Rolly Romero Hands Ryan Garcia Second Career Loss

Ryan Garcia loses to Rolly Romero in unanimous decision after one-year doping suspension, casting doubt on rematch with Devin Haney.

Ryan Garcia's return from a one-year doping ban ended in a shocking defeat at the hands of Rolando “Rolly” Romero in a welterweight bout held in New York's iconic Times Square. Romero's double left hook in the second round sent Garcia crashing to the canvas, although he quickly got back to his feet. Despite his resilience, Garcia struggled to regain his rhythm, ultimately losing via unanimous decision with scores of 115-112, 115-112, and 118-109.

Garcia attributed his loss to the long layoff, saying, “Just found myself very off after the year layoff. That whole year, it was a lot for me mentally. Just a lot of stuff I've got to figure out mentally, and then I'll get back to it and you'll see that aggression come out.” The defeat casts doubt on Garcia's planned rematch with Devin Haney. Meanwhile, Haney secured a unanimous decision victory over Jose Ramirez in an outdoor ring at the same event.

Fight Details:

• Garcia's Performance: 24-2-1 (losses to Romero and Haney in his last two fights, with one no-contest against Haney)
• Romero's Record: 17-2
• Haney's Win: Defeated Jose Ramirez via unanimous decision

The event was historic, being the first boxing card ever held in Times Square, with notable attendees like Mike Tyson and Roberto Durán. Despite the star-studded audience, the fight itself lacked quality moments, with both fighters throwing a combined 490 punches, the third-lowest in a 12-round fight since CompuBox started recording punches in 1985.

Rolando “Rolly” Romero sent Ryan Garcia crashing to the canvas in the second round with a powerful double left hook, dominating the rest of the fight to secure a victory. Romero's performance earned him scores of 115-112 on two judges' scorecards and 118-109 on the third.

In a previous encounter between Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia in April last year, Garcia knocked Haney down three times, earning a majority decision victory with scores of 115-109, 114-110, and 112-112. However, the result was later overturned to a no-contest due to Garcia's positive test for the performance-enhancing substance Ostarine.

Ryan Garcia's return from a one-year suspension ended in defeat, losing by unanimous decision to Rolly Romero. Romero handed Garcia his second professional loss, with scores of 115-112, 115-112, and 118-109.

ROLLY HAS DONE IT!! 😱😱😱@SignUp4KOs defeats Ryan Garcia via unanimous decision!! #GarciaRomero | Powered by @FATALFURY_PR City of Wolves | @SNKPofficial | @ringmagazine pic.twitter.com/8EQchHusdE

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 3, 2025

“I just think that whole year (off) took a lot off my body physically, mentally,” Garcia said, attributing his loss to the long layoff. Garcia had faced challenges in the preceding months, including an arrest for causing $15,000 in damages at a Beverly Hills hotel and a suspension for making racist comments on social media. The defeat also puts a planned rematch with Devin Haney in doubt.

The loss marked Garcia's second defeat in 26 professional fights, with 20 wins coming by knockout. Despite the setback, Garcia's future plans remain uncertain, particularly regarding his potential rematch with Haney, who secured a unanimous decision victory over Jose Ramirez on the same card.

After his victory, Devin Haney expressed satisfaction with his performance, saying, “I'm just happy I made it to the ring and went 12 rounds. Hats off to Rolly... just got to go to the drawing board with my team. We'll talk it over and see what we do next,” although Haney's opponent was Jose Ramirez, not Rolly Romero.

Haney improved his record to 32-0 with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Jose Ramirez. The judges' scores were 119-109, 119-109, and 118-110 in Haney's favor.