In this week’s mailbag, we tackle your thoughts on the rematch between Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach Jnr, what should be next for Serhii Bohachuk, Skye Nicolson’s move down in weight after her title loss, what may be left for Josh Taylor, and whether a third fight between British heavyweights Johnny Fisher and Dave Allen is necessary.

Want to be featured in the mailbag? Comment or ask a question in the comments section below. Submissions may be edited for length and clarity. We also may select readers’ comments from other BoxingScene stories.

Tank clearly lost the first fight with Lamont Roach Jnr. Davis’ fight with Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz was close, but Roach definitely beat Tank by a couple of rounds. It'll be interesting to see what adjustments he makes in the rematch, but what surprised me most was Roach's punch resistance, plus the fact that he managed to wobble Tank a few times despite his low KO ratio (40%). 

-HisExcellency

Owen Lewis’ response: When Roach said before the fight that he had “100% confidence” his chin could take Davis’ power, I took it with a grain of salt. The rule was that “Tank” felled all before him, with explicable exceptions – he injured his hand against Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and a six-round unanimous decision over German (yep, that’s his first name, not his nationality) Ivan Merez came way back in 2014 and still included two knockdowns.

But as you said, Roach seemed unaffected by Davis’ vaunted power. Like you, I was impressed, and like you, I thought Davis lost – I scored the fight 116-112 for Roach, with the underdog sweeping the last six rounds. 

As for adjustments, Tank won’t be the only one making them. If you can critique Roach’s performance at all, you’d say he started his surge too late – I expect a confident, motivated and more active Roach from Round 1 of the rematch. 

If I were Davis, I’d put more of an emphasis on setting traps next time. He fought impatiently in spots of the first fight and seemed frustrated to the point of running out of ideas when Roach didn’t simply go away. To make Roach fall, he’ll have to hit him with something he doesn’t see, which means a more cerebral setup. 

SERHII BOHACHUK NEEDS A BETTER OPPONENT NEXT

Serhii Bohachuk should be brave and go down the IBF route to become the mandatory for Bakhram Murtazaliev! He needs to fight someone good again, so maybe Erickson Lubin, Israel Madrimov or Jesus Ramos Jnr.  

-BoxerFreddy

Lucas Ketelle’s response: The words “Serhii Bohachuk” and “brave” are the same. He walks into danger, he punches solid – maybe not hard enough for a one-punch knockout, but not far away from it either. Every year, we have a new boogeyman. Now, the IBF junior middleweight titleholder Bakhram Murtazaliev is one of the newest cases.

Bohachuk and Murtazaliev have the demeanors and temperament to make a great fight, but who knows? For a titleholder, Murtazaliev has struggled to get an interesting fight. Erickson Lubin is next for Murtazaliev after defeating Ardreal Holmes Jnr, but Bohachuk is an interesting option for any top fighter at 154lbs.

SKYE NICOLSON NEEDS A NEW STYLE, NOT A NEW WEIGHT CLASS

Skye Nicolson could also try to be less of a lame track star and more of a fighter. That would probably help more than changing weight classes (“Skye Nicolson plans to move down in weight to move forward with her career”). She can try to punch harder , there's technique involved. Jumping backwards while throwing punches won't do it. 

-PNUT901

Jake Donovan’s response: This was expressed in the infancy of Skye Nicolson’s career as well, that emulating Roy Jones Jnr’s style would also mean committing more to your punches. That said, I like the idea of her attempting to conquer 122lbs, a weight where she should find it easier to secure the big fights she’s long craved. Not being able to land Amanda Serrano was frustrating – you want to know there is a pathway to facing the best. Nicolson will get that at 122, while also with the flexibility to return to featherweight for the right opportunity.

JOSH TAYLOR CLOSER TO THE END THAN TO A NEW BEGINNING

To be effective, Josh Taylor needs two things: He needs to be hungry and he needs a specific kind of opponent. He hasn’t been hungry for a while, and he did not get the right opponents, thus the losses in his three last fights [Editor’s note: Taylor has two official losses to Teofimo Lopez and in his rematch with Jack Catterall, though many believe Taylor didn’t deserve the decision in the first Catterall fight]. 

