Another stellar matchup is set for this Saturday evening as Gervonta Davis defends his WBA lightweight championship against Lamont Roach Jr. at the Barclays Center. Originally set for December in Houston, the fight is now on track for a rumble in Brooklyn. “Tank” Davis is coming off a victory over Frank Martin in a fight from June of last year at the MGM Grand Arena. While both fighters were coming into the bout after a one-year layoff, Davis won the fight outright, retaining his title by 8th-round knockout. Meanwhile, Roach is coming off his own empathic victory in 2024, scoring a TKO eighth-round win over Feargal McCrory to retain his WBA super-featherweight title. With a current record of 25-1-1, “The Reaper” certainly has the credentials to tangle with Davis as he is moving up weight classes from super featherweight for the championship opportunity.
In this article, SBS will be going over what to look for from each fighter along with some additional notes and information regarding boxing wagering picks and beyond.
A sensational competitor, Tank is an accomplished performer and has earned a variety of accolades in his career thanks to his stout record of 30-0 with 28 knockout wins. Per reports, he has held the World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight title since 2023, having previously held the Regular version from 2019 to 2023. Additionally, he has also held the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super featherweight title in 2017, and the WBA super featherweight title (Super version) twice between 2018 and 2020. Finally, he has also held the WBA Super Lightweight title (Regular version) back in 2021.
As of last year, Davis is ranked as the world’s second-best active lightweight by ESPN, first by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and second by The Ring magazine. In his bout prior to Martin, Davis faced Ryan Garcia in a catchweight bout in Las Vegas in April 2023. Per one source, Davis defeated Garcia via knockout in the seventh round after a body punch resulted in his opponent falling to beat the count. In a moment of controversy, Garcia waited for the referee to finish the count and then immediately got up, resulting in boxing media labeling him as a quitter. Earlier in this matchup, Davis had knocked Garcia down with a heavy punch in the second round and throughout the fight, the champion was “comfortably ahead” on all three judges’ scorecards.
As the WBA super featherweight champion since 2023, Roach has had a sensational professional and amateur boxing career. Noted in one article, Roach was a decorated amateur fighter, winning gold medals at the National Golden Gloves and USA Boxing Youth National Championships in 2013. He would turn pro the following year and went undefeated in his first 20 fights (19 wins, one draw), collecting three minor belts in the process. While he lost to Jamel Herring via unanimous decision back in November 2019 in a bid for the WBO super featherweight title, he has since scored six consecutive victories.
In one particular fight of note, Roach was booked to face the former WBA (Regular) super featherweight champion Rene Alvarado for the WBA-NABA super-featherweight title. He would go on to win the fight via unanimous decision and two judges scored the fight 98-92 for Roach, while the third judge awarded him a 100-90 scorecard.
The challenger has had a spectacular pro career to date, taking on multiple foes and besting them in high-stakes situations. For instance, by the beginning of 2018, Roach had a record of 16-0 and then faced Orlando Cruz in a split-card decision. Three months later, he defeated Deivus Julio Bassa for the still-vacant WBO International belt in Cancun. By the beginning of 2019, he had moved up to No. 2 in the WBO rankings. Of course, this will be a staunch matchup with Davis, but Roach does have some raw power as evidenced by his 10 knockout victories to date.
In what should be an excellent showdown, take Tank to score the win here in Brooklyn. With a stronger body of work and resume, Davis should be able to lock down the victory. Additionally, both competitors have had a similar amount of time off, so they will be on an even playing field as far as ring “rust” goes.
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About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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