WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis will put his title on the line against WBA junior lightweight champion Lamont Roach headlining a PBC pay-per-view event on Saturday, March 1st at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. A two-division champion [Boxingtalk does not recognize the WBA 140-pound "regular" title Davis held as legitimate] . Davis returns to Barclays Center where he set the building’s record for the highest-grossing and most-attended boxing event when he scored a highlight-reel KO of Rolando Romero in May 2022. He’ll now step into the ring looking to stop the fast-rising Roach, who enters this fight on a six-bout winning streak.Tickets for the live event go on sale Thursday, December 5 beginning at 10 a.m. ET and will be available through ticketmaster.com. Pre-sale tickets are available now until 9 a.m. ET on Thursday, December 5th through ticketmaster.com with the code: PBC. In addition to the PPV being available for purchase on Prime Video, regardless of Prime membership, fans will also be able to continue to access the telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets as well as PPV.com.
Here is a look ahead at the fight:
Baltimore’s Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Washington, D.C.’s Lamont Roach have circled each other for years dating back to a pair of amateur showdowns won by Davis during their teenage years and will now go toe-to-toe as pros in a twelve-round 135-pound main event with each reigning as a champion. Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) holds the WBA lightweight and has previously held a world title at 130 pounds. He returns to the ring after most recently scoring a highlight-reel knockout of the previously unbeaten Frank Martin in June. The Baltimore-native put an emphatic end to a years-long rivalry with Ryan Garcia last year in a crossover fight that gripped the sports world, dropping him in round two before ending the action with a vicious body shot in round seven.
The 30-year-old is riding a four-fight KO streak into March 1, with 20 of his last 21 victories overall coming inside the distance. His current streak includes a ninth-round stoppage of the previously unbeaten super featherweight champion Hector Luis Garcia in Washington, D.C. in January 2023, an event that set a new record for the highest-gate at the venue. He also owns the distinction as the only fighter to stop reigning WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios and former three-division champion Leo Santa Cruz. Davis burst onto the scene with an explosive knockout of Jose Pedraza in 2017 to capture his first world title and won the lightweight strap he currently holds with a 12th-round KO of former unified champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in 2019.
“I’m excited to come back to Brooklyn and start 2025 ready for the biggest fights in the sport,” said Davis. “Barclays Center is where I won my first world title and it has always been a special place for me and my fans. I’ve had a lot of history with Lamont Roach going back to the amateurs. He’s worked hard to become a world champion and deserves this opportunity. Just like everyone else I’ve fought, he will find out that there are levels to this boxing game. I’m thankful to my team for the opportunity and can’t wait to be back in the ring.”
Washington, D.C.’s Roach (25-1-1, 10 KOs) earned his championship in November 2023, dethroning Hector Luis Garcia by decision, scoring a clutch knockdown in the final round to wrest the title away. He returned to defend his belt in June as he dominated the previously unbeaten Feargal McCrory on his way to an eighth-round TKO, dropping the Irishman in round three and twice in round four. He’ll now step up looking to become a two-division with a 135-pound title, the weight class he debuted as a pro at before seeking a championship at 130-pounds.
The 28-year-old Roach earned his position at 130 pounds by defeating Angel Rodriguez via unanimous decision in their 12-round July 2022 title eliminator. Roach’s current run comes after he dropped a November 2019 super featherweight world title fight via decision against Jamel Herring. Roach began his pro career with 16-straight victories following an impressive amateur run that included 11 national titles, highlighted by a 2013 National Golden Gloves Championship that led to the honor of being named USA Boxing’s Most Outstanding Boxer.
“Don’t be surprised when they say ‘and the new!’ on March 1st, because I’ve tried to tell y’all this is my time,” said Roach. “Fight fans have to tune into this one, because I’m coming to make this the Fight of the Year. We’re two of the best fighters in this sport, both in our prime, going head-to-head on the biggest stage. You don’t want to miss this one.”
“Gervonta Davis is one of boxing’s most exciting champions and a crossover star that will bring a memorable night to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center once again as he faces another high-level opponent in the streaking world champion Lamont Roach,” said promoter Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “’Tank’ always gives his fans a show, including his unforgettable knockout of ‘Rolly’ Romero in his last fight at Barclays Center, and his last time headlining a PBC Pay-Per-View event on Prime Video, when he stopped the previously unbeaten Frank Martin in spectacular fashion in June. Fans know what they get when it’s a ‘Tank’ Davis fight night and they should expect more of the same on March 1st in Brooklyn.”
