Lamont Roach: Tank’s Knee Cost Me The Win, Pitbull Cruz Game Plan & Unfinished Business At 135

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1:54A show where we discuss boxing, sports, life, and entertainment from our view. How much better than that can you get? Me and Roy don't always agree. But one thing you will get is a Hall of Fame worth the game. And welcome back to another episode of the Hall of Game. I don't have my co-host, a Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. today. But I got a two-time world champion on the line today. I want to welcome in Andre Berto. Man, we got a young man who has been on fire all year. I feel like this has been the longest year for you, Lamont. I mean, you done had one headline after the next. You're fighting Isaac Cruz in San Antonio.

2:40It looks like, from what I see, training camp has been going well. I know it's always something going on in camp, but you look like you prime and ready, and you excited about this fight, man. We want to welcome you in. Tell me how training camp has been going thus far. Man, thanks for having me. Training camp has been good, man. I'm definitely in the swing of things, and I want to say in the prime of camp. You know that feeling when you write there. That's how I'm feeling right now, for sure. Man, I used to be in camp for – my camp used to be seven weeks, six weeks of training and then a week of the fight.

3:14And I used to get right around that fifth week, and I'm like – I'll call home and tell my wife, I'm like, yeah, I'm ready to get that check. Like I've been writing nothing but checks I'm paying Spawn Partners I'm paying Cook I'm paying this one, that one I'm ready to recoup and get my money back man Is that where you at right now? That's a fact That's a fact I can't wait to go in there And put hands on old boys So I can just be like Alright all this shit was worth it Yeah Man you've had a long year man You fought a fight against Javante Davis Earlier in the year in Brooklyn That a lot of people The way you fought a lot of people didn't expect you to fight that way and Javante seemed like he might want the rematch he might not want the rematch but you were always ready for the rematch it was a controversial moment in the fight that really changed the decision in the fight Javante Davis took a voluntary knee that's not something you do this ain't sparring this is a real fight and the referee didn't call it a knockdown that could have been a difference maker that would have been a difference maker in that fight naturally is going to cause people to want to see it again.

4:20Why didn't that fight happen, even though I know it's a long answer? Just to sum it all up, I mean, it ain't happened because they didn't want it to happen. I'm going to say they didn't want it to happen because they was going to be at risk of having a blemish on their record, straight up. Well, you came up from 130 to 135 to fight Javante, and now you're just going straight You're fighting 140 to fight Pitbull. How are you acclimating to that weight at 140? How is it settling on you? Is it going to be a little difficult to really try to build some good strength in that weight? Do you think you're going to be good?

5:02Not necessarily. I mean, I don't know if y 'all seen some of the photos and stuff like that that have been floating around now. Everybody calling me a weight bully and saying I should have picked up. and all this and all that. And it helps that Pitbull is not the tallest and the biggest 142. So, you know, it's cool. 140, I'll definitely be extra strong. It's not like I still have to lose a little weight, but, you know, it's something that is calculated to how my strength training goes and how my weight cutting goes. and it's just like, it's just going to play a big factor in the fight for sure.

5:44Especially down the stretch, if it goes down the stretch. Okay, okay. So like I said, with this fight here, you guys are fighting over in San Antonio, Texas, and most likely it's going to be a pro-Mexican crowd. Is that something that you think about as well, or you just fully focus on trying to just handle business? You're going to try to block everything else out. Nothing else matters. You got to go in there and just handle business against Pitbull at that point. I mean, look at my last fight, man. Pro tank crowd, you know, superstar. And, you know what I'm saying, I fought against a superstar who was known around not only in the game, but to casuals and to people who are unfamiliar with boxing too.

6:24So everybody that ain't my people is there for him. You know what I'm saying? So that's an episode of 20 ,000 people. So, you know, that's a big thing. But to me, I don't let that stuff get to me We can fight in a phone booth, bro We can fight as long as it got Full post It could be in a cardboard box Whatever it is, it's just me and him That's it There was some talks about Shakur Stevenson And then that pivoted To Isaac Pitbull Cruz, why? How did that happen? So I mean, cut and dry Me and Shakur you know how Shaquille is. Shaquille is super competitive. Shaquille wants to show that he's the best.

