Lamont Roach Jr. would have likely been the frontrunner for winning Upset of the Year had the referee correctly ruled the knee Gervonta Davis took as a knockdown in their March matchup.

Instead of earning a decision win, Roach had to settle for a majority draw. After waiting months for Davis to get his act together to schedule a rematch only to see “Tank” pursue a since-canceled tilt against Jake Paul, Roach can now finally turn to a new page in his career.

The next challenge comes Saturday when Roach (25-1-2, 10 KOs) faces WBC interim junior welterweight titleholder Isaac Cruz (28-3-1, 18 KOs) at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, to headline a PBC on Prime Video PPV.

“I’m here to show that my last fight wasn’t just one good night in the office,” Roach said during a press conference. “That’s what I’m gonna do every single time. I want to put on a show for the fans and prove that I’m of the caliber to headline events like this.

“My goal has always been the same, and that’s to fight the best fighters. I was always going to reach this level, it was just a matter of time. I know what I’m capable of, and I know what I can do. I’ve proved that to myself my entire career.

The clash against Cruz will mark Roach’s third fight in as many divisions since June of last year. Roach claimed the WBA 130-pound title with an eighth-round TKO win against Feargal McCrory. Roach then moved up in weight to challenge the 135-pound champion Davis, and is doing so again against the junior welterweight Cruz.

“I’m gonna be strong as hell. I have less weight to cut and more room to work with. I’m in my physical prime right now and moving up in weight is another notch for me,” said Roach.

“There’s definitely a chance I'll stay at 140 pounds. It depends on what presents itself. Ultimately, I want to go back to 135 and be a champion there, because I feel I was shorted out of a title in that division.”

The hard-charging Cruz has had problems with counterparts who are craftier than he is, as was the case against Davis (UD loss), Giovani Cabrera (SD win), and Jose Valenzuela (SD loss). If Roach relies on his pure boxing skills, it could be a long night for the Mexican power-puncher, whose career-best win came against Rolando Romero in March of last year.

“I love facing his style, because it plays right into my strengths,” said Roach. “We’ve brought in guys that are tough and straight up relentless. We’ve been looking good against them in sparring. … Cruz is a hell of a fighter. He’s explosive, and he’s the kind of guy the fans love to see. I’m definitely a great dance partner to complement his style.

"Just be tuned in. It’s gonna be what you guys expect. I’m gonna win, and it’s gonna be a great show.”

Roach has matured considerably since suffering the first loss of his pro career in 2019 against Jamel Herring for the WBO 130-pound crown. Now he has lofty goals competing across loaded weight classes.

“I told everyone what I’m here to do – I want to bring old-school boxing back,” said Roach. “Me accepting this fight with Cruz proves that I’m like that. I’m definitely gonna give you guys a banger.

“This would be a great statement. Some of these fighters might see me as a smaller guy coming up in weight and be eager to fight me. When I win this fight, I’ll be in line for the WBC champion or any of the other champions. That’s what I want.

“Every time I get in the ring my goal is to show everyone that I’m gonna go down in history as one of the best fighters of all time.”