Gervonta Davis v Lamont Roach Jr: WBA lightweight championship – live buildup

Davis (30-0, 28 KO) defends lightweight title in BrooklynWill the face of American boxing ever put it on the line?Bluesky Bryan at @BryanAGraham or email him

The Guardian will have round-by-round updates, analysis and instant reaction in this space.

In the US, the fight will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video Pay-Per-View. The main card begins at 8pm ET, with the main event ringwalks expected around 11.30pm ET. The pay-per-view is priced at $79.95.

Thirty bouts, 30 wins, 28 knockouts. World titles at 130lb, 135lb and 140lb while selling out arenas from coast to coast. There’s a reason why the squat Baltimore southpaw nicknamed Tank has become the face of American boxing and one of its vanishingly few dependable box-office attractions. People don’t just pay to see him win. They tune in to see how he finishes the show.

And once more Davis has promised them something worth watching. On Saturday night in Brooklyn, he will look to add another victim to the list when he defends his lightweight strap against Lamont Roach Jr, a super featherweight belt-holder moving up a division for a shot at a seismic upset. Granted special permission to retain his 130lb title while taking on Davis at 135, Roach has seized on the opportunity to turn the industry on its ear. “I’m here to boogie,” he said Thursday. “I got a big tool bag and I’m coming with everything in it.”