Latest news with #RyanGarcia
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
By holding out for more, boxing keeps missing the moment
For a sport built on unpredictability, boxing sure does love trying to script the future. Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney 2 and Caleb Plant vs. Jermall Charlo are fights that fans wanted to see. They're matchups that should've been made when the chance was there to make them. But instead, we got four bouts across two cards in the month of May, none of which anybody had much desire to watch, with two promised pots of gold at the end of the rainbow that now may never come. Advertisement Turki Alalshikh's Ring Magazine even went to the trouble of hosting the Garcia vs. Rolando Romero and Haney vs. Jose Ramirez double-header at New York's historic Times Square crossing in an effort to add intrigue to the show that the main two fights simply did not provide by themselves. When Plant and Charlo shared a card at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas this past Saturday, it was free to watch on Amazon Prime Video — a widely accessible service. It was an investment from the event partners in building a future fight that they hoped would repay dividends from pay-per-view revenue. Both cards had a clear narrative and a logical path forward. The aim was to maximize the potential of two huge all-American showdowns. But it all came crashing down when it was main event time — on both occasions. Romero and Armando Resendiz ripped up their scripts and pulled off shocking upsets over Garcia and Plant, respectively. And now, instead of the two perfect build-ups the sport attempted to create, boxing has lost two big pay-per-view rivalries that its limited arsenal of major fights could not afford to lose. Advertisement Of course, this isn't a new problem. Boxing has long attempted the concept of two co-main events sharing a card, with the two big favorites planned to face each other afterward. And it's gone wrong before as well, even in recent years. In December 2023, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder finally signed contracts to battle each other — a fight that was years in the making. All the pair had to do was get past Otto Wallin and Joseph Parker respectively, but Parker showed fans just how faded Wilder actually was and dominated their 12-round heavyweight contest. The upset victory killed all interest in a Joshua vs. Wilder bout, which already was many years too late. Now, in June, Wilder will return to the ring against the little-known Tyrrell Herndon. He hopes to make a comeback to the world level and possibly rekindle any interest in a money-spinning Joshua showdown. But if it does eventually happen, the fight will be a shadow of what it once could've been when the pair owned all four of the heavyweight titles in the late 2010s. The promoters and broadcasters will almost certainly rely on the nostalgic element of the fight, knowing full well that the in-ring action won't deliver what fans have been sold — as was the case when Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions advertised heavily-edited 30-second clips of 58-year-old Mike Tyson on the pads before his fight with Jake Paul. Advertisement The rivalry between Plant and Charlo dates back to July 2023 at the weigh-in for Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr., where Plant was filmed delivering an open-handed slap to Charlo's face. Plant claimed that Charlo had disrespected his wife and grabbed him by the beard. Plant vs. Charlo was perfectly set up to be a major attraction — a bad-blood battle between former world champions in a division home to the planned Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford spectacle in September. And with Plant, 32, and Charlo, 35, the clock was already counting down on their windows in the sport. But event organizers chose not to go straight into the big fight, perhaps viewing Charlo's extended period out of the ring as less than ideal in building a blockbuster clash. They were both offered tune-up bouts instead. Advertisement Charlo's well-documented struggles outside of the ring and lingering inactivity mixed together perfectly for an upset. But surprisingly, it wasn't Charlo that lost his warm-up bout — it was Plant. And maybe the warning signs were evident there, too. Plant faded late in fights with Alvarez and David Benavidez, and was hurt early by the unheralded Trevor McCumby in his most recent bout this past September. Plant went into the Resendiz fight owning a rematch clause, so we could see a second meeting between the pair. Alternatively, Resendiz could replace Plant's position in a Charlo fight. But whatever the next step, it won't be the build-up and fight we could've had with Plant and Charlo. Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney 2 was right there to make, and yet it didn't happen. (Cris Esqueda/) (Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy via Getty Images) In the case of Garcia and Haney, boxing lost out to marination it didn't even need. When Garcia and Haney battled the first time around for the WBC super lightweight title in April 2024, the build-up was nothing short of insane, with Garcia documenting himself smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol in late-night live transmissions leading up to the bout. Advertisement Serious questions arose about whether Garcia should've even been in the ring in the first place. He was more than three pounds overweight for the contest and seemingly chugged a beer bottle as he tipped the scales 24 hours before the fight at a ceremonial weigh-in. But Garcia — temporarily, at least— proved the doubters wrong. He scored three knockdowns of Haney in a big upset and provided the sport with another dramatic night. A few days after the fight, news broke that Garcia failed a drug test for the banned substance ostarine and that his win over Haney would be turned into a no-contest. To add fuel to the fire, Haney initiated legal proceedings against Garcia for having performance-enhancing substances in his system in their fight. The rivalry was already at a boiling point, and boxing should've struck while the iron was hot. But greed took over. The powers that be thought that the fight could be a little bit bigger. And by holding out for a tiny bit more, boxing keeps missing the moment — and ends up with a lot less.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Ryan Garcia sidelined with hand injury as woes build
Boxer Ryan Garcia has undergone hand surgery for an injury reported during training for his recent fight against Rolando Romero in New York. Garcia, 24-2 (20) with one no-contest, will not be able to train for six weeks following surgery for an as-yet-unknown problem. It has also been reported by multiple outlets that the California fighter had multiple cortisone injections in the runup to the fight rather than having the event called off. The injury is understood to be to his right hand. Catch all the latest boxing action on DAZN Garcia's last fight saw him lose a twelve-round decision to Roland 'Rolly' Romero at Times Square in New York in what was considered to be an upset. According to Compubox, which counts the number and types of punches thrown during a fight, Garcia landed only 17.5 punches per round and threw a total of 48 power punches. Garcia was also knocked down in the second round. 5/2 DAZN- Romero W 12 Garcia Romero pulls off the huge upset, dropping Garcia and out working him all fight. 45 of Romero's 57 landed punches were body shots. Their 490 combined punches thrown was 3rd fewest in a 12-round fight in CompuBox 40-yr. history, surpassing Haney &… — CompuBox (@CompuBox) May 3, 2025 Dr Stephen Shin, who has performed similar surgeries on Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Vasyl Lomachenko, is understood to be working with Garcia in order to return him to full health. Shin is currently a professor of orthopaedic surgery at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles. This tallies with the knowledge that Garcia is currently under a thirty-day suspension with the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC). In an email to The Independent, NYSAC confirmed that Garcia would need orthopaedic clearance before he would be allowed to return to the ring. The roadmap for Garcia after the New York event had been for him to face Devin Haney in a fight later this year. Haney, 32-0 (15), beat Jose Carlos Ramirez by unanimous decision on the same card. The two fighters, who fought last year in a bout that was later declared a no-contest due to a failed drugs test from Garcia, were set to rematch each other later in 2025. Those plans, which were swiped by Garcia's loss to Romero, now seem to have moved further away with news of Garcia's injury, the surgery required to fix it, and the recuperation. And recent days have seen promoter Oscar De La Hoya intimate that rather than face Haney, that Garcia would move instead towards a rematch with Romero. DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Ryan Garcia Injured: What Happened And How Long Will He Be Out?