And many think Taylor should hang ’em up. He’s had a good run, made lots of money, but at 34, moving up to welterweight, I don't know exactly where he is going. But probably not very far. 

-steeve steel

Tris Dixon’s response: What Taylor does have is a Scottish fighting heart and he’s a tough man. He will always be able to give anyone an argument. But what is left? Does the fire still burn? I think Ekow Essuman is a very hard assignment if Taylor’s not invested in serious progress and getting back to the levels he’s fought at before. He could be in for a really tough night, and in that respect it’s just as well he’s a tough, stubborn man. I’ve no idea what he’s got left, but I think he will have a much clearer indication after Saturday night.

JOSH TAYLOR DESERVES MORE CREDIT

In recent years, Taylor has been treated as a third-rate fighter. This bothers me, because his record speaks for itself. He and Regis Prograis were great fighters, but Father Time is cruel. Or maybe Taylor lacks that hunger to win (I think the time factor applies more to Prograis), and at this point it may be too late to regain that hunger at 34 years old. 

-Gilbert Mag

Owen Lewis’ response: I agree. I think Taylor’s sharp decline in form as of late leads us to underrate what came before. Being 34 years old doesn’t seem sufficiently old to explain Taylor’s drop-off on its own, though – Taylor is known to not take the best care of his body, and to my eyes he fought like a weight-drained fighter in his performance with Catterall. He looked so slow in those first couple rounds, in hand and foot. He settled into the fight eventually but looked shopworn to a degree 34-year-old fighters rarely are. 

What Taylor achieved before his recent run of fights shouldn’t be forgotten – that Prograis win was legit (interestingly, Prograis seems to have suffered a similarly sudden and steep decline). He won his first 19 professional fights (12 of them scheduled for the full 12-round distance!), and he’s one of the few to reign as an undisputed champion in the four-belt era.

Right now, though, Taylor’s no longer an elite fighter. And if he doesn’t look markedly better at welterweight against Ekow Essuman on May 24, it’ll probably be safe to say he never will be again.

NO NEED FOR A DAVE ALLEN-JOHNNY FISHER TRILOGY

Johnny Fisher has maxed out. He hit his glass ceiling almost as hard as Dave Allen punched his lights out last weekend. Fisher can't reasonably aspire to elite level anymore. No trilogy, please (“Matchroom targeting David Allen-Johnny Fisher III in 2026”). This matchup is done and you can stick fork in it. Move on.

-Left Hook Louie

Tris Dixon’s response: If this is the end of the line for Fisher, then he’s overachieved based on his talent. And you know what? I’m fine with that. I’ve said before: This sport takes far more from its warriors than it often leaves them with, and if someone manages to get out relatively unharmed and leaves with far more than they came in with, we should celebrate them. He filled a niche, was wildly popular, limited, but he’s now – I assume – a fairly wealthy young man who I believe managed to settle a good bit of family debt. Good for him.

ALLEN-FISHER III MAKES SENSE

I’m not a fan of constant rematches typically, but in this instance what else is there for either guy, really? Fisher is pretty much done after this, and while Allen won, what step-up name could you put him in with and realistically not have him just get battered? I feel like even a past-it Derek Chisora would beat the crap out of him. 

-TMLT87

Jake Donovan’s response: This is a valid point – but an extremely tough sell for the moment. Johnny Fisher can still be utilized as a ticket-seller, even if as a chief support (or deeper on an undercard) while on the forthcoming rebuilding tour. I think David Allen will be just fine if he doesn’t get a third fight with Fisher. There’s another big payday in his future, regardless. My question is whether Fisher’s team accepts that we’ve likely seen his career ceiling. There’s room for growth, but his value is as a local/regional draw and nothing more. Harsh but true.

Want to be featured in the mailbag? Comment or ask a question in the comments section below. Submissions may be edited for length and clarity. We also may select readers’ comments from other BoxingScene stories.