Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20KO) returned to the ring on May 2, 2025, to take on Rolando Romero (16-2, 13KO) in the first-ever Ring Magazine event hosted in the United States. This landmark card unfolded in the heart of Times Square, New York, marking Garcia’s comeback following a twelve-month suspension.
The 26-year-old was handed the ban after testing positive twice for Ostarine in both pre- and post-fight drug tests surrounding his April 20, 2024, clash with Devin Haney. The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) confirmed the presence of the performance-enhancing drug, leading to Garcia’s one-year suspension by the New York State Athletic Commission. Furthermore, his majority decision victory over Haney was officially overturned to a no-contest, and Garcia was ordered to forfeit $1.1 million of his purse and pay a $10,000 fine. Garcia, who maintained his innocence, attributed the positive tests to “supplement contamination.” The ruling restored Devin Haney’s undefeated professional record.
Now, ‘King Ry’ looked to make a statement on Friday night as he targeted a dominant performance—and a potential blockbuster bout against a top UK welterweight.
The Comeback Against Rolando Romero
Leading into the Times Square event, Ryan Garcia’s professional record stood at an impressive 24 wins and 1 loss, with 20 of those victories coming by knockout. His sole defeat had been a seventh-round knockout against Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis in April 2023. Prior to his suspension, Garcia had secured an eighth-round knockout over Oscar Duarte in December 2023. Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero, a former WBA (Regular) super lightweight champion, entered the bout with a record of 16 wins and 2 losses, with 13 knockouts. Romero’s recent activity included a TKO loss to Isaac Cruz in March 2024 and a unanimous decision victory over Manuel Jaimes in September 2024.
The highly anticipated clash between Garcia and Romero, billed as “Fatal Fury in Times Square,” took place on May 2, 2025, for the vacant WBA (Regular) welterweight title. Despite Garcia’s hopes for a triumphant return, the fight did not go his way. Rolando Romero secured a unanimous decision victory with judges’ scorecards reading 115-112, 118-109, and 115-112. Romero notably dropped Garcia in the second round with a double left hook, a moment that significantly impacted the fight’s momentum. Garcia struggled with his timing and offensive output throughout the 12 rounds, landing only 54 punches in a contest that featured one of the lowest combined punch totals ever recorded by CompuBox. Although Garcia outlanded Romero 65 to 57 in total punches, Romero’s aggression and late-round surge were enough to sway the judges.
Following the loss, Garcia reflected on his performance, stating, “I just think that whole year took a lot off my body, physically and mentally. I’m just happy I made it to the ring and fought 12 hard rounds. Hats off to Rolly. He did a great job.” This defeat marked Garcia’s second professional loss, bringing his record to 24-2 (1 NC) at the time.
Implications and Future Prospects
The upset loss to Romero threw “cold water” on immediate plans for a highly anticipated rematch between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney. However, Garcia quickly sought to rebound from this setback. On February 21, 2026, Ryan Garcia challenged Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Garcia delivered a more composed performance, defeating Barrios by unanimous decision and scoring a knockdown in the first round, thus becoming the new WBC welterweight champion.
Eyeing a Blockbuster with Conor Benn
Even before his bout with Romero, Ryan Garcia had expressed significant interest in facing British welterweight Conor Benn, in what would be a blockbuster clash if the matchup could be made. Garcia’s admiration for Benn’s fighting spirit was evident in his comments. “That’s a huge fight,” said the California native. “I’m down for him to come over here and we could throw down. He had a great performance (against Chris Eubank Jr) event though he lost, and I see a lot of holes in his game that Chris didn’t take advantage of.”
Garcia was full of praise for the British classic produced by both Benn and rival Eubank Jr as he prepared for his New York return. “They’re both warriors and they gave hell of a show, that was one of the best fights of all time to be honest that was crazy.”
Conor Benn, known as “The Destroyer,” has built an impressive professional record, currently standing at 25 wins and 1 loss, with 14 knockouts. His career has been marked by a fierce rivalry with Chris Eubank Jr., echoing their fathers’ legendary bouts. The first encounter between Benn and Eubank Jr. took place on April 26, 2025, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, where Eubank Jr. secured a unanimous decision victory. This was Benn’s first professional defeat, and he notably fought two divisions above his usual weight class for the contest.
However, Benn avenged this loss in spectacular fashion during their rematch on November 15, 2025, also at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Benn dominated the fight, dropping Eubank Jr. twice in the final round and winning by a wide unanimous decision (119-107, 118-108, 116-110). This victory solidified Benn’s standing and demonstrated his resilience. His recent form also includes unanimous decision wins over Rodolfo Orozco in September 2023 and Peter Dobson in February 2024, as well as a unanimous decision victory against Regis Prograis in April 2026.
Benn revealed in a social media post that he would be traveling to New York that weekend on a scouting mission from ringside, eyeing a potential future stadium showdown with Garcia. “I’ll be at ringside to watch you get the job done Saturday, then god willing we get it on and pack a stadium out,” said Benn on X.
With Ryan Garcia now holding the WBC welterweight title, a potential clash with Conor Benn at welterweight becomes an even more compelling prospect, pitting two of boxing’s most marketable young stars against each other in a high-stakes encounter that could indeed pack out a stadium. While a rematch with Rolando Romero is also being discussed for late 2026, depending on ongoing negotiations, Garcia has publicly indicated that Romero is a backup option if a fight with Benn does not materialize.
