WBA sanction Gervonta Davis-Lamont Roach Jnr for December 14

Lamont Roach Jnr has been given “special permission” to move up from junior lightweight to fight Gervonta “Tank” Davis for the WBA lightweight title on December 14. 

Roach Jnr, 29, is the WBA champion at 130lbs; the sanctioning body has approved of a request made by his promoters to allow him to enter what would represent the biggest fight of his career without being stripped of his title.

“NoXcuse Boxing Promotions sent the formal request on September 13, which was received by the committee to be considered and consulted with the team of Albert Batyrgaziev, who is the mandatory 130lbs challenger,” the WBA revealed.

“After the respective analysis and based on the internal rules of the organization, it was decided to grant the request to Roach under certain conditions. 

“If Roach beats Davis in the fight, he will be given five days to send his decision to the WBA on which of the two titles he will keep and defend. On the other hand, if he were to lose the bout, he will be required to fight the official 130lbs challenger within 120 days of the Davis fight.

“Rule C.16 states that the WBA may modify the periods for mandatory defenses for good cause, either in response to a request for special permission or on its own initiative. For its part, rules C.46.a e and g read that the body may modify or suspend the strict application of these rules when the WBA believes them to be justified in its sole discretion to accommodate special circumstances.

“Those reasons include ‘participating in an optional title defense’, ‘participating in a bout of recognized importance and significance to the boxing world’, or ‘extending or otherwise modifying a mandatory defense period’.

It was in June, in Washington DC on a ProBox TV promotion, that Roach made the first defence of his title by stopping Feargal McCrory. He had previously won it in victory over Hector Garcia.

Less than two weeks earlier, also in June, the 29-year-old Davis stopped Frank Martin in Las Vegas.