Ryan Garcia`s anticipated return to the boxing ring ended in disaster.
On Friday night, Garcia stepped back into action for the first time since his suspension following his 2024 bout against Devin Haney, which was initially a win but later ruled a no-contest. His opponent was Rolando Romero in the main event of a card promoted as “Fatal Fury: City of Wolves.” The fight had been widely seen as a setup for a potential rematch with Haney, but Romero proved to be a spoiler.
Despite being a significant underdog, Romero appeared to be the more effective and confident fighter throughout the contest, causing problems for Garcia for most of the rounds. He scored a crucial knockdown against “King Ryan” in the second round. From that point, Romero maintained control, mixing in power punches and dictating a slow pace for the remainder of the fight. The bout ultimately featured one of the lowest total punch counts ever recorded for a 12-round contest. Romero was awarded a clear unanimous decision victory with scorecards reading 115-112, 115-112, and 118-109.
In a display of good sportsmanship after the fight, Garcia complimented Romero on his performance.
“He fought a good fight, caught me early,” Garcia said. “No excuses. Congratulations to him, he fought a good fight, and that’s that.” Reflecting on his time away, Garcia added, “I just think that whole year took a lot off my body physically and mentally. I’m just happy I made it to the ring and went 12 rounds.”
Romero remained humble in his victory. While his win has seemingly postponed the hoped-for Garcia-Haney rematch, Romero was quick to suggest that he would still like to see the two rivals compete again.
“I ain’t even thinking about what’s next,” Romero stated. “I think Devin and Ryan should get their rematch and make a big one.”
Considering Devin Haney’s uninspired performance earlier the same night in his win over Jose Ramirez, it remains possible that a rematch between Haney and Garcia could still be pursued.
