Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero shocked the boxing world on Friday night with a stunning upset over Ryan Garcia in the main event of a surreal outdoor fight card in Times Square. Entering as a 6-1 underdog, Romero dominated much of the contest and earned a unanimous decision victory, dropping Garcia in the second round and outboxing him over 12 rounds. The judges scored the fight 115-112 twice and 118-109 in favor of Romero, who improved his record to 17-2 with 13 knockouts.
The bout marked Garcia’s return after a one-year suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. However, the 26-year-old struggled to find rhythm and timing throughout the night. He landed just 54 punches, one of the lowest totals ever tracked by Compubox in a 12-round fight. Garcia, now 24-2 with one no contest, acknowledged the long layoff had taken its toll on both his physical and mental readiness. A proposed rematch with Devin Haney, which had been floated for later this year, is now in serious doubt.
Romero floored Garcia early in the second round with a sharp double left hook and followed up with another shot as Garcia went down. Although Garcia beat the count and continued, he was never able to regain his confidence. Romero, trained by veteran coach Ismael Salas, displayed rare discipline and patience. He blended body work with calculated hooks and used a tight defensive guard to neutralize Garcia’s renowned counter-punching ability.
It was Garcia’s first bout since his majority decision win over Haney was nullified due to the failed drug test. His time away from the ring was marred by controversy, including an arrest for damaging hotel property and a suspension from WBC events following racially offensive social media posts. A planned exhibition fight in Japan earlier this year was also cancelled due to a training injury.
Romero’s victory earned him the WBA’s secondary welterweight title and potentially places him in the conversation for a bout with Haney, who fought in the co-main event and comfortably dispatched former unified champion José Ramírez. Haney cruised to a unanimous decision with scores of 119-109 twice and 118-110, showcasing smart movement and crisp counters in his first fight at a catchweight above 140 pounds. With Hall of Famer Sugar Shane Mosley in his corner for the first time, Haney looked composed and technically sharp, extending his undefeated record to 32-0.
Ramírez, a former Olympian and unified champion, failed to cut off the ring or apply consistent pressure. His inability to mount sustained offense dropped his record to 29-3.
The night began with Teófimo López defending his WBO 140lb title against Arnold Barboza Jr. López looked rejuvenated after a string of inconsistent performances, controlling the pace and landing the cleaner shots en route to a unanimous decision win (118-110, 116-112 twice). He absorbed a few sharp counters, particularly in round six, but responded with smart combinations and body work. Barboza, who entered undefeated, fell to 32-1.
Following his win, López called out unified welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, and his promoter confirmed talks for that potential superfight are underway.
The Times Square event was an unprecedented spectacle, funded by Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and held in partnership with Ring Magazine. Fighters made theatrical entrances Garcia arrived in a Batmobile and ring card holders were replaced by celebrity impersonators. Thousands of fans and tourists crowded around the ring, separated by fencing from Seventh Avenue traffic, as some of boxing’s biggest names watched from ringside.
The night was expected to culminate with the announcement of Garcia-Haney II. Instead, Garcia’s disappointing performance left his career at a crossroads, while Romero, once overlooked, may now have the hottest hand among the three featured fighters.
