Lamont Roach Jr. drops a shocking truth about the long-rumored clash involving Gervonta Davis — and Jake Paul.
Lamont Roach Jr. was relaxing at a spa with his mother on Thursday, August 21, when he received unexpected news — Gervonta “Tank” Davis had agreed to fight Jake Paul instead of giving him the long-awaited rematch.
“My mom’s a little animated and way too explicit for interviews,” Roach said with a laugh in an interview with USA TODAY Sports. “So that probably explains her reaction right there.”
Unlike his mother, Roach, 30, is keeping his composure — even though the decision stings.
Back on March 1, Roach battled Davis to a majority draw, a fight many believed he actually won. According to Roach, Davis was contractually obligated to grant him a rematch, but instead chose to move on — and so has Roach.
“I’m accepting the fact that he’s literally scared to get back in the ring with me,” Roach said. “I saw something like this coming. He just wanted to get away from me after that fight.”
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That grueling 12-round showdown was arguably the toughest of Davis’ career, turning his spotless 30-0 record into 30-0-1. Now, rather than risk another blemish, Davis will return to the ring on November 14 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta — this time against a bigger but far less experienced opponent: Jake Paul.
“Fighting a YouTuber? Pretty insane,” Roach said.
Still, Roach (25-1-2, 10 KOs) chose his words carefully, showing a measured respect for Paul.
“The thing I like about Jake is what he’s doing for real boxers,” he said. “He’s a big advocate for women’s boxing — helping them finally get real paydays.”
While Roach doesn’t expect another payday from Davis, he insists the matter isn’t settled.
“There’s no way you can breach a contract and expect me to just sit here quietly,” he said.
Despite the disappointment, Roach remains active — training daily and giving back to his community in Washington, D.C., where he was born and raised. His outreach includes school supply drives, pop-up boxing clinics, and reading sessions for inner-city kids.
And those kids? They know exactly how he feels about Davis.
“They’re like, ‘He’s a Rudy Poop! He’s a scaredy cat!’” Roach said, laughing. “Yeah, they see what’s going on.”
