NEW YORK – Call it delusion or confidence, but Rolando “Rolly” Romero said he’d throw a spanner in the works of Ryan Garcia’s rematch with Devin Haney — and on a chilly night in Times Square, he did just that.
In a stunning upset under the city lights at FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, Romero floored Garcia with a thumping left hook in round two, then cruised to a composed and calculated unanimous decision win. The scorecards read 115-112 twice and a lopsided 118-109 in favour of Romero, who now improves to 17-2 (13 KOs).
🎯 A Knockdown That Changed Everything
Most expected Romero to be target practice for the flashy Californian, but 14 seconds into the second round, Garcia tasted canvas off a shock left hook — a punch Romero’s rarely known for. From then on, Garcia’s output plummeted and his confidence seemed to drain away in real time.
"I mean, knockdowns always help, right?" Romero quipped in his post-fight chat with The Ring. "But Ryan’s a warrior — he got up, fought on. Respect for that."
Romero, 29, badly needed this redemption after back-to-back losses to Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz in recent years. Garcia, the 11-1 betting favourite, came in unbeaten at welterweight, but looked flat and cautious throughout.
📉 Punch Stats Tell a Dull Tale
Both men only landed 18 power shots over 12 rounds, according to CompuBox, with Garcia edging total punches landed 66 to 57. But stats don’t win fights — and the knockdown made all the difference.
Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs, 1 NC) simply didn’t do enough to convince the judges, despite a few flashes of sharp jabbing and the occasional hook. His famed left hand was mostly neutralised by Romero’s high right guard, and he never truly let his hands go — even when urged on by trainer Derrick James in the championship rounds.
❌ Haney-Garcia II Now in Doubt
The rematch between Garcia and Devin Haney, previously signed and sealed for October, is now on the ropes. Haney did his part — grinding out a dull UD win over Jose Ramirez — but Garcia’s loss, combined with his prior no-contest (due to a failed drugs test), makes the future murky.
Romero, surprisingly gracious in victory, had this to say:
“Man, I ain’t even thinking about what’s next. I think Devin and Ryan should still run it back. Big fight. Big money. Let’s see it.”
😔 No Excuses from Garcia
To his credit, Garcia owned the loss.
“Rollies caught me early. No excuses. Congrats to him,” he said. “That year out of the ring took a toll on me — physically, mentally. I’m just grateful I made it back, went 12 rounds. Hats off to him.”
Romero may not have looked spectacular, but he did enough. And on a night where few gave him a chance, that was more than enough to crash the Garcia-Haney party and steal the headlines.
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