Once again superstar boxer Ryan “King Ry” Garcia is looking for a signature win, and once again he’ll have the opportunity to place the elite fighters on alert when he faces the former WBA super-lightweight world champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero (16-2, 13 KOs) on Friday night May 2nd.
(Credit: Melina Pizano/Matchroom Boxing)
A year ago, Ryan Garcia had his moment, but unfortunately, his accomplishment was erased from the record books. In the featured attraction of The Ring’s Fatal Fury event, which is set to take place in Times Square, New York, Garcia plans on making a statement.
Back in July 2022, an undefeated Ryan Garcia was ready for his step-up bout when he entered the ring to face former WBA super-featherweight (Regular) champion Javier Fortuna. This bout was supposed to be a test, but Garcia passed the test with flying colors.
With 1:36 left to go in the 4th, Garcia landed a left to the body that forced Fortuna to take a knee. Fortuna was able to get up, but he went down for a second time in the 5th round when Garcia landed the left hook up top.
Garcia would go on to stop Fortuna in the sixth, when he connected with a left hook to the temple. During the post-fight interview, Garcia felt confident, and he believed he was ready to face the ultimate challenge.
Nine months later, Ryan Garcia was set to battle his rival Gervonta “Tank” Davis. Garcia turned up the aggression in the second round when he pressed forward and proceeded to land some effective punches.
However, Ryan became overaggressive and got dropped when Gervonta Davis connected with a counter overhand left. In the seventh round, Davis stopped Garcia when he landed a hard left to the body.
Garcia would bounce back as he scored an impressive 8th-round stoppage victory over Oscar Duarte. After his win over Duarte, Garcia jumped right back into a big fight.
Ryan Garcia received another chance to obtain a signature win when he faced the then-WBC super-lightweight world champion Devin Haney. Garcia got off to a surprisingly quick start when he landed a sharp left hook that wobbled Haney in the first round.
Garcia went on to score knockdowns in the 7th, 10th, and 11th rounds. He won the bout by way of majority decision as he delivered the performance of a lifetime, but his jubilation would be short-lived.
Ryan Garcia won the bout, but he didn’t win the world title due to the fact that he came in 3.2 pounds over the weight limit. Not winning the title didn’t take away from Garcia’s victory, but what did take away from the victory was when the actual victory was taken away.
The Garcia win was turned into a no-contest because he tested positive for the banned substance Ostarine. In addition to the results being overturned, Garcia received a one-year suspension from the New York State Athletic Commission.
Now the 26-year-old Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs), is ready to return to the ring to battle a familiar foe. Rolly Romero is a popular name, but a victory over Romero shouldn’t drastically move the needle. A decisive win over Romero could lure one of the big names into a future fight with Garcia.
Recently, Ryan Garcia conducted an interview with FightHype, and he had some strong words to say about the current unified world welterweight champion. Garcia proceeded to call out and critique the reigning unified IBF, WBA champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis.
Ryan Garcia acknowledges the fact that Ennis is a talented boxer, but he doesn’t think Boots Ennis is a pound-for-pound fighter. When asked about facing Ennis in the future, Garcia provided a direct response.
“Yes, 100 percent. Another big fight, another mega event, that’s what I like to do, so I don’t shy away from anybody.”
When Ryan Garcia defeated Devin Haney, he was en route to taking his boxing career to the next level. Now, after having his win overturned and serving a one-year suspension, Garcia has to press the reset button.
The May 2nd main event between Ryan Garcia and Rolly Romero has been upgraded to a battle for the vacant WBA “Regular” welterweight title. If Garcia is able to get by Romero, he will be in a prime position to secure a world title match against Jaron “Boots” Ennis.
Last Updated on 04/25/2025
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