Lamont Roach Jr. was nearing the end of training camp in mid-October 2017 for an upcoming fight when the D.C.-born boxer received word that his cousin and trainer Bernard Roach had collapsed during a workout. Known affectionately as “Boogaloo,” Bernard Roach died shortly thereafter at 52, but not before his pupil, then a rising prospect at 130 pounds, was able to visit with him for a final time.
Eight days following the death of one of the most revered trainers in the Washington region, Lamont Roach Jr. beat Luis Hinojosa via a first-round knockout in Verona, N.Y., in a tuneup for more consequential opponents.
Three fights later, Roach, now 28, claimed his first major title by defeating Deivi Julio for the vacant WBO International super featherweight belt when Julio failed to answer the bell for the seventh round.
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With his father, Lamont Sr., serving as his trainer, Roach dedicated the triumph to “Boogaloo” and since has kept his memory alive by ascending to the upper reaches of the division, most recently capturing the WBA super featherweight championship via 12-round split decision over Hector Luis Garcia on Nov. 25 in Las Vegas.
On Friday night, Roach (24-1-1, nine knockouts) will be fighting in his hometown for the first time as the holder of one of the four major belts at 130 pounds when he faces undefeated Irishman Feargal McCrory (16-0, eight KOs) in the main event of a card stacked with area boxers at Entertainment and Sports Arena.
“I think about him all the time, not even just boxing,” Roach said of his former trainer who he had worked with since he was 9. “You gotta think, I was seeing him for 13 years straight for damn near every day of my life, so once that tragedy happened, it’s just — I’m obliged to finish what he started. He is the founder, and he laid the foundation for us. He gave us the blueprint, and we capitalized.”
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Roach continues to honor his late trainer, who also mentored D.C. boxing luminaries such as DeMarcus Corley and Andrew Council, not by winning titles alone. At the NoXcuse boxing gym in Capitol Heights, Md., where Roach conducts training camps, a banner with pictures of Bernard Roach hangs along the ceiling near the front entrance.
One of the images shows Bernard Roach in his uniform as a Prince George’s County firefighter. He served in that capacity for 20 years. Bernard Roach also boxed while in the military during the 1980s before embarking on a decorated career as a trainer.
Bernard Roach was in the corner when Lamont Roach Jr. won his first title in January 2017, beating Alejandro Valdez for the vacant WBC youth silver super featherweight championship in Indio, Calif. The pair went through one more training camp together, culminating in a 10-round unanimous decision over Jesus A Valdez Barrayan in June of that year.
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Less than four months later, Roach was managing heartbreak in the week leading up to his first bout without Bernard in his corner, unable to grieve fully until after the fight against Hinojosa ended at 2:04 in the opening round. Roach flew home to spend as much time as he could with family and friends who comforted him during weeks of mourning.
“It was very tough. It was very emotional,” Roach said. “I felt like I probably fell into a slight depression. It was very hard, man. Honestly, it was very hard, but when I sat down, and I talked to myself, and I talked to God, I figured that’s what he would want. That’s exactly what he would want, for me to continue to do what we set out do to do, even if the fight was a week after.”
Roach fought again a little over a month later at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md., where dozens of family members and friends gathered not only to support him but to remember Bernard Roach. Roach scored a unanimous 10-round decision over Rey Perez in the main event of a card promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.
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Roach is not currently signed with a national promotional entity, having recently become a free agent. His father’s NoXcuse Promotions is promoting Friday night’s card, and a victory, particularly in resounding fashion, could generate interest from some of boxing’s more established promotional organizations with greater resources to secure higher-profile bouts.
“We train for these moments,” Lamont Roach Sr. said. “He’s embraced it. He embraces pressure. Pressure, like they say, busts pipes and makes diamonds. We like to shine like a diamond, so we try to make sure no distractions, like as far as tickets and stuff like that, taking it off his plate, but he’s dealing with it well. It’s what he wanted. He’s like, ‘I’ve got to fight at home for the fans.’ “
