne Russell on the March 1 undercard of Davis vs. Roach.
Roach says he didn’t take the fight with Gervonta Davis as soon as it was offered to him.
“When people ask did I jump at this opportunity, I had opportunities on the table. That’s why I didn’t take this from the jump immediately when it was offered to me,” Roach told media members following a Thursday press conference in Washington, D.C. “But I’m a competitor and I feel like I’m the best, so I’ma show it.”
What was it that led Roach to pick this opportunity against Davis instead of the others?
“It’s a whole lotta upside,” Roach responded. “When I win, this shit gonna flip all the way over. So for me personally, I set out to be a legend in this sport. I think this fight right here starts my legendary run. That’s what took it right there. Obviously the money is nice. The money is real nice. And to be able to grow my brand, to be able to set my son up to not ever to be worried about anything.”
Roach has the WBA junior lightweight world title. This fight with Davis is by far both the biggest and toughest of his career. And if he defeats Davis this March, then he’ll get a lucrative second bite of the apple due to a contractual rematch clause. Afterward, Roach would then eye the other titleholders at 135.
“I worked my ass off to get right here,” Roach said. “So it’s about time.”
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2 and @UnitedBoxingPod. He is the co-host of the United Boxing Podcast. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
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