Ryan Garcia suffered a surprising defeat on Friday night in New York City. The California-born boxer, known as "King Ryan," lost to Rolando "Rolly" Romero in a fight for the WBA welterweight title.
The match took place at Times Square, where Romero won by unanimous decision. Garcia, who's 26, struggled throughout the fight and even got knocked down in the second round. This loss came as a shock to many fans and experts.
Garcia's return to the ring didn't go as planned. He was coming back after a one-year suspension for testing positive for a banned substance before his planned fight with Devin Haney last April.
Romero put on a strong performance. He showed maturity in the ring and outboxed Garcia over the course of the fight. The judges agreed, giving Romero the win on all scorecards.
Canelo Alvarez, Garcia's former training partner and the current undisputed super-middleweight champion, shared his thoughts on the fight. In an interview with Fight Hub TV, Canelo said:
"I feel sorry for him, I feel sorry for him but it's boxing and you know, these things happen."
This loss will likely change Garcia's future plans. A rematch with Devin Haney probably won't happen soon. Instead, Garcia might look for a rematch with Romero to try and get back on track.
On the same night, Devin Haney fought Jose Ramirez, a former unified super-lightweight champion. Haney won the fight, but it wasn't very exciting. He beat Ramirez over twelve rounds, but the match didn't live up to expectations.
Garcia's unexpected loss and Haney's underwhelming win have shaken up the boxing world. Fans will have to wait and see what's next for these fighters.
