Well, it's my pleasure to be joined on our podcast this week by the WBA Junior Lightweight Champion of the World, Lamont Roach Junior. B Lamont, you have a big fight coming up. You're not gonna be fighting in the junior lightweight division. You are moving up to lightweight to challenge the wo WBA champion in the lightweight division, Jervanta Tank Davis, in a pay per view fight from PBC on Prime Video also PPV dot Com, will take place on March
first at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, New York. And welcome you to the show. And I'm good to talk to you. What I'd like to know I from your first Laman is you know, this fight's sort of been there was a lot of rumors maybe what happened, maybe it wouldn't. You were a named that was always sort of like at the top of the Tank list of
what might be coming up for him. So could you just recount to me what your initial thoughts were when you actually got offered the fighting you this was a possibility.
So when we actually as soon as we got the call, it was like, hell, yeah, honestly, that's about it.
Like Rouge is in the car, I think, what's on me?
And my dad's in the car on the way to the airport to go back home, and it was like he was just like you know, tangs changes called and he was like, we wanted to fight, of course.
Yeah, well you've never been a guy that's been turning down fight. So, uh, that's something I know from having covered your whole career. If you go back to twenty nineteen, aount, you had a chance to fight Jamelle Herring back then for the WBO Junior light White title, your first opportunity
or you know, a big prospect. You were undefeated. I believe you were the mandatory challenger at that time for his title, and you know, you gave a good fight, but you know it came up a little bit short, loss the decision, and I just wondered, you know, it took you a little while to get back to the position to fight for another world title. What do you feel like you learned from that first loss? You know, despite it being competitive, Uh, the.
Fact that they aren't going to give me anything like like you said, it was it was a good fight. It was a good effort, but it just wasn't enough. I know, going into things especially as an underdog. Things I'm gonna you know what I'm saying, going to be, They're probably going to be stacked against me. So I just have to I just had to take matters into my own hands and make sure that I give no doubt that I should win. You know, the rest of my bouts going on throughout my career.
Well you have done that because you have won six fights in a row since that particular fight, and in twenty twenty three, November of twenty twenty three, you got the chance to fight for a title again against Hector Luis s Garcia in Las Vegas, and you outpointed him in a close fight. You won the WBA title, And I wondered, Actually, I was thinking, you know, guys who you know, they they don't get anything, Like you said,
nothing handed to Lamont. Roach, took your time prospect, you know, into main event fights eventually, you know, really worked your way to get that opportunity. Nearly ten years as a professional, from the time you started tell wing you won the title. What did it feel like to finally get it and know that all that hard work, all that you know, that decade of preparing for that moment, What did that mean to you.
I mean everything to me.
Just like you said, it was a whole bunch of hard work, a lot of sacrifice, a lot of faith, and just trusting myself, trusting my team and knowing.
That we'll be will be exactly where we were supposed to be.
You got a chance in June of last year, June of twenty twenty four, to defend the title for the first time. I know you had spoke about what it would mean to you to have a homecoming fight, to have a world championship fight in Washington, d C. Where you're you know where you're from originally, and you made that dream come true. You had a very good performance, a knockout victory against the undefeated Fergla McCrory in front of your fans in the district, had a good crowd there.
Knockedhi out in the eighth round, pretty dominating victory. And I wonder you know, I hear from people they talk about making the dream come true. I talked recently with Keishawn Davis about him and his brothers wanting to have a homecoming fight and that was a dream for them. They finally got to accomplish that. And I asked him this question. I'm curious your response to it as well. How did the reality of having the title fight at home compared to the dream for all those years you had.
I think it matched up to me, It matched up.
It was something that I wanted to do, not only for myself, but for everyone has been following me since I started, my family, stretching my close family that that aren't able to make it out to La Vegas, you know what I'm saying, all.
The other states that I fought in Puerto Rico, Mexico, like out of the country and stuff like that.
So it was it was very satisfying for me.
It was honestly just a dream come true.
And you know, getting a dance in front of my home crowd is it is just it was just fun.
It was a crazy atmosphere, I mean, that's for sure. But the fight with you and Gervante was discussed for maybe being you know, at the end of last year, that fight you just mentioned that you defended the title was in June. It didn't happen. There was you know, I didn't really there was issues over the venue it was gonna be in Houston. A lot of conversations. Ultimately it did not happen, rescheduled, and now it's taking place
on March first. As I mentioned, was there any kind of frustration of only having the one fight last year and kind of having to put this off and waiting and waiting and waiting to get it all locked in?
