What was meant to be a routine tune-up fight for Ryan Garcia quickly turned into a disaster, as Rolly Romero pulled off a shocking upset that stunned the boxing world. In a weekend curated by Turki Alalshikh to celebrate the sport’s brightest stars, Garcia’s loss now casts a long shadow over the event. With eyes originally set on big performances from names like Devin Haney and Canelo Alvarez, it’s now Canelo who’s left to carry the weight of salvaging a weekend gone wrong. Canelo is the main atraction for this weekend, as he will fight William Scull on Saturday night in Saudi Arabia.
Garcia, just 26, had seemed laser-focused in the lead-up. Calm and confident, he made a theatrical entrance at Times Square in a Batmobile, as if foreshadowing a dominant showing. But once inside the ring, the script flipped.
In just the second round, Romero floored Garcia with a crisp left hook-ironically, the same punch Garcia is known for. The Victorville native never fully regained his rhythm.
Despite efforts from his trainer Derrick James to refocus him, Garcia appeared shaken and tentative for the rest of the fight. Romero took full advantage, controlling the tempo and landing meaningful shots throughout. The judges awarded Romero a clear unanimous decision, derailing not only Garcia’s momentum but possibly the heavily-hyped matchup with Devin Haney later this year.
Canelo now the main event for real
Adding insult to injury, Haney’s own performance didn’t help. In what should have been a statement win, he labored through a dull, low-volume decision over Jose Ramirez-leaving fans disappointed and critics questioning the entire event’s purpose.
Social media lit up with frustration. One clip showed Alalshikh visibly frustrated after Garcia’s loss. A user posted, “TURKI PED OFF THAT RYAN GARCIA IS FING UP THE HANEY REMATCH.” Another chimed in, “Three stars on one card doesn’t guarantee action… dreadful show. Hopefully Canelo and Monster can wash the taste of that s**t out of our mouth.”
To make matters worse, Garcia is once again facing scrutiny over his previous positive Ostarine test. “NO OSTARINE, NO WIN,” one user quipped, while another added, “Was it the lack of ostraine?”
With both Garcia and Haney failing to deliver, fans are now pinning their hopes on Canelo Alvarez to bring respect and energy back to the sport. After a weekend of letdowns, boxing needs a hero-and Canelo may be its last shot at redemption.
Read the full article here