7:11And you know, I fought a guy who was considered the best at our weight class. That outcome kind of, you know, put a lot of mix in the air. And a lot of people were probably calling for that fight for me and Shaquille. Me and Shaquille actually talked, you know, like directly to each other and was like, you know, we can, we can rumble if, you know, you know, if it presents itself. And he was like, for sure, like, you know, let's, let's do it for the fans. You know, cause I've been familiar with Shaquille, been cool with Shaquille since I don't know how long, for, for years, years since he was an amateur.

7:50So, and since we were amateurs, actually, I met Shaquille when I was probably like, I was probably like 15. So, you know, it's just respect there It's just like, alright, you feel like you're the best 135 pounder I feel like I'm the best 135 pounder Let's give the fans a show And let's, you know, put it together And, you know, we break bread at the end of the day So he was like, you know, they got T.O. on the table for me So if T.O. doesn't happen, we can fight for sure And I was always going to fight this year anyway And Shaquille wasn't going to fight this year So I was going to fight a fight and then end up fighting Shakur at the top of 2026.

8:32So that was the whole thing. He just took the T.O. route, which respectfully, you know, it's probably more of a bigger fight and more money. So, you know, I respect that. I think I like that too, Dre, man. You know, when it comes to a lot of the young fighters now, I mean, they're making those phone calls. They're making those phone calls. And you know what I mean? They're having these conversations, you know, with some of these potential opponents. They're working out these deals somewhat right there on the phone. You know what I mean? They're trying to get it done just to try to skip through all of the other BS that happens behind the scenes that we don't see.

9:05That's the facts. I really like that, man. Because there's a lot of hearsay that goes on. And, you know, if you got a good team, they're relaying the right messages and they're telling you the truth. But you never know what's being said a lot of times or if something is left out. But that's powerful, man. That's how a lot of fights were made back in the day, man. Cats are just, you know, dudes that really know each other. They'd be sparring partners. Hey, man, I want to give you a shot. so I really like that when I heard y 'all was talking or how you know Bud and Spence made the fight I love that kind of stuff because the fighter is the boss I don't care what nobody say people don't like to hear that if I don't fight nobody eats so I'm the head of this I got a good team I need my team but every now and again I'm gonna flex that muscle and pick up the phone and try to get something done what's the vibe like back home man in that DMV man I hear that if you're not from the DMV you don't say the DMV but you know that area that region with with you and Javante are people talking like man what dude ain't take the fight man and he tried to do Jake Paul and then that don't happen what's the conversation around you around his name right now back home that's all I hear for real even if especially if I haven't seen somebody like you know or somebody's their first time seeing me since the fight or whatever the case may be if I'm out in public or whatever the case it is like they're gonna be like oh I Tank Duggan.

10:19That's the thing I heard the most since March. Oh, Tank Duggan, he should have gave you that rematch. He should have did this. He should have did that. Why are he ducking you? That's all I hear when it comes to that conversation. Some people ask me if the fight is probably going to happen in the future or stuff like that or why he fight Jake Paul. I've been in camp since the whole fallout with that fight. I really don't hear much about it Let me say this, Barton I'm going to let you get one in It's the last one on Javante Because I know he's not who you fighting But I'm just curious because y 'all know each other And y 'all came up together Do you think with Javante Javante's a tough fighter If you know his background Not just where he came from I don't always put too much stock on where dude came from Because I done seen dudes from the suburbs That fight to the death And I done seen dudes from the hood that turn so it ain't always about where you came from but Gervonta is proving himself in the ring the toughness and all the stuff throughout the years what what do you think he is now because some people say he don't love boxing no more some people say he didn't got too much money it's a lot of reasons why people think he's making the moves that he's making and he's not trying to get a championship but he's not trying to prove that he's the best in a particular way club what's your take on that?

11:40My take is what he say out of his mouth, verbatim. For real. I think more people should start listening to the things he actually says and taking it at face value. For instance, like he said that he's not in it for championships. He said that out of his own mouth. So, you know, it's not like, it's me trying to think about something outside of that, even though it might be something deeper, I'm not going to be the one to explore that. He said it out his own mouth. When he said that he might be done with boxing, I believe him. When he said that he wasn't going to rematch me, I believe him. I see that.

