Robert Diaz: Dangerous Roach Not ‘Fighting ‘Tank’ Davis Just For The Payday

 “Lamont has the talent, Lamont believes, Lamont has the experience now, he has tasted defeat, he’s tasted victory at the highest level, it’s going to be a fight,” Diaz said, backing his fighter to the hill. “When you have a fighter who is not just going there for the opportunity and the payday, look, that’s all great and you have to take care of your family, but when you believe and it’s really there, that’s a dangerous fighter.”

The 29-year-old claimed his WBA super featherweight belt with a split-decision victory against Hector Luis Garcia. He would defend his title with an impressive 8th round knockout over Feargal McCrory last June in Washington. The oddsmakers have him as the 8/1 underdog against Davis in New York.

“Once you win a world title you go on to another level because now you feel like a world champion,” Diaz added. “Now you train like a world champion. [Them] knowing each other for as long as they have and the rivalry of how close they are, I see his belief.  I don’t blame people saying ‘Tank is a beast’, Tank is a beast! To me, Tank is a mini-Mike Tyson. Mike Tyson was a beast, but Tyson had to share the ring with [James] Buster Douglas and Evander Holyfield , who believed. That will be the difference on March 1st. I’m not saying go put on your house [with regard to a making a bet]. I’m saying don’t knock it until you try it. After the fight, talk to me. This is a fight and most importantly Tank and his team know it. The fans don’t have to know it, but Tank and his team know it. It’s going to be a helluva fight.”

Roach’s first crack at world championship status came over five years ago. Jamel Herring defended his WBO super featherweight title by earning a unanimous-decision in Fresno, California. Roach would have to wait four years for a second chance.

“Lamont won the title against a PBC fighter on a PBC card against Hector Garcia,” Diaz explained. “Luis De Cubas and I and Lamont’s father booked that fight, it was a mandatory. After the fight, Luis and his team came in to congratulate Lamont and everybody. They then mentioned to me ‘let’s talk, there are some other opportunities and maybe there is even the possibility of a Tank fight.’ So I said ‘okay, let’s talk and we will be in touch.’

“It is really important for Lamont to do a homecoming to go back home. He hadn’t fought at home in years before being a world champion, fought maybe once or twice. But he wanted to go back to his fans with the world title. Then we had many different communications with different promoters, but they all wanted to take the title. That’s what they wanted from the first fight. They all said ‘a homecoming sounds good, but let’s do a unification.’ He wasn’t shying away, he was just willing to sacrifice some money to take something back home and say ‘thank you to my fans’.

“He’s always had a good following. He fought in Puerto Rico, he fought in Cancun, he fought in New York a couple of times. After the first defense [against McCrory] we were notified that we had a mandatory from Russia. Then comes the call from Luis De Cubas again; ‘Hey, would you guys be interested in the Tank fight?’ Lamont had both [options]. People say it must be a money thing. Of course, money is important, but what people don’t know is that the money was very similar. It was a no brainer. He said, ‘I want Tank, man.’

“People will say that you have another little guy coming up, but let’s not forget that the [Frank] Martin fight and Tank only weighed 133. He was two pounds under; he’s not a big guy. Lamont has fought higher than 135. In-fact, it didn’t surprise me, but at the first press conference Lamont was the bigger guy physically. It’s going to be five pounds difference, but those are going to be five pounds extra that his body is going to say ‘ahh man, welcome’. I see a man on a mission.”