With just a month to go, the December 6 PBC-Amazon Prime headliner – Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz vs. Lamont Roach Jr. – is steadily moving into mainstream discussion. The fight between the WBC light welterweight interim titleholder and the WBA super lightweight champion is a dream come true for boxing purists. It’s a classic clash of styles between a heavy-hitting slugger and a refined counterpuncher.

Both Lamont Roach Jr. and Isaac Cruz share a common foe – Gervonta Davis. While Pitbull made headlines by becoming only the second man to take Tank the distance, Roach Jr. went one better by earning a draw in a fight many felt he had won. Considering the Mexican’s recent performances, including a loss to Rayo Valenzuela last year before bouncing back, many have picked Roach Jr. as their favorite to win on December 6. Still, some, like award-winning trainer Robert Garcia, who masterminded Valenzuela’s victory over Pitbull, believe the interim champion has the potential to flip the script.

Robert Garcia: Lamont Roach won’t keep the Pitbull on a leash

Garcia shook his head the moment a Fight Hub reporter mentioned the Roach-Pitbull matchup. “That’s going to be a bada** fight,” he said. But he made it clear which side he was on: “I got to go with my Mexican fighter.” He explained how tensions had flared between his camp and Cruz’s team during the Valenzuela fight, after his team celebrated the victory a bit too wildly for Cruz’s liking.

Things didn’t improve when Cruz’s next opponent, Angel Fierro, another Robert Garcia pupil, missed weight ahead of their much-anticipated rematch. The bitter experience probably led Cruz to vent his frustration toward Garcia’s camp. The latter, however, holds no grudge.

“But I got to go with him against Roach,” Garcia insisted. He praised Lamont Roach Jr. for his performance against Tank. But in his view, that was a once-in-a-lifetime effort. “I think it’s going to be hard for him to do that again,” he said before adding, “I think Pitbull will be too much for him.”

If he’s proven wrong, Garcia said he’d be glad, as he likes both Lamont Roach Jr. and his father. “But personally, I’m going for Pit Bull,” he didn’t budge.

Roach Jr. stands steady amid growing doubts

Robert Garcia isn’t the only one who believes Isaac Cruz could derail Roach Jr.’s plans. “I think Isaac Cruz can beat Lamont Roach. I think Lamont Roach had the perfect style for Gervonta Davis, but I just don’t think Lamont Roach is that good of a fighter,” Ryan Garcia stated on Inside the Ring.

According to the Californian, moving up a weight class to face Gervonta Davis is one thing. Fighting the top-tier light welterweights is another.

It might seem like the odds are against him. But Lamont Roach Jr. remains unfazed. He’ll face Cruz in San Antonio, a city with a strong Mexican and Hispanic fan base. He knows he’s up against a tough-as-nails brawler. But Roach Jr. believes he has what it takes to give Pitbull Cruz a rough night.

“If I don’t [knock him out]…I promise you it’s going to be the worst he ever got beat—ever, the worst,” he stated on Inside the Ring.

Fans can’t afford to miss this classic clash of styles.

Do you agree with Robert Garcia’s views?