Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs Lamont Roach Jr. Preview
Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Lamont Roach Jr. meet in a huge clash for the WBA Lightweight title on March 1st at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The ring walks will start at 4:00 am GMT, and this is not a fight to miss.
Tank has become nearly undeniable since becoming a two-weight world champion. His blockbuster victory over Ryan Garcia earned him the unofficial ‘Face of Boxing’ moniker. News of a planned retirement at the end of 2025 means Tank could end his career undefeated. Can Lamont Roach spoil the party in Brooklyn, or will Davis set up a potential retirement fight against Shakur Stevenson with a win in the Big Apple?
Gervonta Davis vs Lamont Roach Jr. Predictions
Fight prediction: Gervonta Davis via KO/TKO
Lamont Roach enters this fight as a formidable and well-rounded technician. He has been excellent at super featherweight, earning the WBA title in November 2023 and defending it once, back in June. The Reaper is now looking to follow in Davis’ footsteps and move up from super featherweight to claim lightweight gold. However, Roach has barely fought at lightweight. He now faces the toughest test of his career against the so-called ‘Face of Boxing’.
Gervonta Davis has devastating power. Tank is one of the most powerful lightweights we have ever seen, dominating two weight divisions on his way to champ status. He has become the Grim Reaper of the division, snatching undefeated records away from his previous four opponents. Davis has looked untouchable since his step up to lightweight and our boxing prediction is for the champion to retain on March 1st.
Davis’ ability to generate power from impossible angles, combined with his lightning-fast reflexes and unrelenting pressure, makes him a nightmare for his opponents. Standing at 5’5”, Davis is often the smaller fighter. However, his ability to adapt to each opponent is second to none. He can fight aggressively and work the body to break down his opponents or sit back, find openings, and counter-punch with devastating power. Tank is one of the most dangerous fighters we have ever seen at lightweight because of that vast skill set.
In his last few outings, including his dominant victory over Frank Martin in June 2024, Davis has showcased the full extent of his boxing IQ. He can adjust his tactics mid-fight, which will be essential in facing a more technically sound boxer like Roach. Davis’ offensive prowess and ability to end fights with a single punch make him the favourite going into this matchup.
Roach will look to avoid Davis’s power by sticking to his game plan of out-boxing him from the outside. His jab and footwork are crucial for creating distance and preventing Davis from getting in range to land his heavy shots. If the Reaper can implement this game plan and frustrate Davis, he could be halfway to a decision win. However, Tank is no stranger to fighters using their size advantage and is an expert at getting inside. Roach must be disciplined and avoid getting dragged into a slugfest, where Davis is at his most dangerous.
A significant disparity in power exists between these fighters with a contrast of styles. Tank sits on his punches better than anyone in the division. Again, those punches can come from anywhere. His trademark left uppercut has ended many opponents, blindsiding them as they drop their guard or lean forward. That is a showcase of his IQ and explosive power. Roach is more of a technician with just 10 KO/TKO victories in 27 fights. He may outbox Davis in the early rounds, but Tank will find a way in, as he always does. From there, he can pick apart a more fatigued Roach or land that patented uppercut on his way to victory.
Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs Lamont Roach Jr. Fight Outcome
While Roach’s skillset cannot be discounted, Davis is the more dangerous fighter in this matchup. His power, and ability to adjust mid-fight, will prove to be too much for the Reaper. Lamont Roach will have success early on, using his boxing skills to keep Davis at bay. However, as the fight progresses, Davis’s superior power and relentless pressure are likely to break through. Tank will probably secure a knockout victory if the Reaper cannot avoid the power punches.
This will be an exciting contest, but Gervonta Davis’ power and aggressive style should ultimately lead him to victory. The opening rounds may be a chess match as Davis tries to find gaps in Roach’s defence and judge his susceptibility to counterpunches. However, Davis will wear down the Reaper throughout the fight, eventually securing a stoppage in the later rounds. While Roach is a skilled boxer, Tank is simply on a different level in terms of punching power and knockout ability.
Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs Lamont Roach Jr. Betting Tips
Gervonta Davis is the overwhelming favourite for this fight. The WBA lightweight champion is undefeated and has fought and beaten arguably more talented fighters than Lamont Roach Jr. Our online betting platform has Tank priced at 1/18 to retain his title at the Barclays Center, with a €10 stake returning just €0.56.
Despite his pedigree, a win for Lamont Roach Jr would be one of the biggest upsets in recent boxing history. He has not fought at lightweight in years and does not have the same power behind his punches. However, his size advantage could help him and the former super featherweight champion is a supremely talented fighter. Anyone betting on boxing should consider Roach. He is worth 17/2 if he can pull off a miracle.
Method of Victory
The most likely outcome is for Davis to win via KO/TKO. Tank has won 28 of his 30 career fights via stoppage. However, there is not much value in a bet on the champ to win via KO/TKO. Roach has never been knocked out in his career and his strong footwork could help him avoid too many power punches. We like the value in a bet on Gervonta Davis to win via a decision worth 4/1.
Round Betting and Group Round Betting
Davis’ ability to conserve energy before reeling off power punches in the mid-latter rounds helps him earn late stoppage victories. His three previous fights have all ended within rounds 7-9. A bet on the champion to secure a stoppage within those rounds is worth 11/5 in the boxing markets. You can extend those odds by betting on Davis to win a specific round. We back the champ to stop the Reaper in round eight, worth 13/2.
Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs Lamont Roach Jr. Head-To-Head and Key Stats
Lamont Roach Jr. made his debut in 2014 after becoming a Golden Gloves champion in 2013. He rose up the super featherweight ranks to win the WBC silver title at youth level in 2017. The Reaper went one better under a year later when he won the WBO international title before defeating Jonathan Oquendo for the WBO-NABO super featherweight title in May 2019.
Roach lost the first pro fight of his career in November 2019 when he challenged Jamel Herring for the WBO title. The D.C. Native bounced back, climbed back up the rankings, and finally clinched a world title in 2023 when he defeated Hector Luis Garcia. Roach retained his title in June last year, knocking out Feargal McCrory in his hometown.
The challenger is a technically skilled boxer with a high ring IQ. He relies on that over his power to win fights, having won 10 of his 27 bouts via stoppage. Roach enters this fight with a record of 25-1-1. Standing at 5’7” with a 67” reach, the Reaper will have the size advantage over his opponent.
It is hard to believe that Gervonta Davis is barely out of his 20s, given the legendary career he has already lived. The Baltimore native made his debut as an 18-year-old in 2023. Tank was stopping opponents left, right, and centre and winning world titles when Roach was still challenging for youth belts. He fought José Pedraza in January 2017, finishing the Puerto Rican in seven rounds to win the IBF super featherweight title.
Tank barrelled through the division, winning the WBA title a year later and defending his belts five times before moving up to lightweight in 2019. He challenged Yuriorkis Gamboa for the vacant WBA title, winning by TKO in the 12th round. Davis has defended that title ever since and earned a victory over Ryan Garcia in a blockbuster bout in 2023.
Davis is one of the most powerful punchers in the world and is considered among the best pound-for-pound fighters. His ring IQ is incredible, fighting with a chameleonic ability to change his style and game plan during fights, adapting to any opponent. He is undefeated in his career with a record of 30-0 with 28 KO/TKOs. The southpaw will be the smaller fighter here, standing at 5’5” with a 67½” reach. However, that has been frequent in his career and will do nothing to deter the champion.
These fighters share one opponent in common, having both fought former WBA super featherweight champion Hector Luis Garcia in 2023. However, Tank won decisively via TKO in the ninth round, while Roach scraped a split decision in his super featherweight title clash with Garcia.