12:26You said I know, dude. That's a fact. After he screwed up the whole rematch thing, like, and went the Jake Paul route, and, you know, he, you know, got to run his mouth on social media, like, you gotta take what he actually puts out there and apply it, like, you know, like, oh, he was for real, like, it's not going on. You know, so I really do believe him. Do you feel, you know what I'm saying, that's a lot more, you know, pressure on you going into this fight, you know, being that Javante, you know, for a pit bull, even though he won in a very, you know, tight decision for you to come in here and put on a dominating performance.

13:04to be able to show people that you are the real deal in that situation where Javante wasn't afloat? Yeah, I think so from a certain standpoint. It gets to the point where a lot of people are talking and they're going to compare the fights, and then there's an opportunity that I hold myself accountable to. This is my opportunity to break through that threshold and be like, all right, Lamar Roach is stepping into his part of his career where he's either the frontrunner to be the next American superstar or one of them. So that's where I am right now. This is my second headliner in a row for pay-per-view, which is a big deal.

13:56I don't care. You know what I'm saying? A lot of people aren't doing that, and a lot of people haven't done that. Even though it's not fighting for a full world title, I'm fighting for an intern world championship in another weight class. After coming off a performance fighting for another world title, this is my fourth or fifth world title fight in a row. My last three title fights were in three different weight classes. So, you know, that's just, you know, that's just, that's me, like, you know, stepping into what I put out there in the world, what I set my goals to be. And for sure, I'm going to attack him and I'm going to get it done.

14:38What you think about Cruz, you know, very durable, low to the ground, like you said. And, you know, he going to bring, he take a good shot, he dishes a good shot. You know, giving us what you can give us, you know, what's really the game plan? What's the way you're going to attack this man? First of all, with my, you know, with my brain, it's in my IQ, It's a lot of ways that I can go into this fight rather than one style. We know he has one style. And I can attack him from all angles. I can mix it up and bully him at his game, too. I think the fact that I'm so versatile will automatically be frustrating.

15:25If you looked at his fights with movement, You know, he has he has problems with that. So, you know, that's nothing for me to do that. But my thing is I'm going to put everything together to where it's a spectacular fight, fan friendly fight. But at the end of the day, I'm getting a job done. So that's that's and whatever way I have to do it to make it go as smooth as possible and exciting for the fans. That's what I'm going to do. I like what y 'all got going on, man. in Tampa, you know, I like the setup. You know, it looked like, it kind of looked like something out of a movie, bro. Like, you got I gotta pull up.

16:04I gotta pull up. Yeah, you got you got, you got everything is set up. Like, it doesn't look like a normal gym. You know what I'm saying? But you got your weights off to the side. You know, you got the ring. I like, I like, I just like how it look. I like the setup. And then, man, after hours, you be twitching a lot. So, normally they say, yeah, normally they say, you know, a fighter's supposed to be locked in. You can't be doing that. Tell me about the twitching and going live. You really getting ready to leave the gym like, yo, I'm twitching at this time. I'm about to go on right now. This ain't camp.

16:38That don't distract you? Pops don't be having nothing to say about that? I see my headphones. Yeah, man. They told me I had to get some headphones like this. I'm pretty much new to the Twitch community. But they like it though. They like it. It's a lot of engagement. Y 'all know how it go when you get out of the gym and then next thing you know, you're going to the crib. You're going to eat and then what you're going to do? You're going to read a book. You're going to go lay down. You're going to do something. You're going to turn on the show. If I have a platform where I can connect with people that support me, that's a little different.

17:22And they be wanting me to stream. So if I get like a cool hour in, that's cool. Yeah, they be like, when you're going live, when you're going live, I ain't going to lie. I haven't been as consistent as I was before. When I first got on there, I was jumping. I was jumping. I'm like, I couldn't believe that people would sit on there. I couldn't believe that people would sit and watch me stream. So I was just like, damn, like, there's something different. So, you know, I take my time out to do certain things for them because it's like, you know, you have your fans and the support you see online and stuff like that.

18:01But this is really like engaging with the fans that you really don't engage with. Like you don't sit there and respond to every tweet, every comment, every, you know, because it's a lot. but these people take the time out of their day to come log in to watch you do whatever you're doing and want to talk to you so I'll be like damn they don't do this for me I give them 30 minutes I give them an hour it's cool and then it's just like you got this little army of people you can name it you can name your army and everything like that my community is called the grave diggers so you know what I'm saying like it's cool like I want to shout out my Twitch community man shout out right now man shout out to everybody support me man I'm telling you man I'm rocking with y 'all people gonna pay for for the week that Danny took away from y 'all I'm telling you right now I think it's dope man because like I said you're able to show your personality you'll be able to definitely connect with your fans as long as it's not distracting you from the main thing you understand what I'm saying I think sometimes we can have a fight coming up but we can be too ingrained into the fight sometimes.

