Shawn Porter is anticipating a keenly contested clash between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Lamont Roach on March 1 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Baltimore’s Davis, 30, will defend his WBA lightweight title against 29-year-old familiar foe Roach of Washington. The fight is expected to bring back old rivalries following the two fighters’ amateur clashes.
Porter, a former WBC welterweight titlist, expects a very tough contest.
“The fact that Lamont Roach is as familiar with Tank Davis as he is, it goes beyond them fighting in the amateurs,” Porter told Fight Hub TV. “They've spent time in camp together. He's been around Tank. He's seen Tank up close and personal, whether he's in the ring with them or not. That matters.
“When you know a guy's rhythm, when you know their speed, when you know what they're thinking, that changes everything.”
Davis, 30-0 (28 KOs), and Roach, 25-1-1 (10 KOs), were scheduled to face each other on December 14, but the fight was rescheduled to next March. BoxingScene reported earlier this month that Davis had failed to honor the initial fight date after the birth of his son in August, opting to spend more time with his newborn instead of going away to camp.
Davis goes into the Roach fight on the back of a devastating eighth-round KO win over Frank Martin in June, making it four consecutive stoppage wins. Meanwhile, Roach has managed six consecutive wins since losing to Jamel Herring in a WBO 130-pound championship in 2019.
In November last year, Roach became a world champion when he earned a 12-round split decision win over Hector Luis Garcia to clinch the WBA junior lightweight title. Roach successfully defended his belt last June against Feargal McCrory, stopping the Irish southpaw in eight rounds.
Despite Roach’s credentials, Davis' power makes him the favorite ahead of the clash, but Porter believes Roach would be up to the task on fight night.
“This might be a fight until he gets hit again and again. He's tasted that before. So, if he gets hit and he doesn't go away, we’ve got a fight on our hands. I think it's a good fight.
“We'll see. Like I said, when you've tasted that before, and you know what it feels like, and what it looks like, and all that kind of stuff, it's much different from it being your first time getting hit with that kind of power.
“Your first time seeing that kind of speed and that kind of the overall makeup of a Tank Davis is surprising to most fighters. It won't be surprising to Lamont Roach.”
Bernard Neequaye is a sports journalist with a specialty in boxing coverage. He wrote a boxing column titled “From The Ringside” in his native Ghana for years. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and through email at bernardneequaye@gmail.com.