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Kambosos torched ahead of potential bout | 00:50
American boxing superstar Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis is going to lose this Sunday, and for the first time professionally, because of two anonymous scraps he had some 15 years ago.
Davis vs Roach | SUN 2 MARCH 12PM AEDT | Boxing superstar Gervonta Davis returns to defend his WBA Lightweight World Title against WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Lamont Roach at the Barclays Center, New York. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
Or at least that’s the message from the kid who stood in the opposite corner.
A fella, coincidentally, not only readying to now challenge Davis for his WBA lightweight title, but with, he insists, more than a few secrets garnered from those childhood fights where “obviously, I thought I won”.
None of which makes Lamont Roach Jnr the draw in New York.
No, that honour remains with ‘Tank’.
Among the biggest draws anywhere in world boxing, 30-year-old Davis is readying to kick off something of a ‘Farewell Tour’ this Sunday when he defends against a childhood rival who, while a champion himself, and on a tear of six straight, doesn’t carry the same hype that is going undefeated through all of your 30 fights — with all but two coming via KO.
Only months after announcing 2025 will be his last year in the sport,‘Tank’ is already being talked up for an array of future blockbusters, including unification bouts against any of the division’s other champs — Vasiliy Lomachenko (IBF), Shakur Stevenson (WBC) and Keyshawn Davis (WBO).
While previous attempts to make the Lomachenko fight last year fell through, with the Ukrainian seeking a break from the squared circle instead, both other belt holders have repeatedly called Davis out for a fight.
But before all that however, is Roach.
A fighter who, having won and then retained WBA super featherweight gold most recently, is now moving up to chase greatness against the man he has already faced twice – albeit during their hyped amateur careers.
While not exactly feeling the love from bookmakers, Roach has been acting like anything but a B Side this week, and indeed right throughout the build.
So who cares if nobody has touched Davis as a professional?
Roach’s experience against the champ as an amateur, he insists, provides more than hope of breaking the streak.
With the challenger convinced he can use every moment, tip and lesson gleaned from their previous showdowns to help cause a boxing boilover.
Apart from winning three National Golden Gloves titles as an amateur, Roach also picked up five Ringside World Championships and a USA Boxing Youth National Championships on his way to compiling an impressive 125-15 record.
But as for his last fight against Tank?
That was 2011.
Back when the now challenger was 15, and both fighters were ranked top two in their weight class nationally.
Yet while more than a couple of years have passed since, Roach insists his familiarity with the champ, not to mention all those little things you learn sharing the ring with a man — and twice – have him readying for an upset.
In fact, only recently the fighter dubbed ‘Reaper’ stressed that while he may have dropped both those amateur bouts, he should have been given the nod in at least one – and likely both.
Then speaking this week with CBS about what sort of role those amateur showdowns would play, Roach said: “I think it will play a significant role.
“Outside of us sharing the ring together, there is stuff that I know that I would use, I can use and I will use for our advantage.”
WBA Lightweight World Champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis and WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Lamont Roach. Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty ImagesSource: Getty ImagesAnd as for how those fights were?
“We fought twice in the same tournament,” Roach explained during a recent media day. “We fought in the Junior Olympics, in the regionals, and we fought (again) in the nationals.
“So we fought in the regionals in Baltimore, in his hometown; you know, it was a close fight, obviously I thought I won.
“There was like an incident where a point got taken from both of us and it only should have been him.
“We sent the tape to USA Boxing, and USA Boxing sent us on to go to the Nationals.
“The put us on two different sides of the bracket and we met up in the championship and he took it again. Won a close fight.
“I thought I won that one too”.
Now in their third outing though, Roach (25-1-1) can more than square the ledger.
“Gervonta has definitely become a world class fighter since our amateur days,” he continued.
“We were both good as kids, but we’ve both evolved a lot. I’m going to prove that I’ve evolved more.”
Later, he added: “The stakes are higher, but I just want to go hard, that’s about it.
“I’ve trained to be in the best physical and mental shape I can possibly be in.
“This is everything for me, and becoming a two-division champion would be a dream come true.”
Still, there is no doubting the challenge headed his way in ‘Tank’, who has earned stoppages over the likes of Ryan Garcia, Leo Santa Cruz, Rolly Romero and Frank Martin.
Asked what a KO felt like to deliver, the champ said recently: “Knocking someone out feels like a home run, when it hits the sweet spot of the bat, and it goes far … that’s how it feels for me.”
So what all of this means for your childhood rival?
“Roach is in for a rude awakening,” Davis continued.
“He’s trying to psyche himself up, but it comes down to skill. Whoever is the most skilled fighter will be the winner.”
One man warning of a potential upset is fighting Irishman ‘Fearless’ Feargal McCrory, who was dropped three times on the way to being stopped by Roach in his most recent WBA title defence last June.
“Listen, Lamont’s a very, very good fighter,” McCrory told Sporting News recently. “And the reason he doesn’t get enough credit, in my opinion, is because he isn’t as famous as Tank, or Devin Haney or Ryan Garcia.
“I’m not saying he is as good or even better than them, but he is good, he just isn’t as famous …”
Writing for ESPN this week, US boxing great Timothy Bradley tipped a ‘Tank’ KO victory, but also stressed Roach “presents challenges” for the champ – pinpointing his left and right hooks as possible keys to an upset.
Of the left hook, Bradley warned: “It’s a punch that can be launched from out of view.
“Davis’s high guard likely blocks his peripheral vision a bit, allowing hooks to start within his view but quickly exit his sight before landing.”
Bradley then added that Roach’s right hook was also “a powerful weapon against a southpaw” like Davis.
“Both punches can target Davis’s head and body,” he said. “However, it’s important to note that straight punches can effectively time wide punches, so Davis can land first unless Roach has impeccable timing.
“Feints can also be a valuable tool for Roach to set up these attacks, as any missed hooks can be countered with an uppercut or a straight shot down the middle, something Davis does very well.”
As a result, Bradley added that Roach must be perfect with every move he makes, otherwise “it could be night night” … just like it has been for 28 others.
