Ryan Garcia Suffers Stunning Loss to Rolando Romero in NYC Boxing Match

NEW YORK, NY — Ryan Garcia faced a shocking defeat in his recent boxing match against Rolando Romero in Times Square, New York, on May 2, 2025. This fight was part of a high-profile tripleheader event promoted by Saudi Arabian adviser Turki Alalhshikh.

The highly anticipated matchup ended in disappointment for Garcia, who lost by unanimous decision with scores of 115-112 (twice) and 118-109. Romero, who entered the fight as a significant underdog, delivered a powerful performance that included a second-round knockdown of Garcia.

Garcia, 26, who was fighting for the first time after a year-long drug suspension, struggled to find his rhythm throughout the fight. He acknowledged Romero’s skill, stating, “He fought a good fight. He caught me early. Congrats to him. No excuses, he did a great job.”

Despite landing more punches overall, Garcia’s performance was widely criticized for its lack of aggression, as he threw only 490 combined punches against Romero’s 54 landed hits. This match recorded one of the lowest total punches in CompuBox history for a 12-round fight.

After the fight, Garcia expressed uncertainty about his next steps, saying, “I just have to go to the drawing board with my team. We will talk it over and see what I’m going to do next.” Meanwhile, Romero highlighted the importance of his performance and declared, “Knockdowns always help the fight. [Garcia] is a warrior; he got up and finished the fight.”

The event also featured Devin Haney defeating Jose Ramirez in a lackluster co-main event, casting further doubt on the plans for a rematch between Haney and Garcia, which Alalhshikh had initially hoped for. As fans and promoters look to the future, Garcia’s next moves remain in the balance after a tough night at the ring.