WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis will meet with Lamont Roach next Tuesday, December 3rd for their kickoff conference to discuss their March 1st main event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The two fighters will fight on PBC Prime Video PPV.
Tank (30-0, 28 KOs) and Roach (25-1-1, 10 KOs_ were originally scheduled to fight on December 14th at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, but due to problems with the venue, it was rescheduled for March 1st.
The pay-per-view price has not been disclosed, but it will likely be the same as the $75 for Gervonta’s last title defense against Frank Martin on June 15.
That’s a steep price if the undercard isn’t loaded with big names. Fans who see the amazing cards filled with big names for the Riyadh season events can be amazed at the sticker price of Tank’s fight against Roach. With this fight being considered a cherry pick by fans, they would expect the PPV price to be dramatically reduced.
Why Roach was chosen
- Low risk option: Picking Roach gives Gervonta an opponent who has no chance of beating him, and he continues to bring in the money safely.
- Regional interest: Tank is from Baltimore, and Roach is from nearby Washington, DC.
- Stay busy; fans in that area are familiar with Roach and wouldn’t mind Davis fighting him rather than one of the talented contenders in the lightweight division.
- Display event: This fight gives Gervonta a chance to look good against a light punch, who will last a fight before getting knocked out. This is a much safer pick than if Tank was fighting a contender like Raymond Muratalla, Edwin De Los Santos or William Zepeda.
Tank Davis is referred to as an example of a career underperformer. There are a lot of them in boxing, but you rarely see one with a world title. He was chosen not to take on risky fights that would further his legacy and make him more money.
The confidence just isn’t there with Davis. Outwardly, he may present a good friend who poses bravely, but his actions show that he is afraid. Recently turning off his X after being inundated by fans pushing him to fight Keyshawn Davis proves that he doesn’t believe in himself.
It’s hard to tell if this is a sign of a lack of confidence from Tank or his management. It goes back to Davis himself. If he had ambition, he could now have forced his promoters to match him against better opposition, and he would be a bigger star and much richer.
Tank’s Best Wins:
Ryan Garcia
Jose Pedraza
Rolly Romero
Isaac Cruz
Hector Garcia
Frank Martin
It’s a sorry list of fighters, isn’t it? Just look at that motley crew of fighters; it tells you everything you need to know about Tank Davis’ ambition. He doesn’t believe in himself.
Fans would have preferred to fight over and finish on December 14th rather than kicking the can until March 1st. Even with the additional three months that the promoters gave for the Tank vs. Roach opportunity to market the fight, it’s still not one that’s going to garner much interest, or draw PPV buys.
Tank’s promoters need to start matching him against better opposition because their habit of picking weak opposition for him is hurting his popularity. He is loosely called the ‘Face of Boxing’, but no one believes it. Aside from Grevonta’s match against Ryan Garcia in 2023, his fights have been on the low end of PPV buys. It shouldn’t be, but it reflects the low-level opposition that Davis fought.
