By: Sean Crose
After a yearlong suspension for having a banned substance in his system each earlier than and after his struggle with Devin Haney again in 2024, Ryan Garcia lastly returned to the ring on Friday evening. His opponent was the rugged and outspoken Rolando “Rolly” Romero. The struggle, scheduled for a welterweight 12, was the primary occasion of an odd card that occurred smack dab in the course of Occasions’ Sq.. The 16-2 Romero and the 24-1 Garcia instantly took to buying and selling jabs within the first. Romero tried working the physique, but it surely appeared the taller Garcia had received the chapter.
A double left hook abruptly despatched Garcia to the mat within the second. Garcia rapidly obtained up but it surely was clear he wasn’t going to glide his solution to a straightforward victory. The tempo slowed down a bit of within the third and issues remained shut. Every man fought warily within the fourth, although Garcia was capable of land some clear, stinging jabs. Romero was the extra lively of the 2 fighters within the fifth. Romero targeted on the physique within the sixth. It was clear in spherical seven that Romero was giving Garcia actual bother. Nonetheless, Garcia could effectively have edged the spherical, thanks largely to his jab.
Each fighters remained cautious of one another’s energy within the eighth, although Garcia jabbed effectively. Romero seemed as if he might need been the extra lively fighter within the ninth. By the tenth it was gone apparent that the struggle was being fought at Romero’s tempo. Even Garcia’s face betrayed some frustration. The eleventh was punctuated by sharp physique pictures from Romero. The twelfth and ultimate spherical was shocking in that Garcia didn’t appear notably aggressive. The person was merely lackadaisical. Fortuitously, there have been no shenanigans from the judges, who after the ultimate bell rewarded Romero with a unanimous choice win.
An infinite upset.