Ryan Garcia reportedly suffered a hand injury ahead of his unanimous-decision loss to Rolly Romero on May 2 in New York. According to the Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, Garcia has already undergone surgery and will not be able to train for six weeks. Garcia's absence from training puts his planned fall return in question. Romero dropped Garcia and coasted to an uneventful but clear victory. Garcia was widely criticized for a lack of activity in the fight, but while he offered no excuses for his performance at the time, the hand injury could have played a role in his inactivity. When Garcia faced Romero, the 26-year-old hadn't fought since April 2024 when he faced rival Devin Haney. While Garcia dropped Haney three times in that fight, his win was turned into a no-contest after he tested positive for a banned substance. The positive test resulted in a one-year suspension. The fight with Romero was supposed to be the first in string of bouts against compelling competition orchestrated by boxing power broker, Turki Alalshikh. The idea was to have Garcia face Haney in a rematch in the fall–provided both won in the historic, but underwhelming Times Square show. Haney did his part in defeating Jose Ramirez–albeit in a very boring fight–but Garcia's loss has seemingly created significant doubt as to whether we'll ever see the two stars rematch. If Garcia can't train for six weeks, it stands to reason he could start a training camp in August. He'd likely want 10-12 weeks to prepare for his return. Traditionally, a fighter of Garcia's class would have an eight-week training camp. However, considering Garcia will have been unable to train for six weeks, he might need more time to get himself back into fight shape. Don't expect Garcia to hop back into the ring with a championship-level fighter upon his return. It would not be a shock to see him face a relatively unknown pro or even an influencer in his return fight. I spoke to Garcia ahead of his fight with Romero and he told me winning a title isn't necessary for him. He admits it would be nice, but he enjoys testing himself against world-class fighters and taking advantage of his opportunity to earn sizable paydays. Because of his fame, but less-than-ideal situation as a contender, it may be hard for Garcia to turn down the bag that would be attached to a fight with an influencer. I wouldn't rule out some sort of exhibition against Jake Paul. While the fight would have its share of critics, Garcia and Paul are both so polarizing that I could easily see it becoming the biggest fight of the year from a commercial and revenue standpoint. If it comes to fruition, don't be shocked. Here is a look at the upcoming boxing schedule over the next two weekends. May 31, 2025 Caleb Plant vs. Armando Reséndiz Jermall Charlo vs. Thomas LaManna Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, NV June 7, 2025 Callum Simpson vs. Giovanni Zucco (European Title) Oakwell, Barnsley, UK 1:00 PM ET Fabio Wardley vs. Justis Huni Pierce O'Leary vs. Kane Dillon Danny Gilley vs. Ryan Greene Portman Road, Ipswich, UK 1:00 PM ET Keyshawn Davis vs. Edwin De Los Santos (WBO World Lightweight Title) Abdullah Mason vs. Jeremiah Nakathila Scope Arena, Norfolk, VA 8:00 PM ET June 8, 2025 Jai Opetaia vs. Luca Squeo (The Ring Cruiserweight Title) Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre, Gold Coast, Australia Junto Nakatani vs. Ryosuke Nishida (The Ring Bantamweight Title) Tenshin Nasukawa vs. Jonathan Santillan Ariake Arena, Tokyo, Japan 4:00 AM ET
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Under the radar - are Rolando Romero, Arnold Barboza, and Jose Ramirez not being taken seriously by their big-name opponents?
Three of the biggest stars in American boxing will be in action in Times Square this Friday, with Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Teofimo Lopez all duking it out live on DAZN PPV. , whilst Devin Haney takes on Jose Ramirez. . But despite all having dance partners for their date in Times Square, all three have appeared more focused on throwing barbs at each other rather than their scheduled opponents. Ryan Garcia already looking to Devin Haney rematch Although Ryan Garcia and Rolando Romero are evenly matched when it comes to trash talking, many pundits believe that 'King Ry' will prove too much for Rolly, even though his opponent is a former world champion. Romero claimed the WBA super-lightweight belt with a TKO victory over Ismael Barroso in May 2023, but his reign as a world titlist was ended in his next fight, when Isaac Cruz managed an eighth-round stoppage in March 2024. One variable that adds a layer of intrigue to the contest is the fact that both fighters will be moving up to 147lbs for the first time in their careers. Garcia and Romero had looked to fight at 140 pounds last year, before King Ry pivoted away from those negotiations to set up his fight with Devin Haney. When Garcia has not been making comments directed at Haney, he has dismissed Romero's chances in the build-up to their bout. He believes that Rolly has not improved as a boxer over the years, whilst also claiming that Romero's chin