Heading into 2025, Gervonta Davis said it would be his last year as a boxer. If that is true — and boxers often speak of retirements that never come to fruition — one of the biggest stars in boxing is kicking off his final campaign with an intriguing matchup on Saturday when he defends his WBA lightweight championship against Lamont Roach Jr.
Davis has risen to a status of being one of the faces of the sport as a whole, connecting with a large fanbase as he’s piled up a 30-0 professional record, with only two opponents making it to the final bell. Aside from outside-the-ring issues ranging from allegations of domestic violence to a hit-and-run conviction and subsequent violation of the terms of his house arrest, Davis has enjoyed the fruits of maximizing his talents throughout his career.
If there has been one knock on Davis over the years, it’s that he has not faced the best available names in a period where lightweight and the surrounding weight classes is filled with intriguing challenges. When Davis has faced other big names, he has delivered, such as his crushing knockout of Ryan Garcia in 2023.
Davis has only fought once since the Garcia win, knocking out Frank Martin in eight rounds last June.
Why Lamont Roach Jr. is brimming with confidence ahead of Gervonta Davis showdown that matches amateur rivals
Brian Campbell
Roach is not unfamiliar with what Davis brings to the ring. The pair grew up close to one another and came up through the amateur ranks together, though Davis got the better of Roach when they did compete as highly-ranked young fighters in Maryland.
“I think [the amateur experience] will play a significant role,” Roach told CBS Sports’ Brian Campbell. “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.”
Roach isn’t perfect as a professional, having lost to then-WBO junior lightweight champion Jamel Herring in his first bid to win a world title. While a fighter’s first loss can cause them to crumble, Roach built himself back up, took lessons from the defeat and became world champion five fights later, taking a split decision win over Hector García to claim the WBA junior lightweight belt.
After one successful defense of that title, Roach now moves up in weight to take on the biggest challenge of his career. It’s an uphill battle for Roach, who sits as a significant underdog, but one he says he’s ready to meet head-on.
“The tenacity that I’m going to have with it is going to be something that he is definitely not used to,” Roach said. “It’s going to be the total package. It’s going to be one of the best fights of the year, I promise you.”
Let’s take a closer look at the rest of the undercard as well as the latest odds before getting to a prediction and expert pick on the main event.
Davis vs. Roach fight card, odds
- Gervonta Davis (c) -1800 vs. Lamont Roach +975, WBA lightweight title
- Gary Antuanne Russell -120 vs. Jose Valenzuela (c) +100, WBA junior lightweight title
- Alberto Puello (c) -125 vs. Sandor Martin +105, WBC junior welterweight title
- Yoenis Tellez -1400 vs. Julian Williams +840, junior middleweights
Where to watch Davis vs. Roach
- Date: March 1 | Location: Barclays Center — Brooklyn
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET
- How to watch: Prime Video PPV or PPV.com | Price: $79.95
Prediction
Roach is a good fighter and his confidence should only be seen as a positive heading into the fight. That said, Roach is also of a very similar level to many of the fighters we have seen Davis handle with relative ease throughout his career. There’s nothing about Roach that jumps out as being something Davis hasn’t seen before and can’t handle.
While Roach is right that the amateur fights between the two do provide some direct knowledge of being in the ring with the champ, it also overlooks that, even as teenagers, Davis was the better fighter. That hasn’t changed as the years have ticked by. Davis is too smart, too disciplined and too powerful for Roach. The challenger may win an early round or two given Davis’ tendency to start slowly while he scouts out his opponent and figures out where the openings are to hurt them. But once Davis gets rolling, it will likely be a matter of time before he lands some big shots to end things. Pick: Gervonta Davis via KO7
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