Romero Upsets Garcia in Times Square Shocker: Haney and Lopez Shine on Blockbuster Night

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On a night that was supposed to set up a massive rematch between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney, Rolando "Rolly" Romero turned the boxing world upside down. In front of a roaring crowd at Times Square in New York City, Romero claimed the WBA (Regular) welterweight title by defeating Garcia via unanimous decision, with scores of 115-112, 115-112, and 118-109. The upset victory derailed promotional plans and signaled Romero's resurgence as a force in the division. Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs), who was expected to coast to victory, was knocked down in the second round by a sharp Romero left hook. The early fall left Garcia visibly shaken, and he never regained full control of the fight. Rather than utilizing his signature hand speed and aggressive combinations, Garcia relied heavily on single jabs and appeared tentative throughout the bout. According to commentators, his reluctance stemmed from a fear of being countered by Romero, who maintained consistent bodywork with his left hand that swayed the judges in several competitive rounds. Garcia’s trainer, Derrick James, urged him repeatedly to increase his output, especially in the final rounds. However, Garcia failed to respond effectively. After the bout, he made no excuses: “He fought a good fight, caught me early, no excuses, man. He did a great job, and that’s that,” Garcia stated. He also referenced the toll of a year-long layoff: “I just think that whole year took a lot out of my body physically and mentally. I’m just happy that I made it into the ring and went 12 rounds.

In the co-main event, Devin Haney (32-0, 15 KOs) rebounded from his punishing 2024 loss to Garcia by cruising to a dominant unanimous decision over former champion Jose Ramirez (29-3, 18 KOs). The judges scored the fight 119-109, 119-109, and 118-110 in Haney's favor. Though Haney controlled the fight, it lacked fireworks. His excessive lateral movement kept Ramirez off-balance and out of range, while Haney scored at will with his jab and long left hooks. Despite the win, the performance suggested Haney is still healing, mentally and physically, from his war with Garcia one year prior. The opening bout featured a stellar showing from Teofimo Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs), who successfully defended his WBO and Ring Magazine super lightweight titles with a clinical unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-1, 11 KOs). With scorecards reading 116-112, 116-112, and 118-110, Lopez demonstrated why he remains one of the most technically skilled fighters in the sport. Although Barboza managed to momentarily stun Lopez in Round 6 with a right-hand counter, Lopez’s head movement, footwork, and counterpunching neutralized Barboza for most of the fight.

Following the bout, Lopez called out Jaron “Boots” Ennis, the unified WBA and IBF welterweight champion. Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that a potential Lopez vs. Ennis superfight is being explored, with Turki Alalshikh expressing interest in making the bout happen. The night was meant to be a coronation for Garcia and a statement for Haney. Instead, Romero stole the spotlight, Lopez raised the stakes, and boxing fans were reminded once again of the sport’s inherent unpredictability.