An event that promised to be memorable in Times Square on Friday night, ended up being disappointing for boxing fans, lacking the expected action.
The expectation was to see Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney get victories and face each other in a highly anticipated rematch this year. Haney delivered, albeit with a lackluster decision, but Rolando “Rolly” Romero ruined the plans, achieving a surprising victory over Garcia by unanimous decision (115-112, 115-112, 118-109), culminating a night of fights below expectations.
Garcia, Defeated and Without Impact
Garcia’s return to boxing, after a one-year doping suspension following his April 2024 fight against Haney, was a disaster. Garcia (24-2, 1 NC) entered as the favorite (-1000), but was unable to land his signature left hook or generate significant offense in the 12 rounds.
Romero (17-2) set the pace from the start, sending Garcia to the canvas with a left hook in the second round. Although Garcia didn’t seem affected, the knockdown changed the course of the fight, making it more cautious. Both boxers showed little initiative, with only 123 punches landed out of a total of 490 thrown, the third-lowest record in CompuBox history for a 12-round fight, even below the 503 combined punches between Haney and Jose Ramirez in the co-main event.
“He fought well. He caught me early. No excuses, man. Congratulations. He did a great job, and that’s it.”
Ryan Garcia
Garcia threw the jab, but Romero kept his distance patiently. It was a surprising performance from Romero, who was coming off being stopped by Isaac Cruz in 2024. Instead of attacking recklessly, Romero kept calm.
Meanwhile, Garcia couldn’t recover from the initial knockdown, seeking a definitive blow that never came, forcing him to rethink his strategy.
Romero might be the only one interested in the rematch between Garcia and Haney, despite his victory. “I’m not even thinking about what’s next,” Romero said. “I think Devin and Ryan should have their rematch and have a great fight.”
The night in Times Square, with a small group of guests in an improvised ring, did not meet the expectations of action. The spectators, gathered outside, watched on screens what was happening inside.
Turki Al-Sheikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, was planning an iconic event, but the evening will be remembered for fights that did not deliver on the promises of excitement.
Haney, with an Uncertain Performance
The main event was preceded by a mediocre performance by Haney, who was affected by his fight with Garcia the previous year, in which he was knocked down three times and lost by decision (later overturned due to Garcia’s positive test for ostarine). Garcia also exceeded the agreed weight by 3.2 pounds.
Haney (32-0, 1 NC) seemed not to recover from the fight, showing timidity and reluctance to throw punches. Ramírez failed to capitalize on this situation, limiting himself to following Haney without generating danger. Haney, however, was skillful enough to frustrate Ramírez (29-3) in a slow fight that generated criticism on social media.
In that fight, Haney landed 70 punches out of 503 thrown, compared to Ramírez’s 40.
Although it is rumored that a contract was signed for a rematch between Garcia and Haney this year, it will be interesting to see if it materializes, or if Al-Sheikh decides to take another course for both boxers due to the development of their fights.
