PBC does not provide an update on Tank vs Roach

On December 23, undefeated WBA World Lightweight Champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis released a post on social media stating that his scheduled title defense against the WBA Super Featherweight Champion Lamont Roach Jr (25-1-1, 10 KOs) has been canceled.

In early October, Gervonta Davis initially announced that the world title fight between himself and Lamont Roach would take place on December 14 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Weeks later, another announcement was made regarding the postponement of the match between Tank and Roach.

No one gave an official reason for the delay, but some speculated that the postponement was due to site issues. In late November, a new fight date and venue was announced to the public as March 1, 2025 became the new date and the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York became the new location

The postponement seemed to work in favor of the fans of this fight due to the change of venue. Baltimore and Washington DC are rival cities that are separated by approximately 40 miles. Due to the fact that Gervonta Davis is from Baltimore, Maryland and Lamont Roach is a Washington DC native, it made perfect sense to move the fight to the Barclays Center.

Everything seemed to be set and ready until Gervonta Davis made the decision to release a brief, yet still unexpected, public statement via social media that read: “The Fight Is F**king Cancel…”

After seeing the post, fight fans were shocked and confused. As fans tried to get answers, Davis chose not to provide any details as she apparently logged off from social media. Fans turned to challenger Lamont Roach for answers, and Roach responded in a post stating:

“The shit you keep asking me? he said no me me. I’m closed nothing changed. March 1st Brooklyn #ANDNEW.

Although never properly addressed, the first postponement was likely due to an issue related to the booking of the Toyota Center. This recent alleged cancellation is definitely not a venue issue as the Barclays Center has the Tank vs Roach fight listed on their website calendar events.

If the alleged cancellation has nothing to do with the venue, could it be a financial issue? Is Gervonta Davis not happy with the guaranteed money PBC is offering him? Over the past few years, boxing pundits have claimed that PBC is running out of money, and there may be some truth to the claim.

After a very successful launch in March 2015, the PBC had a stellar run, but over the past few years, the PBC has shown a lack of activity. The total number of shows the PBC produces per year is in steady decline.

In addition to possible financial problems, PBC also shows a lack of communication skills. Gervonta “Tank” Davis is probably the biggest draw on the PBC roster. Davis claims his next fight is cancelled, and after the claim, he doesn’t give a follow-up.

Challenger Lamont Roach issues a statement saying he was unaware the fight has been canceled as he plans to continue his training. The PBC is leaving fans in limbo as they neglect to provide any sort of clarity regarding the status of the March 1 world title bout.

So…is the Tank vs Roach fight on or off? When you look at this fight and put it into perspective, this bout is a fight for the casual boxing fan. Casuals are sold on the Baltimore vs DC narrative. Boxing fans couldn’t care less about the geographic narrative, seeing Tank vs. Roach as an underwhelming matchup.

Gervonta Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) tried to make a more attractive fight against Vasiliy Lomachenko, but since the war broke out in Ukraine and his narrow loss to Devin Haney, Lomachenko doesn’t seem to have the same passion for the sport of boxing, as it appears he may be contemplating retirement.

Currently, neither Al Haymon nor any of his PBC associates have provided a formal update on the Tank vs Roach bout. To support events like this, fight fans have to make financial sacrifices and arrange things in their personal lives so they can travel and support sporting events like boxing.

That said, it’s pretty ridiculous how it’s been so long, and no one at the PBC thought it might be a good idea to release a public statement about the state of the fight. Have you ever heard claims of an NFL or NBA game being canceled and no one formally addressing the issue?

If the fight happens, boxing fans will be watching because they have been supporters of the sport for a long time. If the fight doesn’t happen, casuals will be disappointed, but die-hard fans will just sit on the sidelines and hope Gervonta Davis gives them a matchup they’ve been asking for.