19:16We're going to need something to release that and just to try to relax a little bit and to do some things that really make us happy at camp instead of just always sitting there just getting ready for work. It's all about comfortability. Yeah. As long as you're comfortable doing it and you know it's not distracting you are doing it and that's something that you enjoy. That's one thing. You want to try to be happy while you're at camp because we know that's not a happy place. Tell me about it. It comes to us sometimes. I got a question for you, Lamont. Like I said, this fight is going to be at 140 pounds.

19:50I believe if you win this fight, you're going to be mandatory for WBC at 140. Look at him. Look at his face. Are there any other big names that you're looking for that you want to try to make happen that weight at 140? I know it's crazy. I know y 'all seen it. Sabriel Matias got popped for Austrian. If his B-sample doesn't come back guilty until proven innocent. If his B-sample don't come back clean, who knows if people won't get elevated to full world champion. When are you going to be able to find that out? Who knows? I don't know. We haven't talked to Mauricio or anything like that. That'll probably be after the fight though You think so?

20:41Because it's so soon, I get it Or maybe the week of y 'all fight Y 'all may get the news the week of y 'all fight Yeah So that's one thing But we always We was always looking at the landscape at 140 Especially when we decided to take this fight And it was like Alright, you got Sabriel Matias If If we didn't get that Matchup, what's your call? because you know how doors open and with boxing, it could go one way or the other, especially when nothing's not in writing. If that doesn't go that way, then of course we're looking at Sabria because we're right in line for it and we're going to press the issue.

21:24We're going to be like, hey, look, we're the intern champion. We want to fight. Give us a time frame, a timeline, and we'll go from there. I really like The fight with Gary Antoine Russell At 140 as well DC Yeah I really like that fight Y 'all sparred before? I really like that fight When we was kids? Yes All the time Y 'all fought before? We never fought before Let's get that We never fought In the same area that's what I'm saying I hear what you're saying without you saying it you Russell you got Tank all these guys in that same vicinity I know it has to be some tension somewhere in there we matched up in the USA National Championship in the same bracket 2013 I won a championship he ain't make it to the championship.

22:32I won the championship and I got an outstanding fighter too. I actually beat the guy who beat him like a ragdoll. Wow. He threw the ragdoll. Just to let y 'all know. Just to let y 'all know. I got an outstanding fighter that year. Okay. I want to see that fight, bro. I love them neighborhood, same area type of situations, man. Fighters just fight a little bit different. It's a little bit more on the table. It's great. Yeah, it's just different for sure Especially when y 'all come from that area Yeah, for sure It's already gritty in that area Yes, but I mean just the level is the fighters that come from that area You gotta respect it Man, bro, we appreciate you taking some time out man, you know I know you want to, I know you believe you're gonna win, of course, but what are we in store for December 6th?

23:26It's a packed card What are you going to bring to that card come fight night? Do you know what I'm going to bring to the card? I'm going to give you all the reason why I'm headlining the main event again. It's going to be pizzazz. It's going to be a master class of boxing on my end. It's going to be fan-friendly for sure. You sound like you're going to have some rounds where you, you know. It wouldn't be super fan-friendly without the perfect dance partner. And I want to just thank Pitbull, Cruz, being the guy that's in there with me. And I'm going to show you how blessed these hands and these skills were.

24:06Nice. He's one of the happiest guys I done seen in camp. I ain't going to be looking so good. He's seen him much. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And a fight around the corner, too. It's getting a fight around the corner. It's go time. It's go time on that front. Within the last 24-month span, bro, you done went from three different weight classes. To me, it seems like Lamont Roach is in hunting season. Whoever has it, whoever's the biggest fight, whoever's the biggest name, you want the action. Do you think if you win this fight with people, you're going to stay at 140? Or you think there's some unfinished business at 35 just because the situation with Tank didn't go well, that you probably want to probably try to get a title at that weight and probably try to come back up?

