How do you follow up on a six-round shutout victory? By facing someone even better – and doing even better.
That’s what trainer Lamont Roach Snr wants for one of his fighting sons, junior bantamweight prospect Jordan Roach, when he returns to the ring on May 1 at the Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland in Hanover.
“I hope to see him keep climbing the ladder and outdo the very good performance he had in his last fight,” Roach Snr told BoxingScene.
Jordan, a 22-year-old from the Washington, D.C., region, defeated the 12-12-2 Juan Hinostroza on January 30. No opponent has been named yet for this card, which Roach Snr will promote and which will stream on ProBox TV.
The event will also feature at least four other prospects who appeared on the same January show: highly touted welterweight Benjamin Johnson, welterweight/junior middleweight Travon Marshall, junior lightweight Francois “Frankie” Scarboro Jnr and welterweight David Whitmire.
(Note: BoxingScene and ProBox TV are both owned by Garry Jonas.)
Roach, like his older brother Lamont Jnr, had an extensive amateur career. Jordan had his professional debut in June 2024 on the undercard of his brother’s victory over Feargal McCrory.
“Jordan has transitioned very well from amateur to pro,” Roach Snr told BoxingScene after citing his son’s impressive amateur credentials. “He just took that competitiveness and all that experience into the pro game.”
Jordan’s win over Hinostroza took place at 118lbs in order to make the fight happen, but he otherwise will compete at 115, Lamont Snr said. Given the weight class and what Lamont Snr feels Jordan is capable of, we should expect him to advance quickly through these development stages from being a prospect toward becoming a contender.
“Being at a lower weight, it’s not a bigger pool of guys to choose from,” Lamont Snr said. “Jordan is just the type of fighter that you can move him a little faster because of his ring IQ, his skill level and stuff like that. He’s developing real well and he’s getting better and better. He works on his game. He’s a student of the game. He works on things after his fights, and it’s showing in his development. I’m very, very happy with his progress so far.”
Among the things Roach Snr has seen progress on: Jordan has improved on his defense.
“Jordan was a real offense-minded fighter. He still is; he could throw bunches of punches. But now he’s setting traps and keeps adding to his arsenal. He’s fighting better, boxing, like going backwards, he’s fighting better in retreat. He already know how to fight going forward with the best of them, but his versatility right now in the ring, it’s very impressive.”
He would also like to see Jordan throw more combinations in spurts.
“It's the little things that make a difference in him going the distance and getting the stoppage,” Roach Snr said. “Picking it up in certain spots and keep using, keep building off his jab. I’d like him to continue to use his jab more. He’s been getting better at it, but I would like him to master that. And I think that's going to set things up. I see Jordan, as the [number of] rounds get longer, his stoppages are going to start to come because he’s really going to break guys down.”
It is still early in Jordan’s career, but Roach Snr can see him nearing title contention within the next two years.
“We’re going to take our time,” Roach Snr said. “But it’s going to be a little faster than normal if he keeps on showing the progress.”
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
