Ryan Garcia showcased his skills and previewed his upcoming bout against Rolando “Rolly” Romero at a media workout. The native of Victorville, CA, faces the former champion of Las Vegas atop the fight card at Times Square in New York City on April 2. The pair battle it out at welterweight.
Once-beaten Garcia (24-1, 1 NC) steps through the ropes for the first time since fighting Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC) last April. The LA-based contender took the victory on the night, which was later overturned to a No Contest due to a failed drug test.
Garcia said he was not chasing the championship belts, but felt like he was fighting for a title. The 26-year-old said that his next opponent, Romero – who he had previously sparred with years ago – and Haney are different fighters, which requires a different approach. Romero (16-2, 13 KOs) is coming off a win by unanimous decision against Manuel Jaimes last September.
“As I grew up, I’m like, ‘it would be nice to get a championship under my belt,’ but I don’t want to say anyone can become a champion, but it’s pretty watered down at the moment,” Ryan Garcia said at The BXNG Club East Village in San Diego, CA, on Thursday. “For me, quality opponents, how I perform, how I look, and how much money I’m making really determine how good of a fighter you are.”
“You’re called a prizefighter, but we’re fighting for a prize. It’s still in my heart to become a champion. I believe I’m fighting for a 147-pound championship, so I will be a world champion. I’m excited, but do I want to fight somebody else that would make me feel more like a champion? Whoever the champions are – Jaron Ennis, Brian Norman, Mario Barrios – any of those guys. I will win the world championship if I beat any of those guys.”
“You got to know that Devin is a much different fighter than Rolando. Rolando wouldn’t get offended by antics – he actually would love that. It’s a whole different situation. I got to be sharp the whole way through. He only throws bombs, that’s all he knows how to throw, so if I’m not sharp the whole way through, I could get caught, and that’s not something I want to do.”
“So for me, it’s about having my technique right, and that’s what we’ve been working on – just technique, making sure our hands get back, watching what he’s doing at all times, and we should do the job.”
“As I’ve matured, for me it’s just another fight. After the year layoff, it just so happened to be Rolando. I really just want to get sharp again and prepare for the next fight, but I can’t look past Rolando, obviously. I’ll be looking to shake off some of the rust and get right for the next fight because I got a lot to prove with the Devin Haney rematch.”
Ryan Garcia: I want the Devin Haney rematch so bad
Garcia stated he was looking to face Haney (31-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC) for the second time. The latter – San Francisco’s former two-weight champion – also steps through the ropes for the first time since their first fight, taking on former unified light welterweight champion Jose Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs) of Hanford, CA. The welterweight matchup serves as the co-feature on the card.
“I want the Devin Haney rematch 100 percent,” Ryan Garcia said. “I need it and I’m going to do it for USADA this time. I want the Devin Haney rematch so bad. I really want it. There’s some personal bad blood there, but it’s not going to overrule me, but it’s got some extra oomph in there, you know, when you’re fighting and put it on him even more.”
“Then you got Bill’s [Haney] crazy antics, and he’s constantly talking nonstop, and that makes me want to put a whooping in a little bit more. This is an opportunity to do it again, and I think after that, I’ll put a stamp on that and move forward.”
The upcoming fight card at Times Square, NYC, is also set to feature Brooklyn’s two-division champion Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) up against unbeaten contender Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-0, 11 KOs) of Long Beach, CA. Lopez puts his WBO super lightweight title on the line.