WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis and WBA super featherweight champion Lamont Roach will officially meet on December 14 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The bout will be held at 135 lbs and will see Davis defending his title against Roach, who will be moving up to challenge Davis in this instance after being granted permission by the WBA. The event will be promoted by Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) through TGB (Tom Brown) Promotions.

Gervonta Davis (30-0, 28 KO’s) will be up for his second title defense since first acquiring the WBA world lightweight (135 lbs) title earlier this year. Though Lamont Roach (25-1-1, 10 KO’s) has fought at 135 lbs earlier in his career, this will be the first time in several years he is set to participate at lightweight after solidifying himself in the super featherweight (130 lbs) division.

While Roach carries the reputation of a world champion, like his predecessor, Hector Luis Garcia (16-2, 10 KO’s), it is unknown whether his ability is well-matched against Davis. Garcia had similarly moved up to lightweight while in possession of the WBA 130 lbs title but ended up getting stopped. Now in possession of the same title, Roach’s move up appears to carry just as much risk.

Compared to Gervonta Davis, Lamont Roach’s resume pales in comparison, drawing questions as to whether he is actually a suitable opponent given his lack of experience and current weight class. The fight further confirms the PBC’s adherence to holding in-house fights―though there had been prior attempts made to arrange a bout with IBF lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KO’s).

Davis, 29, has made a substantial name for himself in boxing through his eyecatching knockouts or stoppages, but questions continue to remain how he stacks up against the best, with him having yet to face a legitimate world champion [that did not hold a lesser “regular” belt] or a top contender in his division.

While he engaged Frank Martin (18-1, 12 KO’s) earlier this year in June, actual top contenders seem to have been pinpointedly avoided by Gervonta Davis since he entered the 135 lbs division in 2019. Currently, Mexican contender William Zepeda (31-0, 27 KO’s) is considered #1 across every sanctioning board and remains the most intriguing contender Davis could face―and certainly would be a more matching opponent compared to Lamont Roach.

With Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach confirmed to be headlining the Dec. 14 show, further fights will be announced in short order. The card is likely to see the return of either Jermell (35-2-1, 19 KO’s) or Jermall Charlo (33-0, 22 KO’s) who are natives to the city of Houston―in which the fight will be held.

WBC middleweight (160 lbs) champion Carlos Adames (24-1, 18 KO’s) is also expected to fight on the Dec. 14 card after indicating last month that he was seeking an opponent for December.