Lamont Roach Jr, the only fighter who hasn't lost to Gervonta Davis, says Davis isn't the hardest puncher he's faced. This revelation comes as a surprise to many boxing fans.
Davis and Roach fought to a majority decision draw in March 2023 at the Barclays Center in New York. The bout was a WBA lightweight title defense for Davis, who has a reputation as one of boxing's biggest punchers. Davis has won 28 of his 30 fights by knockout, including wins over Ryan Garcia, Rolly Romero, and Leo Santa Cruz.
Before the Roach fight, Davis had only gone the distance twice in his career. He fought six rounds with Ivan Meraz in 2014 and went 12 rounds with Isaac Cruz in a 2021 world title defense.
The fight with Roach had its share of controversy. In the ninth round, Davis took a knee voluntarily, but the referee didn't score it as a knockdown. If it had been ruled a 10-8 round, it could have swung the scorecards in Roach's favor.
When asked if Davis was the hardest hitter he's faced, Roach gave a surprising answer. He named Jonathan Oquendo, a Puerto Rican fighter, as the one with the most power.
"He's got bricks in his hands. He punched hard, I ain't going to lie," Roach said about Oquendo.
Roach fought Oquendo in May 2019 and won by unanimous decision. Oquendo's record stands at 31 wins, 9 losses, with 19 knockouts. It's worth noting that Roach's experience might not match up with how other fighters have found Oquendo's power.
The Davis vs Roach fight in March was a close contest. Despite not considering Davis the hardest puncher he's faced, Roach still couldn't find a way to win against the champion. The draw marks Roach as the only fighter who hasn't suffered a loss to Davis, a feat that's sure to boost his standing in the boxing world.