Uh, just just a.
Little bit, yeah, honestly, because it's not like I'm signing the PBC or obviously not signed the GTD either, So you know what I'm saying, Like, it's not like I'm I'm in the loop as soon as every decision is made. So it is a little frustrating, but at the end.
Of the day, it is what it is. It's boxing, man.
You never know what you're going to get, and you know, it's just you just stay on board for the ride for real, for real. I was always ready, no matter the case, no matter whatever was going on with the venue.
Honestly, I just think he wasn't ready. I think they, you know, scheduled it for when they.
Think he'll be prepared for the match, and you know, so we was just fine tuning that all the way up until it was Tyn of Rock and Road.
One of the things a lot of folks have talked about that is a certainly part of the storyline, if you will, of the fight between yourself and Tank, is that you fought as amateurs. You knew each other from those days. You're about the same age, you know, separated, but you're you're actually younger than him. You're twenty nine, he is thirty. Can you give me your side of the story, so to say, about the memories of what occurred in the amateurs? How many times did you fight?
What happened and how do you remember those times?
We thought twice they were very close competitive fights. And you know, the storyline that attests to how close they were is the fact that we fought in the same tournament before twice in the same tournament.
You know, that doesn't happen. We fought in the regional championship and.
I lost in Baltimore, and we sent the tape to USA Boxing, and they sent me an at large bid because they was like, it was a little this this this outcome is a little iffy, so to say.
So, they sent me to the nationals.
As well with an at large bid and I was on the other side of the bracket.
He was on the other side of the bracket.
We met up in the championship and he beat me in a close fight, So you know, it is.
What it is.
I think I want a second fight. I think the second fight I did better than the first fight. Of uh, it is what it is. And we do got the tape too. I think we're probably the only we're probably the only people who do have a tape only put it on YouTube.
Some I got a while. I'd love to watch that. If you did. What year was that, Alamont? What year do you remember? So do you think I mean, like you said, if they whatever, whether you lost or not, you you believe that they were close and competitive. I guess to the extent that even USA boxing, you know, basically puts you in to uh be on the road to a possible rematch. And I've asked this the fighters when they fought in amateur fights and then they meet
up as professionals. Some say it does, some say it doesn't. Do you think there's any bearing at all because you have at least a cursory knowledge of having been in the ring with him. Yes, you've evolved, Yes it's a while ago, but you know you've been face to face with them inside the boxing ring. That does it mean anything is to go into the professional fight.
Honestly.
Hmmm. Maybe not honestly if we honestly speaking, because I'm a totally different fighter.
Uh, I think he might be.
Mm hmm.
But when it comes down to like, because it's personal, Like the fight itself is not personal. When I'm talking about the familiar the familiarity with him, it is personal. Like I know him fairly better than a lot of I mean, damn there everybody he probably fought, so, uh, you know, we actually have history, like outside of our fights, you know, we sparred a few times. I know, I just know how he operates from from what I know
from from the encounters we have. You know, we've been in We've been in the same spaces since we were about ten, you know what I'm saying.
So that's a long time. And my dad coached him on the on the National Golden Gloves team to a.
To a national title, uh, to win the National Golden Gloves.
So it's just it's it's it's a lot of factors there, said, I.
Do get to feel out, do you think the feeling there's a lot you know, you guys may not be best friends, but like you that you're familiar that there's definitely a healthy respect be peing you guys.
Oh yeah, for sure, it's definitely healthy respect.
Cool, like you know what I'm saying outside of the outside of the boxing, Like you know what I'm saying outside of the boxing and there ek me, I'm cool. I mean like, if you ask him, he'll be He'll tell you that we folks like people.
So it's cool, all right.
I got to ask this though. You know you are from Washington, d C. You had a great crowd at your fight in June. He's from Baltimore. That's you know, just up the road I'm in. I live in that area, so I know the rivalry. Uh you know that. So it felt like this is a DMV fight Capitol One Arena. He had a huge gate there when he fought the guy you beat for the title in Hector Luis Garcia. You had a great crowd for years. DC would be absolutely going crazy Baltimore for this fight. So nothing against
brooklynw York. Wonderful venue, great fight city. Obviously, Barclay Center, first class all the way, covered many many fights there. How in the world is this fight not in the DMV Washington d C?
