WASHINGTON, D.C. – The last time Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach Jnr fought was more than 13 years ago, back when they were both amateurs. Davis was 16 at the time while Roach was approaching his 16th birthday. Now they are 30 and 29, respectively, and set to meet again, fighting on March 1 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Davis turned pro in 2013. Roach entered the paid ranks himself in 2014. They’ve each developed far beyond the fighters they were back then.
“I got better in every aspect,” Roach, 25-1-1 (10 KOs), said Thursday during a press conference in D.C. “Obviously I’m older, more mature, a better boxer than I was before – and I was one of the best boxers in the country at that age, and for a long time at every age. I won national titles at every age. It’s just when I happened to run into him, he got gold by the slightest little [difference], and I got silver.”
Earlier this year, Roach told Cigar Talk host Naji Grampus that a YouTube video featuring him vs. Davis, which has an upload date of May 2011, is from the regional championships for the Junior Olympics. According to a report at the time on the DC Amateur Boxing blog, they had a rematch in early August 2011 in the 125lbs weight class, with Davis winning by the score of 14-6.
“I’ve changed a lot,” Davis, 30-0 (28 KOs), said as well during the press conference.
Roach has acknowledged as much before.
“He’s definitely different. He’s definitely better. He’s world-class better. Just like I am,” Roach said in that interview with Grampus. “He wasn’t really like no devastating knockout puncher or nothing like that when we was kids. People would consider me more of a power puncher in the amateurs rather than now, except for the people that be in the ring with me.”
During Thursday’s press conference, Davis credited Roach – but said that what Roach has still won’t be enough.
“I know for sure he’s definitely tough. He got sneaky power,” Davis said. “He’s had sneaky power since we were kids. Come March 1, we’ll figure whatever he’s best at and we’ll take it away from him.”
Afterward, Roach said his confidence is “through the roof.” He was asked what advantages he brings into this pairing with Davis.
“Just overall being something that he’s not been in the ring with,” Roach said. “I’m the total package, and honestly sometimes I think he doubt himself.”
Roach says both of them recognize the challenge they’ll be facing.
“I don’t think he underestimates me. I think he know that I’m a good fighter. He’ll tell y’all. I think he gonna train his ass off,” Roach said. “Obviously [Davis] is a three-division world champ. We gotta train like we fighting one of the best fighters ever.”
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2 and @UnitedBoxingPod. He is the co-host of the United Boxing Podcast. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.