The Barclays Center in Brooklyn hosts world championship boxing this Saturday evening, as Gervonta Davis defends his WBA lightweight title against WBA super featherweight champion, Lamont Roach in the main event.
Davis vs Roach is staged by PBC and will be broadcast worldwide on Amazon Prime PPV.
Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) is trying to attract big-name fights, but has struggled to attract the elite level fighters since he scored a stunning sixth round knockout of Leo Santa Cruz in 2020.
The Baltimore resident did move up to super lightweight after that win, taking the WBA belt with a penultimate round stoppage of Mario Barrios, but since then, he has dropped back down to 135 pounds.
There was a superb seventh round knockout win against Ryan Garcia in April 2023, but Davis has been seen just once since, knocking Frank Martin out in eight last June. This weekend’s offering was originally due to take place last December, but the fight was shelved for reasons unknown.
Since losing on the cards to Jamel Herring in a bid for the WBO title in 2019, Roach (25-1-1, 10 KOs) has won six straight contests, and became WBA champion in November 2023, a final-round knockdown proving crucial as he took a split decision win against Hector Luis Garcia. He defended last June. dominating Feargal McCrory in an eighth round stoppage win.
Prediction: Davis has one eye on WBC champion Shakur Stevenson, and he can move a step closer to that goal by taking over after halfway, and grinding Roach down for a late stoppage win.
Puello defends against Martin
The undercard features world title action at super lightweight, as Alberto Puello (23-0, 10 KOs) defends his WBC title against Sandor Martin (42-3, 15 KOs).
Puello has been upgraded from interim champion after he won the interim version via split decision against Gary Antuanne Russell last June, while Spaniard Martin is best-known for dropping Teofimo Lopez in their December 2022 meeting, that Lopez controversially won via split decision after ten rounds.
Martin has only been seen twice since then, and not since December 2023, where he knocked out Mohamed El Marcouchi in four in Mexico.
Prediction: Puello is a useful type, and he should have the tools to deal with Martin, and can defend his title with a clear points victory.
Valenzuela and Russell battle it out
The aforementioned Gary Antuanne Russell (17-1, 17 KOs) returns from defeat to Puello to take on Jose Valenzuela (14-2, 9 KOs). Russell hadn’t previously heard the final bell, and he did for the first time last June against Puello, suffering a first career defeat.
Valenzuela avenged a defeat to Chris Colbert in 2023 by knocking Colbert in six in a rematch. He was last out last August, taking a split decision win against Isaac Cruz in Los Angeles.
Prediction: Russell can get back to winning ways with a stoppage win here.
Further undercard preview
Cuban super welterweight prospect Yoenis Tellez (9-0, 7 KOs) can win early in his first scheduled twelve rounder, with former world champion Julian Williams (29-4-1, 17 KOs) losing three of his last five, the last to Carlos Adames in June 2023.
🇨🇺Yoenis Tellez stopping vetran contender Sergio Garcia in Round 3 of 10 in just the Cuban’s 6th professional fight. pic.twitter.com/lHjNjp6Jy8
— Tokkerū (@ATokkers5) September 23, 2024
Former super welterweight world champion Jarrett Hurd (25-3-1, 17 KOs) has only won one of his last four bouts, but he can win inside the distance at middleweight against Johan Gonzalez (35-4, 34 KOs). Their fight is set for ten.
In eight rounders, Cristian Cangelosi (9-0, 5 KOs) can take his super welterweight contest with Jarrod Tennant (9-3, 4 KOs) on points, and at super featherweight, Geo Lopez (17-0, 12 KOs) can score a win inside schedule against Alexander Espinoza (23-6-3, 8 KOs).
In six round action, Dwyke Flemmings Jr (9-0, 9 KOs) can win early again, this time against Florent Dervis (10-2, 5 KOs) at super welterweight, and at welterweight, David Whitmire (8-0, 6 KOs) can do the same against Angel Munoz (7-0, 5 KOs).
In four rounders on the card, Nasheed H. Smith (4-0, 2 KOs) should win via stoppage at super middleweight against Tariq Green (5-3-2, 2 KOs), and Deric Davis (5-0, 5 KOs) can take the early route to get the win over Jamal Johnson (2-0, 1 KO) at lightweight.
