Lamont Roach Snr: ‘Only right to have Gervonta Davis fight on this side of town’

Lamont Roach Snr is buzzing with excitement, thrilled not just about his son’s shot at Gervonta Davis but also that the fight will unfold closer to home.

The father and trainer of junior lightweight titleholder Lamont Roach Jnr expressed his enthusiasm for the March 1 clash against lightweight titleholder Davis at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Roach Jnr, 29, claimed his WBA title in November 2023, dethroning Hector Luis Garcia on the David Benavidez-Demetrius Andrade undercard. He returned in June, stopping previously unbeaten Feargal McCrory in eight rounds when headlining a ProBox TV broadcast in Washington, D.C.

Roach, from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, holds a record of 25-1-1 (10 KOs). The matchup offers a compelling regional clash, with Davis, 30, boasting an undefeated 30-0 (28 KOs) record, hailing from Baltimore, Maryland — just an hour’s drive from Roach’s hometown.

“Excited to have a new date and location,” Roach Snr told BoxingScene. “Only right for the fight to be on this side of town. New York, here we come.”

Davis, who fought only once in 2024, knocking out Frank Martin, is riding a four-fight knockout streak since going the distance with Isaac Cruz in December 2021. Both fighters emerged from the same regional boxing scene, adding another layer of intrigue to the bout as both teams know each other well.

“The Barclays Center will be straight fire that night,” Roach Snr said. “Two of the best young champions with history putting it on the line in their prime.”

Originally expected to take place on December 14 in Houston, the fight was rescheduled and will now serve as one of Premier Boxing Champions’ first marquee events of 2025. It will be their second pay-per-view of the year, following the David Benavidez-David Morrell card on February 1.

“Want to thank everyone who played a role in making this happen. Lamont Jnr will be more than ready for this great moment,” Roach Snr said, closing with the words he hopes to hear that night: “And the new …”

Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.