Rolly Romero won a unanimous decision over Ryan Garcia in the main event of a massively underwhelming card with Big Apple-sized hype. The judges scored the fight 115-112×2, 118-109 all for Romero.
Romero scored a huge knockdown in the second round that left Garcia on the seat of his pants in the corner. Garcia got to his feet, but his level of aggression dipped dramatically as the fight went on.
Garcia did solid work with his jab through the middle rounds. So much so, I scored the fight in his favor 114-113, but I don’t find major fault in Romero winning the decision.
That said, Garcia did out-land Romero in total punches and jabs. Romero made an impression with judges and the Ring’s Mike Coppinger with his aggression. Garcia didn’t have that and he seemed resigned to accept the defeat.
Even after the scorecard was read, Garcia politely applauded his opponent’s performance and offered no excuses. This loss puts him and Turki Alalshikh in a tough position.
This fight was supposed to set up the rematch with Devin Haney, who won his less-than-thrilling scrap with Jose Ramirez, but now with Garcia’s loss there may be some questions. Bill Haney, Devin’s dad trolled Garcia from a nearby seat.
Here is a look at the breakdown for the rest of the card.
- Devin Haney def. Jose Ramirez via unanimous decision (118-109×2, 118-110)
Haney’s evening began slowly. For a moment, it looked as if he was in the 13th round against Garcia. Around the fifth round, Haney seemed to find his legs and made the fight look a bit more like the scrap we expected.
Ramirez proved to be too slow and unable to take advantage of Haney’s erratic behavior. Haney’s speed, defensive prowess and the occasional counter combination proved to be a winning combination in a fight that wasn’t very interesting.
I found myself more waiting for this one to be over than looking into the “action.” Haney will need to produce a better performance if he hopes to have a chance to win against Garcia, Lopez and others.
- Teofimo Lopez def. Arnold Barboza via unanimous decision (116-112×2, 118-110)
Lopez looked like a fighter in a completely different class. I scored the fight 11 rounds to one with a possibility for a complete shutout. Lopez was the quicker fighter with better footwork and more impacting punches.
The most entertaining round of the fight was the 12th, but even that one lacked overall excitement and drama. Barboza looked to be afraid to engage after the first few rounds when it was apparent he was out of his depth.
Lopez is now a free agent, which could lead to him signing with Matchroom or moving forward as an independent. Barboza took the first loss of his career, and he looked a bit disappointing in this opportunity, the biggest of his career.
He will need to rebound with a better performance to establish himself as a legit contender at 140 pounds.
- Reito Tsutsumi def. Levale Whittington via unanimous decision (60-54×2, 58-56)
Tsutsumi has legitimate star potential. However, he did get a bit of a tougher battle than most expected from Whittington. The Chicago native did my hometown proud. Despite being at an obvious skill disadvantage, he showed Windy City toughness battling through six rounds and even earning the judges’ nod in two of the six frames.
That said, Tsutsumi has some next-level snap on his punches and an undeniable presence. He is next.
- Ryan Garcia Vs. Rolly Romero
Ryan Garcia Vs. Rolly Romero – What’s At Stake
If all goes to plan and Garcia, Haney and Lopez win, they will wind up working their way to fighting each other. Garcia and Haney are set to rematch later in the year, and Lopez, providing he wins will be in a position to face the man who emerges victorious from that furious rivalry.
Garcia’s return is one of the biggest stories in boxing. After having his unanimous decision win over Haney flipped to a no contest following a failed drug test, Garcia was suspended for a year. That suspension lifted last month and he is ready to go.
Garcia told me he was bit uncomfortable fighting outside, but he was prepared to make a statement on Friday night against Romero.
Haney hasn’t fought since the no contest against Garcia. Ramirez represents a decent challenge for Haney, but it is one the latter is expected to come out victorious.
Massive Combat Sports Weekend: Boxing and UFC
It’s a crazy fight weekend as Canelo Alvarez is set to fight for unification in the super middleweight division against William Scull. That fight has serious implications as it could potentially impact Canelo’s megafight with Terence Crawford planned for September.
On Sunday, Naoya Inoue will defend his IBF, WBO, and WBC super bantamweight title against Ramon Cardenas.
In mixed martial arts, the UFC is in Des Moines, Iowa for a strong fight card headlined by Deiveison Figueiredo vs. Corey Sandhagen. Stay locked in for full fight coverage.
