The Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach Jr. fight is slowly but surely picking up heat. After an underwhelming reaction during the announcement, fans and experts are warming up to the upcoming WBA lightweight title fight slated for December 14 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Both these fighters have also engaged in several online spats that have only helped hype their upcoming match.

This fight is shaping up to be a technical bout with a sensational undercard. Both of them are strong and though Tank is an astoundingly heavy favorite, experts and boxers are still not counting out Lamont Roach completely. Ahead of the fight, FightHype sat down with Richardson Hitchins and Kenneth Sims Jr. to know their views regarding the fight and their answers might surprise you.

FightHype asked the undefeated super lightweight Hitchins about the history between him and the two fighters and what everyone can expect from their fight. The New York resident talked about the similarities between Tank and Roach and advised the fans to not take the latter lightly. Hitchins was sure that the 25-1 boxer would stun everyone and it would be a brilliant fight.

“Lamont came up in the same type of environment as Tank. They both got a lot of similarities. I think a lot of people are writing Lamont off because of loss against Jamel Herring, but he has shown consistency over the years,” stated Hitchins while talking about how Roach has turned his career around since the loss against Herring in 2019.

The 18-0 boxer then promised the fight to be a technical feat and stated that even he was looking forward to the fight. While talking about who will have the upper hand in a technical fight, Richardson Hitchins stated, “It is going to be a great technical fight. Tank is a defensive genius. He knows how to protect himself and knows ways to maneuver.”

He further stated that if the fight gets dragged to later rounds, Tank will have a clear advantage because of his near-perfect defense. According to Hitchins, Roach should try to finish the fight early because if it comes to the later rounds, there is a high chance that Davis will drag the fight to his pace to get the desired result. While defending Roach as a capable opponent for Gervonta Davis, Hitchins added, “It’s not just like Tank is just picking out a bum. Lamont probably knows how to fight more than a lot of guys Tank fought.” 

On the other hand, the welterweight sensation Kenneth Sims Jr. who has fought against both Roach and Davis, also shared his views about the fight and stated what these fighters must do to win the match.

Floyd Mayweather dragged into the discussion

Fans were buzzing about the possibility of a 2024 showdown between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Vasyl Lomachenko, two of the biggest stars in boxing’s lightweight division.

A December title unification fight seemed within reach, promising to be one of the year’s most anticipated events. However, negotiations fell apart when Lomachenko decided to take the remainder of the year off.

This collapse is part of a larger pattern where potential blockbuster fights, such as those with Shakur Stevenson, William Zepeda, George Kambosos Jr., and Devin Haney, never progressed beyond initial social media hype.

Speculation has been swirling around Davis, with some critics accusing him of avoiding top-tier opponents over the years. Others argue that the promoters might be to blame for these fights falling through. Adding to the controversy, Davis’ next fight was recently announced, and fans aren’t pleased.

On December 14, Davis will face WBA Super Featherweight champion Lamont Roach Jr., who is moving up to the lightweight division to challenge him at Houston’s Toyota Center. The announcement sparked backlash, with fans calling it another underwhelming match-up.

Leonard Ellerbe defended Davis

In the midst of the criticism, former Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe stepped in to defend Davis. The online debate started after a fan shared a video featuring Lomachenko and his promoter, Bob Arum, discussing Davis. The fan questioned how Floyd Mayweather, with similar management, secured high-profile fights while Davis struggled.

Ellerbe responded by explaining that the process of setting up major fights is much more complex than fans realize. He argued that social media often skews public perception, leading people to believe that Davis is avoiding serious competition.

According to Ellerbe, scheduling conflicts and other factors often prevent fights from happening. He even claimed that some fighters call out Davis publicly despite being unavailable or unable to fight.

Keyshawn Davis is climbing the ranks of the boxing world rapidly and just needs one statement: victory to establish himself as the top star in the lightweight division. A few weeks ago, Davis set his sights on the WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis and issued an informal challenge against the latter.

In his own words, the 2020 Olympic silver medalist called Tank a “target practice,” and stated that “I feel like I’ll beat Tank.” Well, two weeks have passed since the Norfolk native put Tank on notice and there has been no reply from the latter’s side. Keyshawn Davis was not fond of the disrespect and issued another challenge to the 30-0 boxer and put him on notice once again.

In an interview with Sean Zittel, the Businessman answered the reason behind his confidence and why he thinks that Gervonta Davis would be useless against him. The 25-year-old was vocal about his adaptability and how he tried different things against other opponents. “Because I do everything. I do different sh*t with different opponents,” stated Davis in a snarky tone. Even last time, Keyshawn Davis called the WBA lightweight champion one-dimensional in his approach.

Davis once again highlighted his height advantage against Tank and stated, “He’s a 5’5 midget. I got IQ, I’ve been all around the world. I’ve seen it all. ” Just like last time, he mentioned his superior defensive ability and the reach advantage he has over Gervonta Davis. He further recalled the times that both of them had sparred with each other.

“I’ve seen him. I’ve been in the ring with him (sparring) a couple of times,” revealed the Norfolk native, implying the fact that he has studied Tank completely and knows how to tackle him.

Even though Keyshawn Davis is oozing confidence, many in the boxing community feel that the 25-year-old still has to prove himself to challenge for the title. On the other hand, Gervonta Davis is completely focused on his December bout against Lamont Roach Jr. 

Gervonta Davis’ December showdown

Gervonta Davis is set to defend his WBA lightweight title against Lamont Roach Jr. on December 14, 2024. The fight will take place at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. With an undefeated record of 30-0 (28 KOs), Davis remains one of boxing’s biggest stars. Lamont Roach Jr., currently the WBA junior lightweight champion, is moving up in weight to challenge Davis.