If Gervonta Davis sticks to what he said three months ago, he’ll walk to a boxing ring for one of the final few times in his life Saturday night in Brooklyn.

Since he was a small boy taking refuge in the Upton Boxing Center in West Baltimore, Davis has seen only boxing superstardom on his horizon. He just knew he would knock out a long string of opponents, headline cards and reap the accompanying benefits of wealth and celebrity.

At age 30, Davis has transformed those fanciful visions into concrete reality. The Baltimore native is World Boxing Association lightweight champion, with no blemishes on his 30-fight record. More than that, his sensationally violent knockouts and unbreakable connection with his audience have made him one of the few American boxing stars capable of consistently filling arenas and selling pay-per-view events at $79.95 a pop.

He will be the A-side attraction again Saturday when he puts his title on the line against fellow Marylander Lamont Roach Jr., whom he first met way back when they were banging around the same regional youth boxing circuit.

Now that he’s on top of his sport, however, Davis seems exhausted with the sound and fury that surround him at all times. He said in December that he dreams of a quiet life with his children and the financial comfort he’s earned. That’s why he floated the idea that 2025 would be his final year as an active fighter.

At that time, Davis said he would stay busy in the short term, with two fights planned after his bout with Roach. Then, he’d be done with an industry he referred to as “trash.”

Davis presented a different, more conflicted picture when he spoke to reporters in New York on Thursday, saying that he might prefer a long break after fighting Roach.

“Yes, it’s good to be in the sport, but sometimes we’ve got to learn ourselves,” he said at the final news conference promoting the bout. “I’ve been giving so much to the sport, I don’t take the time to study and learn [myself]. Even if it’s not the sport, I’ve been dishing myself out to other people. I just need time for myself, to grow. And then, hopefully, six months or one year from now, I can come back to the sport and fight these guys.”

There are mega-fights out there for him, against undefeated Shakur Stevenson, who also holds a lightweight (135-pound) title, or against Vasiliy Lomachenko, who holds a lightweight championship and was once ranked the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighter. Until Davis defeats such a fighter, some fans and commentators will say he has merely blasted overmatched foe after overmatched foe.

He still finds such matchups compelling, but maybe not right now.

“It’s always about ‘What can we do next?’ and never about ‘Are you OK? How are you doing?’” Davis told reporters in New York, adding that the sport cannot serve as his therapy.

Seasoned boxing observers have reacted skeptically to his retirement talk. After all, how many great fighters truly walked away in the prime of their skill and earning power?

Sugar Ray Leonard, the sport’s biggest star between Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, first “retired” (at an event in Baltimore) when he was 26. He was 40 when he actually fought for the last time.

Davis would defy the template set by Leonard and countless other champions if he actually calls it quits at the end of this year.

The one piece of business firmly on his agenda is Saturday’s fight against Roach at the Barclays Center, which will be available to stream on Amazon’s Prime Video and via other traditional pay-per-view outlets.

Though the fighters have jabbed at one another verbally, following the age-old rules of boxing promotion, they struck a respectful, almost friendly tone when they shared the same stage Thursday.

“He’s got good skills; that’s why he’s here,” Davis said of the challenger. “He’s an A+ fighter, I would say.”

“I take that compliment very well, and it lets me know that he’s 100% focused,” Roach replied.

The 29-year-old Roach (25-1-1) grew up in Upper Marlboro and turned pro while still a student at Maryland. He’s a deft boxer who claimed the WBA super-featherweight title when he outpointed Héctor Luis Garcia in November 2023. But he’s the first to say his victories have not brought him anything close to the acclaim Davis enjoys. This is his chance to shock the world and force his way onto the big stage.

“He’s the cash cow and head honcho,” he said of Davis. “He gave me the opportunity. Let’s boogie.”

Roach, who’s moving up from the 130-pound weight class, has done his best to create sizzle around a fight most fans and oddsmakers are treating as easy work for Davis. He has promised to hasten Davis’ retirement with a knockout, which would be an astonishing result given the champion’s sturdy chin and Roach’s modest power (just 10 knockouts in 27 fights).

Davis made one significant change in his preparations, bringing in Washington-based trainer Barry Hunter, whom he’s known for decades, to supplement his usual trainer, Calvin Ford.

Two wise heads are better than one, he said Thursday, but that doesn’t mean fans will see anything too different when he steps in the ring Saturday. At that point, Davis suggested, his ruminations about stepping away from boxing won’t factor.

“I turn into a demon, every time,” he said. “I think about what I’ve been through, think about what I’ve lost, and I go in there and get my man.”

Have a news tip? Contact Childs Walker at daviwalker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6893 and x.com/ChildsWalker.