Garcia came into the fight as the heavy favorite, despite a year of inactivity due to a doping suspension. His last fight against Devin Haney, where he knocked Haney down three times, ended as a no contest after Garcia tested positive for a banned substance.
The fight took a dramatic turn in the second round when Romero dropped Garcia. From there, Romero boxed with discipline until the final bell, securing the biggest win of his career and the WBA Regular Welterweight World Title.
Romero's win has disrupted Garcia's plans and put a damper on the already agreed rematch with Haney. The shine of that potential bout has dulled significantly, especially considering Haney's underwhelming win against Jose Ramirez on the same card.
Oscar De La Hoya, Garcia's promoter, shared his thoughts on the loss with YSM Sports Media:
"A little gun shy, that year off. All that power from Rolly. But he'll go back to the drawing board and he'll live to see another day. It's not devastating at all. At all. He went twelve rounds. He knows he's way better than that. He knows what he has to do."
De La Hoya believes Garcia will bounce back better from this loss. When asked about the Haney rematch, he stated:
"It'll be back. It has to happen."
Garcia himself has expressed openness to either a rematch with Romero or going ahead with the planned Haney fight. The young boxer's career has hit a bump, but both he and his team seem confident in his ability to recover and come back stronger.