Boxing

Andre Ward Asks Lamont Roach About Gervonta Davis' Mid-Fight Mental Warfare

Boxing Hall of Famer Andre Ward asked Lamont Roach about the mental warfare Gervonta "Tank" Davis tried during their March 1 fight.

Grant Young

Gervonta "Tank" Davis and Lamont Roach during their February 28, 2025 weigh in.
Gervonta "Tank" Davis and Lamont Roach during their February 28, 2025 weigh in. / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Much of the discussion around the March 1 fight between Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach revolves around things that have been said between them.

Since few people predicted that the fight would be competitive in the lead-up because Tank would roll through Roach (which proved to be inaccurate, as the bout was ruled a majority draw), a lot of conversation was around Davis' apparent disdain for boxing, as he openly discussed being burnt out with the sport and floated the idea of retirement in several interviews.

Roach has been the one talking since the fight ended, as he has made multiple interview appearance to discuss Davis' fateful knee in the middle of the ninth round, why this knee should have been ruled a knockdown, and why he should have been ruled the bout's winner as a result of Davis' questionable decision.

Roach did an April 8 interview with boxing Hall of Famer Andre Ward on the All The Smoke Fight podcast. And at one point, Roach and Ward discussed some of Ward's mid-fight emotions and conversations with Tank.

Ward first asked Roach what he was thinking after the final bell rang.

"After the last bell? I'm like, 'Oh, Yeah! We coming home with this!" Roach said. Ward then asked him whether he thought he had won.

"I felt like I just got finished fighting an 8-4 fight. I'm like 'Dog, even if they get it wrong... When they announced the first scorecard for him, that's when it really got me. They said 'For Davis'. I said 'Oh my god, I won,'" Roach replied.

Roach went on to add that after the draw verdict was announced, he thought back to mental warfare Davis tried to play with him in the 11th round.

"He was skating around the ring, he was like 'What, you ain't gonna win,'" Roach said of Davis. This prompted Ward to say, "He said that?"

"Yes. He said, 'You ain't gonna win.' I'm like, 'Yeah, why not?' He like, 'They ain't gonna give it to you.'"

"Dang," Ward said.

It's fascinating that Davis was still trying to play mental warfare with Roach in this moment.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Boxing, Women’s Basketball, and the New York Mets for On SI. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years, and he thinks it’s time that Canelo Álvarez fights David Benavidez.