Rolly Romero Shocks Ryan Garcia in Times Square Showdown; Haney, Lopez Also Score Key Wins

Friday night’s high-stakes boxing card at Times Square was expected to close with an announcement for a Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney rematch. Instead, Rolando "Rolly" Romero flipped the script, capturing the WBA (Regular) welterweight title with a shocking unanimous decision win over Garcia.

Romero (17-2, 13 KOs) dropped Garcia early in Round 2 with a well-timed left hook and never looked back. Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs) struggled to recover, appearing tentative and gun-shy throughout the fight. Relying heavily on single jabs, Garcia was consistently outworked, especially in the second half. Romero's relentless bodywork, particularly with the left hand, was a decisive factor in several close rounds.

Despite urgings from his trainer Derrick James to increase his punch volume, Garcia failed to adapt, ultimately losing on scorecards of 115-112 (twice) and 118-109.

“He fought a good fight, caught me early, no excuses,” Garcia said afterward. “I think that whole year [layoff] took a lot out of me physically and mentally. I’m just happy I made it into the ring and went 12 rounds.”

Haney Rebounds with Wide Decision Over Ramirez

In the co-main event, Devin Haney (32-0, 15 KOs) cruised to a unanimous decision win over Jose Ramirez (29-3, 18 KOs) with scores of 119-109, 119-109, and 118-110. Still feeling the aftereffects of last year’s brutal loss to Garcia, Haney employed excessive lateral movement and a controlled pace, using his jab and long left hook to keep Ramirez at bay.

The fight lacked drama and intensity, but it was a much-needed mental and physical recovery bout for Haney, who neutralized Ramirez without taking significant risks.

Lopez Dominates Barboza, Eyes Jaron Ennis Next

Teofimo Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) delivered a commanding performance in the opening bout of the triple-header, retaining his WBO and Ring Magazine super lightweight titles with a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-1, 11 KOs). Scores read 116-112, 116-112, and 118-110.

Lopez displayed sharp punching, flashy head movement, and elite-level footwork. Aside from a moment in Round 6 where Barboza briefly stunned him with a counter right hand, Lopez was in full control.

After the fight, Lopez called out WBA and IBF welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis. Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that a potential Ennis vs. Lopez fight is “in the works,” with Saudi advisor Turki Alalshikh interested in staging the matchup.

Undercard Results:

• Featherweight: Reito Tsutsumi def. Levale Whittington via unanimous decision (60-54, 60-54, 58-56)

• Light heavyweight: James Gennari def. Joel Allen via unanimous decision

Friday night’s card shook up the welterweight and super lightweight scenes. With Romero crashing the party, Haney in rebuild mode, and Lopez targeting Ennis, the future of boxing's marquee divisions is anything but predictable.

Photo: Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy/Getty Images