AFTER the frustration of failing to land a rematch with Gervonta Davis, the next step in Lamont Roach Jr’s career looks set to be revealed in the coming days.
The WBA super-featherweight champion almost defied the odds and public expectations on March 1 when he earned a draw against WBA lightweight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn. The 114-114, 113-115 (Roach), 114-114 scorecards were met with discontent, with many believing Roach deserved the win. The outcome may have been different had Roach been awarded a 10-8 round in the ninth, when Davis went to a knee from a jab. Referee Steve Willis initially looked set to administer an eight-count but changed his mind. Davis later claimed the knockdown was the result of hair product getting into his eyes.
A Davis-Roach rematch had been lined up for August, but the fight was scrapped after Davis was arrested in July for allegedly striking his ex-girlfriend. Last month, all charges against the 30-year-old were dropped.
Another twist followed soon after when Davis announced he would face Jake Paul in an exhibition on November 15.
Roach’s manager, Roberto Diaz, told Boxing News what “The Reaper” is hoping for next, amid rumours of a clash with Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz.
“He told me, when he realised the rematch wasn’t happening, ‘Go get me the biggest fight out there.’ He’s willing to fight anybody. He wanted Shakur [Stevenson]. There’s several names out there that I was like, ‘Wow, really?’
“Hopefully, we get the announcement soon and the fans will be very happy.”
Reaction to Davis vs. Paul has been largely negative. Davis is regarded as a pound-for-pound talent and a multiple titleholder, yet has chosen to step away from the professional circuit to face a man who will enjoy significant height and weight advantages for a lot of money.
“When they made the announcement that he’s fighting Jake Paul it was sort of a little bit of a shock,” Diaz said.
“At the end of the day he’s one of the top names in boxing, one of the top draws in boxing. We saw it at the first fight. He showed up five hours late for the press conference, two hours late for the weigh-in. We got to dance to the beat that’s given. Until we win, until we knock him out, until we take it – go do your thing ‘Tank’. And we hope to see you next year so we can do it again.”
