By: Sean Crose
And so he’s coming back. After over a year away from the professional prize ring, Ryan Garcia will slip between the ropes to face Rolando “Rolly” Romero in Times Square on May 25th. It’s an interesting matchup between two hard hitting, colorful and action oriented fighters. Although the 26 year Garcia is unquestionably the A-side in this bout, it’s not like he’s going to be fighting a tuneup. Romero is a quality fighter who will most certainly be looking to upset the figurative apple cart by scoring an upset win over Garcia in the spring.
Garcia last fought back in April of 2024, when he repeatedly knocked down then decisioned Devin Haney in a fight he wasn’t supposed to win. And, ultimately, Garcia had the win removed from his record after it was reported he had tested positive for having a banned substance in his system. Not only was Garcia stripped of his win against Haney, he was suspended from the fight game for a full year. Now that his suspension is coming to a close, however, Garcia – whose behavior was bizarre leading up to the Haney fight – appears to be more low key as he readies himself for his comeback fight in May.
As for Romero, his last fight was a UD win over Manuel James back in September. Boasting a record of 16-2, the Vegas native has knocked out all but three of the men he’s defeated. In other words, he hits and hits hard. Whether he’ll be able to top Garcia, though, is another story. Although both men have lost to Gervonta Davis, Garcia is seen as perhaps having the better pedigree of the two men. Again, though, anything is possible in boxing, and Romero is no slouch. He’s a worthy opponent for the man known as “King Ry”
The May 25th card is a shining one. Although the Garcia-Romero fight will be the main event, Devin Haney will face Jose Ramirez and Teofimo Lopez will square off against Arnold Barboza, as well. It’s a stacked deck, loaded with notable talent. Like Garcia, Lopez will be fighting at junior welterweight. That means a major throwdown between Garcia and Lopez may be going down in the near future, provided both win in May. And a Garcia-Haney rematch will always be in order. There’s a lot at stake this spring in Times Square. Garcia, Romero and the others have a lot riding on their performances, which certainly makes things interesting.
