LAMONT ROACH: WIN OVER ISAAC CRUZ PUTS ME IN LINE FOR WBC TITLE
Lamont Roach, a three-division mover, vows to "bring back old-school boxing" against Isaac Cruz. A win at the Frost Bank Centre establishes him as a top contender, silencing doubts from his Davis fight.
Lamont Roach Jr. believes his fight with Gervonta Davis should've been ruled a knockdown, potentially giving him the win in their March match.
Now, after waiting for a rematch that didn't happen, Roach is ready for a fresh start.
His next fight is Saturday against WBC interim junior welterweight titleholder Isaac Cruz at the Frost Bank Centre in San Antonio, Texas. It's the headline fight for PBC on Prime Video PPV.
"I want to make it clear that my last performance wasn't a one-time thing," Roach stated at a press conference. I plan to bring that same energy to every fight. I'm here to entertain the fans and prove I deserve to be headlining events like this.
My aim has always been simple: take on the best. Getting to this level was always my plan; I just need time. I know my capabilities, and I've been proving it to myself throughout my career.
This fight against Cruz marks Roach's third time switching weight divisions since last June. He grabbed the WBA 130-pound title by defeating Feargal McCrory, then challenged Davis at 135 pounds. Now, he's taking on Cruz as a junior welterweight.
“I’m going to be really strong. I have less weight to lose and more freedom. I’m in top shape now, and moving up in weight is just another step for me,” Roach said.
“There’s a good possibility I'll stay at 140 pounds. It all depends on what opportunities come up. Ideally, I want to return to 135 and win a title since I felt I was cheated out of one before.”
Cruz tends to struggle against opponents who are more skilled, similar to his fights with Davis (loss), Giovanni Cabrera (win), and Jose Valenzuela (loss). If Roach focuses on his boxing skills, it could be a tough night for Cruz, whose most impressive win was against Rolando Romero last March.
“I like fighting his style because it suits my strengths,” Roach explained. “We brought in tough sparring partners who are very aggressive. We’ve been performing well against them. Cruz is a great fighter, very explosive and exciting for fans. I think I’m a great match for his style.
Tune in, and you'll see what you expect. I plan to win and put on a great show.”
Roach has grown since his first pro loss in 2019 to Jamel Herring for the WBO 130-pound title. Now, he has big ambitions in competitive weight divisions.
“I've told everyone that I want to bring back old-school boxing,” said Roach. “My decision to accept this fight with Cruz proves that. I'm definitely going to deliver an action-packed fight.
“This would be a great statement. Some fighters might see me as a smaller guy moving up in weight and want to face me. If I win this fight, I’ll be in line for a shot at the WBC champion or any of the other titleholders. That's my goal.
“Every time I step into the ring, I aim to show everyone that I will be remembered as one of the best fighters ever.”
TYSON FURY BLASTS ANTHONY JOSHUA AFTER DANIEL DUBOIS STOPS FABIO WARDLEY IN MANCHESTER
Tyson Fury has labelled Anthony Joshua "chinny" after Daniel Dubois secured the WBO heavyweight title against a resilient Fabio Wardley.
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Tyson Fury wasted no time after Daniel Dubois stopped Fabio Wardley this past weekend, using the moment to take a shot at Anthony Joshua.
Dubois picked up his second heavyweight title Saturday night in Manchester, grabbing the WBO belt from Wardley in a wild, bloodied battle that’s already being called a fight of the year candidate.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Dubois, though. He hit the canvas twice in the first three rounds but bounced back hard, battering Wardley late and leaving his face a mess as the final bell sounded.
Wardley never actually went down during the fight, despite looking wobbly near the end. Credit to him for sheer toughness, but Dubois still beat him decisively. This was Dubois’ first victory since his massive upset over Anthony Joshua earlier in 2024, when he floored AJ four times in one night.
On Sunday, Fury chimed in about Dubois’ latest win. With his own fight against Joshua rumoured for later this year on Netflix, Fury saw an opening to stir the pot.
“Just been thinking about Dubois’ crazy fight last night,” Fury said. Dubois fought [Jarrell] Miller, stopped him, but never put him down. He fought. [Filip] Hrgovic stopped him but never put him down. Fought Wardley last night and stopped him, but didn’t put him down. He hit Usyk with bombs but didn’t drop him. But against Anthony Joshua? Drops him five times.”
Fury added, “I’m not saying Joshua’s got no chin, but facts are facts. Take it however you want. Nobody else went down, not Miller, not Hrgovic, not Usyk, not Wardley. But Joshua hits the deck five times? Chinny, get up, slink!”
Fury is coming off a comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov and has already signed on to fight Joshua this year. Joshua will warm up first against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Pregna in Saudi Arabia on July 25 before facing Fury.
Promoter Frank Warren says Fury vs. AJ will probably land in October, though Fury might want another tune-up, which could push things back a bit.
As for Dubois, he’s got options. There’s talk of a rematch with Wardley, a chance to settle the score with Usyk in a trilogy, or a domestic showdown with Moses Itauma. Dubois’ dad, Stan, told talkSPORT he’d rather see his son fight another British heavyweight next, not Usyk.
HOW DANIEL DUBOIS SURVIVED TWO KNOCKDOWNS TO STOP A BLOODY FABIO WARDLEY
"I had to dig deep." Read Daniel Dubois' full reaction to his stunning comeback victory against Fabio Wardley in Manchester.
The punch that changed everything wasn't thrown by either of the fighters.
Fabio Wardley came out blazing in his title defence, dropping Daniel Dubois just 10 seconds in. He did it again in the third round, making it look like his big night. But then, something strange happened. As Dubois got up after the fourth round, his trainer, Don Charles, slapped him hard on both cheeks.
That’s when Dubois woke up. “I had to make him realise what he needed to do,” Charles said afterwards. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you see at team-building seminars, but it worked. Dubois turned on, and suddenly Wardley’s reign started to unravel.
Wardley had picked Dubois for the first fight since collecting the WBO belt that Oleksandr Usyk dropped. Honestly, it looked like a smart pick: he dropped Dubois twice and set the tone. But after that slap, Dubois started seeing Wardley’s moves coming; those wild lunges became easier to dodge.
He landed his stiff jab and followed up with savage right hands. Wardley’s jaw somehow took the hits, but his nose was pouring blood, and his right eye was almost swollen shut. He kept pushing forward, showing crazy heart, while Dubois just kept piling on. The fight turned into a brutal spectacle, the kind you can’t look away from.
Wardley got checked twice by doctors but kept fighting. Honestly, it could've stopped before the second-to-last round, when referee Howard Foster finally stepped in. Dubois got his second world title; Wardley, battered and worn, just managed a thumbs up to his mum.
Dubois summed it up later: “I had to dig really deep. When you’re a warrior, you go to dark places. I was nervous at first, all over the place, and had to fight my own battles. That slap woke me up. My dad and everyone were in my corner; I couldn’t let them down.
“Fabio came to fight; he was tough. We were exhausted; it was a real war. I had to use all my skills to win. Great fight, great battle, and I’m No. 1 again.” Sure, Usyk might argue about that, but Dubois proved something; he got up off the canvas and won.
People have called Dubois a quitter since the Joe Joyce fight six years ago. Wardley himself thought Dubois would fold again in Manchester, and for three rounds it looked like he was right until reality snapped Dubois awake.