has weakened after two technical knockout defeats. Whilst it is common for boxers to diminish their upcoming opponents in the lead up to fight night, it appears that Garcia and Haney seem more focused on their proposed rematch for later this year. Garcia shared on DAZN: 'I've got a huge fight coming up next, so I've got to take him (Romero) as serious as if I was fighting Devin (Haney).' Jose Ramirez calls out media for lack of respect Devin Haney has definitely been drawn into continuing his war of words with Ryan Garcia throughout the lead up, repeatedly calling out King Ry for his positive test for ostarine. However, Haney appears to respect his opponent on Friday, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by Jose Ramirez. The 32-year-old believes that Haney is more aware of Ramirez's chances of winning than the media, claiming that he has been written off by the press. During a recent press conference moderated by DAZN's Todd Grisham, Ramirez explained: 'It's crazy how Devin Haney has more respect for me than the media. You know, calling [for] Ryan Garcia-Devin Haney 2, and the fight hasn't even happened between me and Devin Haney. "And he's over here saying, 'I have to go past Ramirez first,' before you guys even say it. You guys said it at the press conference a couple times. You know, I just hope if, God willing, everything goes my way May 2nd, we'll see if Ryan Garcia fights me next. You know, we'll see about that.' Teofimo Lopez still focused on super lightweight division On paper, Teofimo Lopez has the hardest opponent out of the three A-side fighters. 'The Takeover' is currently set on defending his WBO title at super lightweight before stepping up and joining his contemporaries Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia at welterweight. Make no mistake – Lopez is very keen on facing Garcia or Haney in the near future, but the Olympian is acutely aware that he must first contend with the challenge of Arnold Barboza Jr. Barboza enters the bout with an impressive 32 wins without a defeat, making him more experienced as a professional than any fighter on Friday's card. There is clearly a bit of needle between the pair, with Lopez slapping Barboza at a face-off earlier this year.
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Final press conference for Times Square boxing descends into slanging match between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney
The final press conference before Friday's boxing at Times Square in New York devolved yesterday into a slanging match between the Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney camps. The two camps, who are not facing each other as opponents have a long and torrid history of baiting the other side. Garcia and Devin Haney fought each other in April last year, with Garcia initially winning a majority decision over twelve rounds. However, the fight's result was switched to a no-contest after Garcia failed a PED test for ostarine. On Friday, the two fighters will share the same card, with Garcia fighting Rolando Romero and Devin Haney facing off against Jose Carlos Ramirez. Since their fight last year, the two sides have frequently traded barbs, with Devin Haney's father Bill openly questioning Garcia's changed physique following the failed test. On the dais this week at the final press conference, Garcia was questioned about the rivalry between he and Devin Haney. Haney's father, it was put to him, had reignited the enmity the day before. Garcia responded: 'He was coming at my physique, but it's all good. They were saying the same thing last time, and they got their ass whupped last time, too. They're going to get their ass whupped again.' Garcia continued: 'Jose's got that left hook, too!' Eventually, Billy Haney responded by asking what had happened to Garcia. 'What the hell happened to Ryan Garcia? This is not the same Garcia at all,' he said. Garcia said that the Haneys did not want to see his 'crazy' personalities before launching into a string of insults at the two. The elder Haney then referred to Garcia's failed test for ostarine last year. Garcia responded by mentioning Victor Conte, who formerly ran the steroid operation known as BALCO, before telling Bill Haney to 'shut the **** up'. Despite the emcee attempting to move the conversation along by pivoting to Garcia's coach Derrick James, the elder Haney pushed still against Garcia. Haney said to Garcia's coach Derrick James: 'Are you going to be the one that's doing the weight cut, because I'm confused? Are you doing the weight cut this time, sir? I know you're a legendary trainer, and I love you to death, but is Derrick James doing the weight cut this time so there's no confusion? I'm just asking for the Romero team.' James responded by just saying that everything was 'good'. Bill Haney referred again to Garcia's failed PED test from last year, asking whether the fighter would be 'clean' for the fight this weekend. Garcia responded: 'It's the same type of **** he said last time. You already got your ass kicked last time. I don't really got much to say. Your son got ****ed up already. What is there to say? You already got ****** up.'
