Lamont Roach Jr. fulfilling a 7-year promise by defending the hometown title

Almost seven years have passed since Maryland native Lamont Roach last fought in the “DMV” area. Following that ten-round clinic over Rey Perez at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md., Roach grabbed the microphone and promised the crowd that he would return home one day to defend the world title in front of them.

That promise will be fulfilled this Friday when Roach, 28, defends his WBA junior lightweight title on Friday against undefeated Irishman Feargal McCrory at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington DC. The nation's capital is 20 miles from Roach's hometown of Upper Marlboro . , Md., giving his local fans a chance to see his first title defense.

“It's very important to me because that's what I set out to do. “Friday night will be the last step to finish what I'm willing to do,” said Roach (24-1-1, 9 knockouts), ranked no. 4 by The Ring at 130 pounds.

Roach won the title in his last fight, knocking out Hector Luis Garcia in the twelfth round to lift the title via split decision. The win was his fifth in a row since his lone loss as a pro, when he lost a unanimous decision to Jamel Herring in 2019 in his first title shot. In a way, Roach says life has changed, with local fans stopping him frequently for pictures or a moment of his time. That's fine with Roach, who knows what he signed up for when he dedicated his life to such a public service. But in other ways, it's still business as usual.

“It's still surreal because I'm still training and working like I'm not a champion. That's my attitude, that's how I feel, like I still have a lot to prove. I think that's what keeps me going because there are many, I still have many goals that I want to achieve so that the job doesn't happen,” said Roach.

McCrory (16-0, 8 KOs), a 31-year-old from County Tyrone, Ireland, is taking a major step forward in his first world title shot. This will be the first round scheduled for McCrory, who has only one fight to go past the sixth. However, McCrory has extensive novice experience, competing 127 times, representing Ireland around the world and winning several championships abroad. He has also built a strong following in New York City, where he now lives and trains with Colin Morgan, and Philadelphia, where he fights once in 2023.

Lamont Roach lands a hook on Hector Garcia. Photo by Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME

“Feargal is tough. We've watched him and we know he's a guy who likes to fight, he's a guy who tries to force and doesn't want to be challenged. It's all these things that will create a friendly battle for the fans,” said Roach of McCrory ranked no. 12 by the WBA at 130 pounds.

“When it broke, some boys were already beaten on their way to the end of their games. I felt that I didn't want to fight with those guys who were coming out the door because I would feel like they would have the feeling of lying down. I'm at home, I want to give the fans something to be accountable for.”

The entire program is a family affair for the Roaches, father/coach Lamont Roach Sr. who serves as the event's promoter, and Pro Box Promotions, who will broadcast the fight live on their Pro Box platform, starting at 8 pm ET. In addition, the card will feature the professional debut of Jordan Roach, Lamont's 20-year-old younger brother, in a four-round junior bantamweight bout against Luis Domingo Hernandez (15-13-1, 10 KOs) of the Dominican Republic. Jordan Roach, currently ranked no. 5 by USA Boxing at 112 pounds, has had an impressive novice career, highlighted by winning the 2022 USA National Championship, among other titles.

Lamont Roach Jr. he says he still had a dream for his brother to fight on one of his cards, and he expects Jordan to move up to the world title soon because there are few high-level competitors who will surpass his weight.

“It is a great pleasure that my family has taken a big part in this game that we will do for the people. I can't explain how it feels, I am the reason we are able to be in this position. I can put my brother on a platform that is broadcast to millions of people. It's not like you signed with a big promoter to put him on an out-of-town card and get a few tickets. “It's going to be a packed crowd and he's going to get that in his first big game,” said Roach.

If he does get past McCrory, he is hoping a unification fight could be arranged with the 130-pound title holder, WBC champion O'Shaquie Foster. Roach says the two and their teams have discussed a fight, but says the “business things” haven't come together to make it happen yet. That doesn't mean he's moving forward on that goal.

“I want to be a unified world champion and eventually I want to be a multi-division world champion. All in all, I want to be a champion in this sport. I want to be one of the guys that is talked about when I'm not fighting or when I retire. I want to leave a mark on sports,” said Roach.

On Friday night, he will leave the boxing fans in his hometown.

Ryan Songalia has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler and The Guardian, and is part of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism Class of 2020. He can be reached at [email protected].