Garcia suffers surprise loss at hands of Romero, disrupting Haney's proposed rematch
Rolly Romero's Surprising Knockout Shakes Up Haney and Garcia's Rematch Plans
In an unexpected twist, 29-year-old Rolly Romero sent shockwaves through the boxing world by defeating Ryan Garcia via unanimous decision on Friday night, ruining hopes for a highly-anticipated rematch between Garcia and Devin Haney.
Romero, who started off as a massive +700 underdog, stunned everyone by knocking down Garcia with a double left hook early in the second round and going on to outbox the gun-shy challenger. The three ringside judges scored the fight 115-112, 115-112, and 118-109 in Romero's favor, effectively ending any possibilities of a Haney vs Garcia rematch.
Previously, it had been reported that the two bitter rivals had reached an agreement to run back their controversial inaugural encounter in late 2025, provided they both won their respective fights on the Ring Magazine card in New York's Times Square.[Enrichment Data: Initial anticipation and agreement for the rematch]
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Haney watched on in dismay as Garcia let the bout slip away, while 'King Ry' was left dejected in the immediate aftermath.
"Rolly fought a good fight, he caught me early," Garcia admitted after the match. "No excuses, man. Congrats to him, he did a great job, and that is that." [Enrichment Data: Comments from Garcia post-fight]
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After serving a one-year drug suspension from the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), Garcia returned to the ring for the first time in thirteen months. In last April, Garcia dropped Haney three times en route to being declared the victor via majority decision. However, the result was later overturned to a no contest after Garcia tested positive for the banned substance Ostarine.[Enrichment Data: History of previous match between Haney and Garcia]
However, with Romero's victory and the altered circumstances, the course of both fighters' careers and potential future rematches remains uncertain.[Enrichment Data: Current status] Whether they will go on to fight other opponents to regain momentum and enthusiasm for a potential rematch is yet to be decided.[Enrichment Data: Future possibilities]
Romero's win against Garcia in 2025 raises questions about any potential rematch between Garcia and Haney, as Romero's newfound dominance in the ring could potentially signal a return to boxing for Garcia following his suspension. The controversial victory by Romero leaves the future of the highly-anticipated rematch uncertain, as both fighters may need to face other opponents to regain momentum and generate excitement for a possible future encounter.
