Lamont Roach will prove his mettle against Gervonta Davis, says Shakur Stevenson

WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson has waded into the discussion about the impending bout between superstar Gervonta “Tank” Davies and Lamont Roach Jnr, describing it as an “amazing fight.”

Davies, 30, of Baltimore, was set to defend his WBA 135-pound title against Washington’s 29-year-old Roach at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on December 14, but now the focus is on a new date for that fight in 2025. Many have criticized Davies for his choice of facing Roach but Stevenson is confident the latter would prove his mettle.

“I think a lot of people are sleeping on Lamont,” Stevenson told DAZN. I think Lamont is gonna come out there and show the world who he is.”

Davies has had just a single fight this year – against Frank Martin in June – where he knocked the Detroit native out in eight rounds. Roach is 25-1-1 (10 KOs).

The lightweight division is blessed with talent, including Stevenson (WBC champion), Vasiliy Lomachenko (IBF), William Zepeda, and Keyshawn Davis among others. Davies is 30-0 (28 KOs) and was thought to have weighed up options to face WBA junior welterweight titleholder Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela – who recently earned  the 140-pound belt in a split decision win over Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz in August.

When asked about how he thinks the fight between Davies and Roach could play out, Stevenson added: “I think it’s gonna be an amazing fight. I’m excited for what’s next.”

Bernard Neequaye is a sports journalist with a specialty in boxing coverage. He wrote a boxing column titled “From The Ringside” in his native Ghana for years. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and through email at [email protected].