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Can Roach Beat Tank In A Rematch?

Originally posted on BoxingNews.com | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 3:38 AM ET

Lamont Roach Jr. says Gervonta Davis is “scared to get embarrassed” in their August 16 rematch, but can Roach beat him?

Roach’s confidence comes from their controversial first fight, which ended in a majority draw. Roach was denied a victory after the referee failed to give him a 10-8 round once Davis took a voluntary knee in round nine, claiming he had grease on his face. The referee also allowed Davis to walk to his corner without asking for a timeout, which should also have resulted in a penalty. Had the referee made those calls, Roach would have been the winner on the scorecards. The result cast a spotlight on Tank’s pre-fight comments, where he said he planned to retire this year. Roach expects Davis to be feeling the embarrassment coming into the rematch.

“I don’t think he had hair grease in his hair anyway, but still, I hope you don’t have hair grease in your hair for the next fight. I’m not trying to hear none of that. Just know. Meet me in the middle of the ring. Then, we’re going to see who leaves out the ring. I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s scared of me as a man, but he’s scared to get embarrassed. That’s the problem,” Roach said

The Plan

Naturally, there is a pathway for Roach to beat Davis. He will have to maintain his pressure and volume. In the first fight, Roach out-landed Davis. Roach landed 112 from 400 thrown, while Davis landed 103 from 279 thrown punches. Roach needs to double down on this strategy, especially since Tank often starts slow.

Roach may also target the body on the inside. Roach found some success doing that as he hit the midsection to make Tank lower his hands. As he did so, Roach landed some sharp shots upstairs. It also reduces Davis’ chances of landing counter hooks.

Roach’s jab will also be important. Davis’ knee came after he was hit by a straight jab. If Roach can do that and follow it up with more shots, he has a chance of pushing Davis on the back foot as he is the bigger man. While Roach needs to apply pressure, he can’t be reckless. He needs to maintain that defensive awareness by using his head movement and footwork to make angles.

That will also allow him to stay out of harm from Tank’s left hand. Roach showed that he could last 12 rounds with Davis, which will give him more confidence. He may also seek to play mind games if he can continue referencing the grease incident to get under Tank’s skin. Roach has the ability to pull off the win, but the question remains can he do it?

This article first appeared on BoxingNews.com and was syndicated with permission.

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