10/06/2024
The national nightmare is over. Gervonta Davis has finally found an opponent.
Photo Credit: Premier Boxing Champions
Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) has announced a major bout between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Lamont “The Reaper” Roach Jr. in a bitter clash of longtime rivals. Davis, the undefeated WBA Lightweight Champion (30-0, 28 KOs), will defend his title against WBA Super Featherweight Champion Roach (25-1, 10 KOs) on December 14, headlining a PBC on Prime PPV event at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
The fight brings together two fighters with a deep history. Roach earned his WBA Super Featherweight title in November 2023, defeating Hector Luis Garcia, a common opponent with Davis. In his fight with Garcia, Roach scored a knockdown in the final round, whereas Davis, despite his renowned power, did not knock Garcia down in their bout, though Garcia retired after the eighth round. Roach solidified his position with a successful title defense against the previously undefeated Feargal McCrory, stopping him via knockout in his homecoming bout.
Davis, one of boxing’s biggest stars, originally had his sights set on an IBF lightweight unification bout with Vasyl Lomachenko. However, Lomachenko unexpectedly withdrew from the November fight, citing a lack of motivation and a desire to spend time with family. After Lomachenko’s withdrawal, Davis’s team briefly explored a potential matchup with WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson, but those negotiations faltered when Stevenson shifted his focus to a deal with Matchroom Boxing and a bout against Joe Cordina after a self-imposed seven-day deadline to secure the Davis fight.
Another potential opponent, newly crowned WBA Junior Welterweight Champion Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela, was then considered, but negotiations fell through after Valenzuela reportedly lost interest in the fight. With the search for a suitable opponent ongoing, Davis’s team turned to Roach, who eagerly accepted the opportunity. The only obstacle was Roach’s mandatory super featherweight obligations, but the World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee granted him special permission to move up in weight for the December 14 fight.
The WBA’s decision came with stipulations: if Roach wins, he will have five days to decide which of the two titles—lightweight or super featherweight—he will keep. If he loses, Roach will be required to face his mandatory challenger, Albert Batyrgaziev, within 120 days.
Photo Credit: James Bell/The Boxing Source
Roach enters the fight with momentum, riding a five-year, six-bout winning streak, including three knockouts. His only loss came in a 2019 WBO title bout against Jamel Herring. Davis, meanwhile, is coming off a dominant knockout victory over previously undefeated lightweight contender Frank Martin. With Roach, Davis continues his trend of taking on top-tier competition. His last eight opponents, including Roach, have had a combined record of 181-3-2 going into their bouts with him.
The rivalry between Davis and Roach adds extra spice to the matchup. The two first crossed paths in the amateur ranks in the DMV area, where Davis twice defeated Roach. Roach, an 11-time national amateur champion, has always believed one of those losses was due to hometown favoritism in Davis’s favor. Now, he gets his shot at revenge on the biggest stage of his career.
The trash talk between the two has already begun. Roach responded to early rumors of the fight by declaring, “A lot of y’all got me [expletive] up,” and later added, “Houston, we got a [expletive] problem!” Davis, in typical fashion, issued an ominous warning: “I advise you not to talk so much… it can be bad for you.”
With their history, the stakes, and their shared ties to the DMV boxing scene, the Davis vs. Roach fight is expected to be an explosive encounter.
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