Boxing

Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach: Tale of the Tape

Partner Authors Updated: Feb 24 2025 16:00

The unbeaten Gervonta Davis is one of the brightest stars in boxing and will put his WBA world-lightweight title on the line against challenger Lamont Roach at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York on March 1, 2025.

Davis has been seriously impressive in a career which has seen him move to 30-0, but Roach currently holds the WBA super-featherweight belt.

It’s a complex bout, with Davis voluntarily defending his title, while the WBA have granted Roach special permission to move up a weight category and challenge for lightweight honors.

Who will prevail? Let’s look at the 'Tale of the Tape'...

	Gervonta Davis	Lamont Roach
Odds	-1600	+850
Age:	30	29
Nickname:	Tank	The Reaper
Height:	5′ 5″	5′ 7″
Reach:	67”	69″
Weight:	Lightweight	Super-featherweight
Trainer:	Calvin Ford	Lamont Roach Sr
Record:	30-0 (28 KOs)	25-1-1 (10 KOs)
Last Fight:	Win by KO v Frank Martin (15 Jun 2024)	Win by TKO v Feargal McCrory (28 Jun 2024)

Gervonta Davis in profile

Gervonta Davis (30-0, 28KOs) is one of the biggest draws in boxing and is ready to headline Saturday’s show from the Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York.

The Baltimore boxer is a -1600 favorite to hold onto his WBA world-lightweight title, but it’s a measure of Davis’ popularity that he is set to box in front of a record-breaking crowd in such an uncompetitive fight.

It’s easy to see why Tank has developed such a large following. The 30-year-old has defeated Jose Pedraza, Leo Santa Cruz, Mario Barrios, Isaac Cruz, Rolly Romero and Ryan Garcia, to name but a few, in a glittering unbeaten career and Davis is one of boxing’s standout performers.

Tank is the current WBA lightweight champion, has held the IBF super-featherweight title, the WBA super-featherweight belt twice and the WBA super-lightweight strap (regular version) and those achievements have come in destructive fashion.

The Baltimore man has seen 28 of his 30 professional victories achieved via a stoppage and the build-up to Tank’s destructive 2023 stoppage success over Ryan Garcia will live long in the memory.

Davis was last seen stopping Frank Martin in the eighth round of their Las Vegas bout in June and that victory was his 30th on the spin.

There has been some criticism aimed at Tank in the build-up to the clash with Roach, as he faced some flak for taking on an opponent who had to move up a division for this fight, but that’s unlikely to stop the 30-year-old from putting on a show.

Davis has recently said that he is planning on retiring from boxing, or at least taking a break in 2025, and Saturday night may be one of the final opportunities to catch the explosive Baltimore fighter.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Power	Lacks height
Speed	Sometimes low punch output
Counter punching

Lamont Roach in profile

Lamont Roach (25-1-1, 10 KOs) is the current WBA super-featherweight champion and now makes the step up to lightweight to tackle Gervonta Davis.

The Maryland man was a gifted amateur fighter, who won a gold medal at both the National Golden Gloves and USA Boxing Youth National Championships in 2013.

Interestingly, Roach was twice beaten by Davis in the unpaid ranks and the 29-year-old will get a chance at revenge in the professional game.

The Reaper amassed a record of 19 wins and one draw when getting his first crack at a world title, but the Maryland fighter was beaten by Jamel Herring when challenging for the WBO super-featherweight title in 2019.

However, Roach was able to come again and reached the pinnacle of the sport when getting the better of Hector Luis García for the WBA strap in 2023.

The Reaper was last in action when stopping Feargal McCrory in June and Roach arrives in New York with the confidence of a champion.

The concern for the 29-year-old is that he is moving up to lightweight, in a bout against an unbeaten and top-level performer, and it’s no surprise to see that reflected in the odds.