Gervonta Davis might be small in stature, but considering that he puts most of his opponents in the emergency room, his power is both well-respected and acknowledged.

Lamont Roach’s personality may have a bit of hubris attached to it but he isn’t a fool. The 29-year-old is just a few days away from sharing the ring with Davis and has spent most of his time observing endless hours of tape. On film, Davis is deadly. Watching his opponents hit the canvas and remain there motionless, makes Roach gulp at times. Fear doesn’t sweep over him, however, but it forces him to be more focused in training camp.

Brooklyn’s Barclays Center will be jumping this Saturday night. Most, if not all, will be there to watch Davis up close and personal. When The Ring’s No. 1 ranked lightweight lands on the money, two things normally happen. The crowd goes wild and his opponents are essentially out on their feet.

Roach won’t deny that Davis is one of the hardest-hitting fighters in the world. But sure he can dish it out, but can he take it too?

“We gonna see how he reacts if he gets hit with this punch,” Roach told Sean Zittel recently over Zoom. “Especially a clean one.”

The pre-fight talk is normally the same when it comes to an opponent for Davis. They grab the nearest microphone they can find and talk about what they plan on doing come fight night. Roach is following that same script but he promises that the outcome will be different for Davis.

So what gives Roach, who only has 10 knockouts in 27 fights, the sort of self-belief that will lead him to victory?

“It’s about how hard you work,” continued Roach. “It’s all about confidence. It’s about what you set out to do.”