Gervonta Davis is set to face Lamont Roach on March 1st in what may be his final fight, but it is not the first time the pair have stepped in the ring together.
Gervonta Davis, now 30-0 with 28 knockouts, seeks to continue his stoppage streak against super-featherweight world champion Lamont Roach, who has only lost once, to Jamel Herring.
Davis has spoken on his intent to retire after the fight, with even some of his biggest rivals such as Shakur Stevenson suggesting boxing is becoming lame, understanding why Tank wants out.
Davis has put together a string of dominant performances over the likes of Frank Martin, Hector Luis Garcia and even Ryan Garcia, a fight Tank admits he was nervous for, but fans want to see him in big unification fights before his time in the sun is over.
Though he is set to face Roach, it will not be the first time the pair have fought.
Gervonta Davis beat Lamont Roach TWICE in the amateurs
Speaking to Cigar Talk last year, Roach told the story of his two encounters with Davis int he amateurs.
“It was the regional junior Olympics. They took a point from him, and then they took a point from me that I don’t think they was supposed to.”
He comments on how he was granted entry to the nationals by the governing authority, as the point deduction may have been done in error.
He said he and Tank next met up in the championships in the nationals. Roach said: “He ended up winning a close fight, I don’t think he should’ve won.”
The pair were fifteen or sixteen when they last crossed paths in the amateurs.
Lamont Roach insists Gervonta Davis is the reason for the fights rescheduling
In a promotional video showing the behind-the-scenes of Roach and Davis’ training, ‘The Reaper’ Roach spoke of the fight, which was originally set for December 14th, and certainly did not mince his words: “I’m gonna beat his a–“.
Speaking on why the fight fell through, and of a post that Davis made on social media saying the fight was cancelled, Roach said: “The fight was never off. He said something, not me. I ain’t say nothing about the fight being off, how the hell I pull out?”
He concluded: “We still in the gym. Same day. Next day. Next day.”
He suggested the reasoning for Davis’ actions may simply be down to him being a “wildcard”.
In the same video, Davis’ career aspirations are revealed as Tank’s trainer speaks on when he cried watching Adrien Broner fight, knowing he wanted the glory for himself.