Lamont Roach Jnr turns tables on Tank Davis at the scale

Published Fri Feb 28, 2025, 9:42 PM

NEW YORK – The appeal of Gervonta “Tank” Davis’ prizefights is the uncertainty of the certain. A knockout is coming, but when?

“Same ol’, same ol’,” Davis told the crowd gathered for his Friday weigh-in at Barclays Center. “I’ve gotta give them what they want to see.”

The question for Davis’ WBA lightweight title challenger, the WBA junior lightweight belt holder Lamont Roach Jnr, is whether he can prolong the action – can he become one of the rare ones to avoid Davis’ thunderous power, or do the unthinkable and spring an upset?

Washington’s Roach, 25-1-1 (10 KOs), sought to heighten the intrigue by weighing in at the lightweight limit of 135 pounds, leaving Baltimore’s Davis, 30-0 (28 KOs), appearing the more gaunt fighter at 133.8 pounds.

“I told him this shit is real,” Roach said after facing off with Davis. “I’m one of the best fighters in the world and I can’t wait for you all to see it.”

Fight promoter Tom Brown said the confidence of Roach has made this latest Davis bout steadily more compelling.

"Who was the bigger man today?” Brown said. "I’ve said this was going to be [a dramatic showdown] from day one. It’s champion versus champion, Baltimore versus D.C.,"

The weigh-in coincided with the news that boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh is officially bringing a May 2 card to New York’s Times Square that will feature the returns of antagonists Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney, with Garcia fighting former WBA 140-pound champion Rolly Romero and former two-division champion Haney meeting former unified 140lbs champion Jose Ramirez.

Also on that card will be WBO 140lbs champion Teofimo Lopez defending his belt against Arnold Barboza Jnr. A news conference will occur in New York to announce the bout.

A day after blasting the deep-pocketed Alalshikh to reporters, saying, “Not all money’s good money,” and “I just don’t like how this guy [Alalshikh] comes in the game and he doesn’t know [anything] about the sport. Nothing,” there’s an expectation that Alalshikh will attend the Davis-Roach pay-per-view bout [Prime Video, PPV.COM] at Barclays Center.

“Tank’s the bona fide superstar of the sport. Period,” Brown said.

Roach’s co-promoter [and BoxingScene owner] Garry Jonas said his fighter’s size was good for optics.

“Tank is Tank and he’s got that stopping power, and that’s always the differentiator, so Lamont has to fight the perfect fight,” Jonas said. “If he can avoid getting hit with that big shot, it’s a fight.”

Roach has previously elevated himself by becoming a world champion. This is something different. But it comes against a familiar neighbor who he fought twice as an amateur.

“Two different types of fighters. Tank is dynamic, full of talent, raw ability, stopping power. Lamont is level-headed and mature, solid as a rock, stable, technically sound,” Jonas said. “We know what he’s up against, know he has to fight the perfect fight.

“But that’s why they have the fight.”

Davis and Roach made some kind of bet after weighing in, with lip readers estimating the wager between $20,000 and $250,000.

“The advantage Lamont has is they go way back, they’ve known each other from childhood. [Tank] doesn’t have this boogeyman look [to Roach],” Jonas said. “Psychologically, that’s an advantage over the other guys who get all intimidated by Tank. Nothing about Baltimore intimidates a guy from D.C.”

Full weigh-in results

12 rounds, junior welterweights

Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela, WBA champion (138.8lbs)

Gary Antuanne Russell (138.2)

12 rounds, junior welterweights

Alberto Puello, WBC champion (139.2lbs)

Sandor Martin (139.2lbs)

12 rounds, junior middleweights

Julian “J-Rock” Williams (153.2lbs)

Yoenis Tellez (153.4lbs)

The pair exchanged shoves on stage. “When someone comes to play, you have to make sure he respects you,” Tellez said.

10 rounds, middleweights