At the second leg of a two-city press tour, Ryan Garcia and Rolando “Rolly” Romero previewed their upcoming bout and went face-to-face. The pair battle it out atop the “Fatal Fury” fight card, live from Times Square in New York City on May 2.
Garcia (24-1, 1 NC), who was originally expected to face Isaac Cruz, returns to the ring after fighting Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC) last April. The Victorville, CA native’s win that night was overturned to a No Contest due to a failed drug test. The 26-year-old has promised to “put his next opponent to sleep” and stated that he wants to face Haney in a rematch, as well as take on Teofimo Lopez.
“As far as Rolly as an opponent, he was not my first choice,” Ryan Garcia said at the press conference at The Mayan in Los Angeles. “It was [Isaac] ‘Pitbull’ Cruz, but things played out a different way. I’m really focused on whooping Devin Haney’s a** again.”
“That’s all I’m really worried about – not even to redeem myself, just to cement that Ostarine BS which you probably set up.”
“He [Romero] is going to come to fight. I’m not taking him lightly or anything like that. I’m still going to train my best, but everybody wants to see the rematch [with Haney], and that’s where my heart is at. So, I’ve just got to prepare well. I know I’m the better fighter, and I’m going to knock him out.”
“All of my fights are a statement. Every fight is important. I can’t go in there without trying to do my best, so of course.”
“Teo [Teofimo Lopez], right there. I want that,” Garcia said when asked who he wanted to face after Romero. “You know I want that.”
“I put ‘Rolly’ to sleep with a left hook. That’s it. That’s what you’re going to see. Period.”
‘I don’t really have a game plan’
Romero (16-2, 13 KOs) is coming off a unanimous decision win against Manuel Jaimes last September. The 29-year-old former super lightweight champion from Las Vegas also appeared confident in his victory over Garcia, who he had previously sparred with years ago.
“Not very concerned at all,” Rolando Romero said when asked about Garcia’s left hook. “You move out of the way.”
“Well, he [Garcia] didn’t make weight for his last world title fight, and he didn’t even try to make weight with ‘Tank’ [Gervonta Davis], so he’s not chasing a belt. But we’ll see May 2.”
“I don’t really have a game plan. I didn’t have one when I whooped his a** [in a sparring session eight years ago].
“He can think whatever he wants. He knows me too well.”
Among the bouts featured on the Garcia vs Romero undercard, San Francisco’s former two-weight champion Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC) takes on former unified light welterweight champion Jose Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs) of Hanford, CA. Plus, Brooklyn’s two-division champion Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) defends his WBO super lightweight title against unbeaten contender Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-0, 11 KOs) of Long Beach, CA.