WBA Approves Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach Jr. for December 14th

Although PBC has yet to officially announce the highly anticipated December 14th doubleheader featuring Gervonta Davis and David Benavidez, the bout is nearing official confirmation. Following David Benavidez’s confirmation that he will face Jesse Hart, dispelling rumors of a clash with David Morrell Jr., the WBA has now granted permission for super featherweight champion Lamont Roach Jr. to challenge Gervonta "Tank" Davis for the lightweight title.

Lamont Roach Jr. (25-1-1, 10 KOs), who captured the super featherweight title by upsetting Hector Luis Garcia last November, has had a rather unconventional reign as champion. The WBA initially mandated that Roach face Jono Carroll and Otar Eranosyan, but instead, allowed him to take on a much less formidable opponent in Feargal McCrory. Meanwhile, Carroll was pitted against Albert Batyrgaziev, and Eranosyan, despite winning his August 2023 eliminator against Roger Gutierrez, has been left waiting on the sidelines for over a year. The situation is perplexing, as Roach is not a major draw in the sport, yet seems to receive favorable treatment in terms of opponent selection.

Should Roach lose to Davis, the WBA has stipulated that he must face Batyrgaziev within 120 days. However, given the sanctioning body’s history of leniency, as evidenced by the Eranosyan situation, it remains to be seen if this mandate will be enforced.

As for Gervonta Davis (30-0, 28 KOs), who last competed in June with a stoppage win over Frank Martin, he hasn’t faced a mandatory challenger since defeating Rolando Romero over two years ago. While there is speculation that Davis may face Shakur Stevenson in a unification bout sometime next year, fans will, for now, have to look forward to Davis challenging a super featherweight champion for the second time in his last four fights.

With the WBA's approval and both fighters seemingly on board, the December 14th clash between Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach Jr. is set to be a compelling showdown, adding another exciting chapter to the boxing calendar.