Roach Remains in Title Mix as Lightweight Belts Keep Moving

Lamont Roach Jnr did not win a fight in 2025, yet he enters 2026 still positioned one vacancy away from a world title. Two draws were enough to hold his place, not because of progress in the ring, but because the divisions above him continue to lose stability.

Roach fought twice last year and left the ring without a win, yet his stock never dropped. In March, he jumped up from junior lightweight to push Gervonta Davis to a disputed majority draw.

By December, he was up at 140 pounds, dragging Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz to another stalemate for an interim belt. Both fights went the 12 round distance and stayed competitive. Roach stayed in the public eye even as his win column gathered dust.

Normally, a year without a win kills a contender’s momentum. Not this time. The lightweight titles are a wreck, which lets Roach remain in the top five without moving an inch. Shakur Stevenson gave up his WBC 135 lb belt to avoid sanctioning fees after his last outing against Teofimo Lopez, and Tank Davis is still stuck in “champion in recess” status while his legal issues play out. The belts are shifting, even if Roach is stationary.

He stayed busy, avoided the “L,” and kept his ranking while the names above him vanished. Titles changed hands and schedules fell apart, but Roach never fell off the board. He starts this year exactly where he started the last one.

Roach is proof that staying power can outweigh a win streak. He did just enough to stay in the rankings while the division thinned out. In a sport where contenders disappear overnight and champions refuse to stay active, simply holding your ground is a skill. For Roach, being the last man standing in line has been enough to keep him in the title conversation as the lightweight mess continues.