Lamont Roach Jnr’s dream opponent has become a novelty act, leaving him to search for a ring partner other than unbeaten WBA lightweight titleholder Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
The first to raise his hand for Roach, the WBA’s junior lightweight titleholder, were unbeaten 19-year-old Curmel Moton and his sage promoter, Floyd Mayweather Jnr.
The interest began cordially but quickly went south, with Roach, 25-1-2 (10 KOs), dismissing Moton as too green for the challenge, later inviting Mayweather to return from his eight-year-long retirement for a bout.
Roach’s requirement for a new opponent emerged after plans for an August 16 rematch with Davis were derailed by the Tank’s domestic violence case. When charges were dropped, Davis eschewed returning to talks with Roach for a rematch of their controversial March 1 draw and accepted an exhibition bout against YouTuber cruiserweight Jake Paul on November 14 in Atlanta.
“It’s an interesting proposition. Floyd has a good eye. He may see something Curmel can take advantage of,” analyst Paulie Malignaggi said of a possible Moton-Roach bout on Monday’s episode of “BoxingScene Today” on ProBox TV.
Roach, 30, is considering other foes including unbeaten three-division and current WBC lightweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson.
But the Moton proposal is compelling considering Mayweather has said he’ll bankroll the fight as a way to showcase his promising charge a few years after Mayweather split with his former protege in Davis.
“Curmel is almost can’t-miss – almost,” Malignaggi said, a reference to Moton badly missing weight at a bout when he was 18. “I don’t think we get this fight.”
Malignaggi said Mayweather’s management of Moton is part of a developing trend in which handlers are moving their fighters to high-profile bouts faster, such as Cuba’s Yoenis Tellez, who lost his interim WBA junior middleweight title in an upset against Abass Baraou this past Saturday.
“Roach is not a big puncher, so you can take chances against a champion,” Malignaggi said of Moton’s and Mayweather’s thinking. “There’s more risk related for Roach, going to 8-0 Curmel Moton instead of Shakur.”
Fellow analyst Chris Algieri said it’s safe to assume Mayweather was watching closely when Davis – whom he parted bitterly with – struggled to the draw with Roach.
“Mayweather has a brilliant boxing brain,” Algieri said. “Is [it] part of this ego? Wanting to see the 8-0 guy win, thinking, ‘I can get one over on Gervonta Davis’ … It’d be a pie in the face of Gervonta Davis.
“Floyd is super competitive and always wants to get over on you.”
Algieri questioned if Moton can match Roach’s discipline to the sport, although he would be led to the bout by “one of the most disciplined fighters of the generation.
“Does a heavy-handed Floyd help Moton? Absolutely.”
Still, Algieri expects Roach to select someone else for his next bout, calling Moton “far-fetched.”
Davis’ near-loss and turn to Paul leaves the sport with “no bona fide American stars,” although light heavyweight titleholder David Benavidez, junior bantamweight champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and WBC interim junior middleweight titleholder Vergil Ortiz Jnr are ascending. Benavidez and Rodriguez, however, are assigned to a card in Saudi Arabia in November.
“You are making the big boxing event in the U.S. an endangered species,” Malignaggi said.
Stevenson has star power and an upside that a Roach bout would capitalize on. And Roach, deprived of the lucrative Davis rematch, would earn handsomely versus Stevenson.
“You’re not hurt or embarrassed losing to Shakur,” Malignaggi said.
“It’s a good show for Shakur, too. This guy [Roach] handed Davis his first [blemish],” Algieri said. “For Lamont, he’s at the point he has to make the money he wants to make. He’s solid and he’s world-class … you lose [to Stevenson], you’re still in the mix. [Moton] is too dangerous of a stay-busy fight.”