Tell me about it, I think, so, you know, here's a superstar, so I'm pretty sure, like I'm thinking they're thinking about how the crowd is normally for you know, pro Jamonte and the crowd in DC would definitely be at least fifty to fifty and that's just at least, so that might be a thing. Probably didn't want me to have a home field advantage or what application may be.
But we could have did it anywhere in the area. Honestly, you know what I'm saying, Like, did you want it in the area? I would have preferred it, Yeah, But to me, it don't. Man. We could fight in Africa for all I can.
All right, so when you go into the ring, I mean, we all know Gervonte Davis is a tremendous puncher. Doesn't throw a lot of punches, but he's knocked out virtually everybody and he's just been a dominating figure. You are obviously more of a supreme boxer. You didn get a knockout of your last fight, though, so I wonder how do you plan to deal with that punching power?
Best spawn bigger guys and uh we respawn guys that are considered punchers. Uh, you know, it's a totally different story once you get in there than.
Ay ounces and know, but I've been punching him. I've been pushing the face.
When I was Now you though, man, like you know what I'm saying, Like if his better think a.
Little more, you know what I'm saying, they might sting a little more.
They're gonna sting a little more. But trust me, I like to think I got a chin. Never been down, amateur or professional, never been hurt, like to like to the chin or whatever the case may be.
So it is what it is. Like we ready. Then the thing is, we're gonna see how he reacts when he gets hit by my my punches.
Anyway, Well, if you've been getting hits into or not, I'll just say, better at you than me from that standpoint. And I looked over his record just as I was getting ready to talk to you, and I was sort of thinking to myself, Okay, he fought an older, sort of not near his best gamboa who was obviously a great boxer, electrifying talent and a gold medal winner in the Olympics, but he wasn't at his best. Come out of the equation, I was looking and like you're still
a top fresh prime guy world champ. Uh. I feel like looking at that record that Lamar Roach Jr. Is probably the best pure boxer he'll ever have faced so far in his professional career. What is your what is your take on that that maybe you've got the skills to really cause him some trouble with the boxing ability that you possess.
That's a fact that everything you just said is definitely a fact.
It's a fact for sure.
And they know that though I think they're going to prepare they I think I know they're going to prepare for you know, what I have to.
Bring to the table. Like they know that one hundred for a fact that I'm the best all around like boxer that he's going to be in a ring with.
When they talk about who they want to see Tank fight, I'll wrap up with this. Uh. They talk about wanting to see a Tank against of course Stevenson a unification. They talk about it ta Fimo Lopez fight. There's been a lot of conversation. They tried to make recently a Lomachenko fight. He elected to take some time off. Uh mentioned Lama Roach. I've heard people like kind of poo pooh the fight, say you know Mutch he's you know, they're upset about the fight. I'm like, why this is
a really good boxer against a really good puncher. They got that rivalry from the home, you know, from the home region, And so when they don't mention your name and they kind of overlook you and I'm not just kissing your your ad because we're doing the interview, I kind of think it's unfair. But why do you think that that is that they look at those other names but they don't include a Lamont Roach Junior in that conversation about like a worthy opponent for Tank Davis.
Uh. Mainly probably because I'm not known to a lot of casual fans and people who don't really know or are in tune with boxing and it's boxing it in its entirety, you know what I'm saying, Like, some people really just don't know, so that might be a factor.
And like I said, he's a megas, he's a megastars, a super star, and he has been knocking everybody out, so you know what I'm saying, Like, so you know what I'm saying, Like there's pieces that go together that would make people say what they say about the fight or whatever the case may be. I'm not a worthy opponent, but for real, real, I got a lot of profanity for them.
That's about it, all right.
So then to the final question that what would the victory mean to you, not only a world title, but knocking off you know, like you said one of the biggest stars in boxing.
That it's gonna it's gonna mean so much to me.
But it's definitely gonna Uh, it's definitely just gonna be this, that's gonna this is gonna be the start of my my legacy, brun you know, like you know how some people have a run like Ory Jones was champion and so many weight becus for teen years, pak yall Wood up from one twelve all the way to fifty four to knock everybody.
Like you know what I'm saying, a staple in it.
This is my staple, right cause, trust me, after this, I'm gonna go Vinands trust me.
Alright. Well, that's big words. I look forward to seeing if you can back them up on March first at Barclay cent and Brooklyn Lmont. Thank you very much for the time. I wish you're the best of luck in to fight
Alright, no doubt, man I appreciate you.