At just 23 years old, Lamont Roach Jr. (17-0-1, 7 KOs) has positioned himself for a title shot very soon. This Saturday, December 15 will be another chance for him to take that step towards his ultimate goal of becoming a world champion when he takes on Alberto Mercado (15-1-1, 3 KOs) on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez vs. Rocky Fielding in New York City from Madison Square Garden.
For Roach Jr., fighting at The Garden is almost like fighting at home. The undefeated fighter originally comes from nearby Washington DC and will have plenty of support come fight night.
His opponent, Mercado is not a household name. Finding fight tape on such opponents can be troublesome in terms of film study, however Roach Jr. doesn’t look at it in that way.
“I’m not really worried about what my opponent brings to the table,” said Roach Jr. to Round By Round Boxing on a recent phone interview. “I leave that up to my coaches. Sometimes they’ll send me a few clips on things to look out for, but I just prepare for everything that he can bring to the table.”
Lamont’s future aspirations go far beyond just winning his upcoming fight.
“I hope after this fight I can land a title shot,” said Roach Jr. “I’m ranked No. 5 with the WBO so hopefully I can get my shot soon.”
Any future title shots depend on his performance this weekend. A loss will put an end to any title hopes he has for quite some time.
So what’s Roach Jr.’s prediction for Saturday night?
“I’m definitely gonna win,” said Roach Jr. “We’re prepared to stop him, but we have no problem out boxing him. No matter how it goes the outcome will be the same. I will win.”
Watch Lamont Roach Jr. vs. Alberto Mercado live on DAZN this Saturday, December 15, 2018.
