Ryan Garcia‘s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, has given his verdict on the second loss of his career, delivered by Rolando Romero this weekend in Times Square, New York City.
Garcia stepped through the ropes a heavy favourite despite coming off a year of inactivity due to a doping suspension. ‘Rolly’ flipped the script, dropping the favourite in the second round and boxing disciplined until his hand was raised after twelve.
The unanimous decision loss saw Garcia look a shadow of the fighter that knocked Devin Haney down three times last year – a fight that he initially won on the cards but saw it overturned to a no contest due to testing positive for a banned substance.
Romero’s win also puts the brakes on the Haney rematch, which was already agreed but has had its shine significantly dulled due to this defeat as well as Haney’s extremely underwhelming win against Jose Ramirez on the same card.
Speaking to YSM Sports Media, De La Hoya was adamant that his charge would bounce back beter.
“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.”
As for the Haney rematch, the Hall of Fame fighter turned promoter still believes it will happen.
“It’ll be back. It has to happen.”
Garcia said post-fight that he would be happy to still take the second fight with Haney or instead rematch ‘Rolly,’ who picked up the WBA Regular Welterweight World Title in the best win of his campaign.