24:51or you just trying to go after any big fight right now at any weight? Right now, like I said, you're hunting season right now, it seems like. So what you trying to do? It's a business. It's a business for sure. So wherever it's at, you're going. That's a business question, yeah. But I do have unfinished business at 135. Right now I think I'm honestly and truthfully supposed to be a two-division world champion. So that's something that I want to conquer at that weight. I want to be a champion at that weight class. No matter what, I'm going to go back to 35, even if it's not my next fight. I'm going to go back to 35 and challenge a title holder for a championship.

25:34Yeah. Yeah, okay. Brother, we appreciate you, man. I got a lot of respect for your game this last year, seeing how you get down at the highest level, because that's really the test is what you do in the biggest moments. I've gained a lot more respect for you. Man, you can flat out fight. Keep doing what you're doing, brother We're watching, and we'll catch up with you after the fight Thank you, man I appreciate y 'all for having me today, too Yes, sir, appreciate the time Yeah, man, how do your business? No doubt, thank you Man, that's a great interview from Lamont Roach Who's headlining the PBC card December 6th in San Antonio, man PBC, Birdo, they still kicking Because it's a great card They still kicking, man It's going to be an amazing card I mean, maybe the best card of the year from PBC To be honest A lot of people are writing off PBC.

26:19It's a lot of new blood, new money in the game right now. But with this kind of card, they still got life. You got Isaac Cruz, like we said, Lamont Roach for the WBC interim junior welterweight title as the main card. You got Janabek against Arislandi Lara. I don't know where Arislandi Lara is drinking this water. But he's still kicking and he's still dangerous. He's probably more dangerous now as he's gotten older than he was when he was younger. And then we got the fight that keeps getting postponed or pushed back for some reason. Oshaki Foster and Stephen Fulton for the WBC Junior Lightweight title.

26:58Man, I'm so excited about that fight. Yeah, definitely. I'm very excited about that one. There's some fights where guys are going back and forth and it's not believable. There's other fights where guys are going back and forth and it's believable. This is the fight that's believable for me. And then you got another good fight. Jesus Ramos and Shane Mosley Jr. What's the fight or two that you most looking forward to on this card? The two top fights I'm looking for for sure is probably Janabek, you know, Alara, and then of course, you know, Foster and Fulton. I just love the style matchup, you know, when it comes to Foster and Fulton, man.

27:33Both of these guys are sharp, man. You see the ring IQ is just through the roof. I definitely want to say how they're going to match up. It's going to be crazy to see both of them in front of each other to see how the chess game goes. There's been a lot of talking. It's been a lot of rapping the last few weeks, man. So I think a lot of guys are, I mean, those guys are putting a lot of, you know, of their reputation and pride on the line for that one. That's going to be a good one. And then, of course, you know, when it comes to Laura, like I said, we've been seeing Laura do his thing for years, man.

28:00I don't know where he's getting that energy from. Laura, 42 years old now. He's still out here. He's still cracking them and walking away and doing what he do. But he's fighting this guy, Janabek, man. Janabek is a beast. You know what I mean? Undefeated. I believe he went to the Olympics, you know, in 2016 for, you know, for Kazakhstan. So, you know, Laura is fighting a guy that has a tremendous amateur pedigree, just like him. You know what I mean? And just like you know, you know, when it comes to those Cubans, man, the amateur pedigree has definitely just taken them to a whole other level, you know, as a pro as well.

28:36But now you're fighting a guy that's younger and has a tremendous, you know, amateur pedigree and undefeated. And he ain't playing no games. He's coming, banging. You know, he can box. He can do it all as well. So it's going to be a tremendous card just top to bottom. And I think it's definitely going to be, you know, one of the PBCs, you know, one of the best cards of the year. It's going to be one that we have to watch. I'm excited about it. I'm extremely excited about it. We're having tremendous fights all year. This right here, we're going to finish the year off strong for sure. Well, I got three that I'm excited about.

29:06But before I get into that, I got a question, bro, about PBC. What's up? You got any insight? Oh, Lord. About what's going on with PBC? I mean, you a PBC baby. You know what I'm saying? You done made a lot of money over there. So I'm just trying to see, like, do you have any insight on what the future holds for PBC beyond this card? Man, Turkey out here trying to bully everybody, as you can see. As you can see, Turkey out here. He ain't trying. He's doing it. As you can see, Turkey out here throwing the bag around. He's bullying everybody, man. But one thing I do know about Al Hamer, you're going to have to finish him.