Lamont Roach Jnr held a media workout at NoXcuse Boxing Club in his hometown of Marlow Heights, Maryland Thursday ahead of his fight with Gervonta “Tank” Davis on March 1.
A reigning 130-pound world champion, Roach will move up to lightweight to challenge the undefeated Davis for his WBA title and reignite a regional D.C. vs. Baltimore rivalry that dates back to the pair’s multiple amateur clashes. Riding a six-fight winning streak, Roach has prepared alongside his father and trainer Lamont Roach Snr heading into his biggest fight to date.
Though this fight has its critics, and primarily because of Roach’s inexperience at 135lbs, the underdog projected confidence: “I feel great and I can’t wait. Moving up to 135 pounds makes everything super comfortable. There’s no stress on the weight cut and I won’t feel drained at all.”
On the amateur rivalry: “Gervonta has definitely become a world class fighter since our amateur days. We were both good as kids, but we’ve both evolved a lot. I’m going to prove that I’ve evolved more.”
Several of Davis’ opponents retreat almost from the opening bell in wariness of his power, which Roach wants to avoid: “I’m not coming in there with a ‘B-side’ mentality. That’s a lot of people’s first mistake against Tank especially. They’ve already fallen short before the fight ever starts.
“There’s a lot of stuff that I know based off our familiarity with Tank that we can use, and that I will use, to my advantage.
“The IQ and the skillset that I have, compared to everyone else that he’s fought, it’s just levels above. The tenacity that I’m gonna combine with it, is definitely something he’s not used to. I’m bringing the total package.
“The hard work I’ve put in shows that I deserve a fight like this. I’ve worked to become one of the best fighters in the world, if not the best fighter in my weight class. And now I have the chance to prove myself against a pound-for-pound talent.”
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