Oscar De La Hoya isn’t counting out Lamont Roach Jr’s chances of pulling off an upset against Gervonta Davis on March 1st. He feels he’s got the skills and ring intelligence to defeat Tank (30-0, 28 KOs), especially if he’s taking him lightly.
It wouldn’t be surprising if WBA lightweight champion Tank is overlooking Roach (25-1-1, 10 KOs) because the whole world views this fight as a whitewash for the Baltimore native.
They see Roach’s low KO percentage, his weak resume, filled with no names, the note that he lost to Jamel Herring, and his fights at super featherweight; they naturally see him as having no chance of winning.
Roach’s Chance
“Gervonta Davis is a beast. He’s a tremendous fighter; he’s a dedicated fighter when he comes to training and fighting and making sure he’s in optimal condition when he steps inside that square circle,” said Oscar De La Hoya to Fight Hub TV, complimenting Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, who he doesn’t promote but still admires.
“It’s going to be a tough night for Roach, but you can never count him out. Watching him up close and personal, he’s sneaky good, which means he can catch you at any time. He can land combinations sometimes at will without you even knowing it. He’s that sneaky.
“It’s going to be very interesting, but obviously, Gervonta Davis has the experience. He has the knowledge. He has that mean streak in him that can take you out with any punch. It’s going to be a long night, but what Lamont must do in there is go out and half fun. Don’t be tense,” said De La Hoya.
It’s easier said than done for Roach to try and have “fun” against Gervonta because he’s going to be dangerous at all times, and he’s never fought anyone with his type of power.
The closest thing that the 10-year professional Roach has come close to in fighting a big puncher is his fight with Hector Garcia last year on November 25th, and he barely beat him by a 12-round split decision. That was hardly an easy fight for Lamont.
Lamont’s Game Plan
“Don’t fight nervous and scared. Fight having fun and enjoy the moment. With being sneaky,” said De La Hoya when asked how Roach must approach his fight with Tank Davis. “Just punching outside the box. Presenting Gervonta with something he’s never seen inside the ring.”
Roach will still have to be cautious against Tank because he’s got the kind of power that can end the fight at a moment’s notice. Moreover, he will be trying to see Roach up with a big knockout shot the way he did Frank Martin, and it would be bad for him if he walked into one of those punches.
“Punching while Gervonta’s punching. Using the power when needed,” De La Hoya continued about what Roach must do to win. “Not every single punch. So, changing up your punches, meaning he can throw combinations with less force, and once in a while throw your full-force punches and surprise Gervonta Davis.
“There’s a lot of different styles he can use, Lamont Roach, on Gervonta. But I think if he fights sneaky, and has Gervonta thinking at all times, he can possibly pull off an upset,” said De La Hoya.
The only guy who has buzzed Tank with a hard shot during his career is Ryan Garcia, but his power is on another level. He caught Tank with a short left hook in the second that had him holding on briefly. If Roach can catch with a similar shot, he has a chance of knocking him out.
If Roach does win, it would be one of the biggest upsets the sport has seen in quite a while. It would be similar to when Mike Tyson lost to 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas by a 10th-round knockout on February 11, 1990, in Tokyo, Japan.
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