NEW YORK – An exciting boxing tripleheader is scheduled to take place in Times Square on May 2, featuring the much-anticipated returns of Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney, along with Teofimo Lopez defending his title. Turki Alalshikh, the leader of Riyadh Season and the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia, announced this enticing card. It marks Garcia and Haney’s return to New York following their memorable encounter in 2024 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. That bout initially saw Garcia victorious, but later ruled a no-contest due to Garcia testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, which led to a one-year suspension by the New York State Athletic Commission.
Wins for these two boxers could potentially set the stage for an eagerly awaited rematch.
In the main event of the Ring Magazine “Fatal Fury: City of The Wolves” showcase, Garcia (boasting a record of 24 wins, 1 loss, and 20 knockouts) will face Rolando “Rolly” Romero, who possesses a 16-2 record with 13 knockouts and who previously encountered a defeat at the hands of lightweight champion Gervonta Davis in 2022 in New York.
Meanwhile, Haney, still undefeated with 31 victories including 15 knockouts, will move up in weight class to welterweight. There, he is set to clash with Jose Ramirez, whose record stands at 29-2 with 18 knockouts. Both are former champions at 140 pounds.
In their previous encounter, Garcia floored Haney thrice and secured a majority decision win. Nevertheless, Garcia was not eligible to claim Haney’s title outside the ring due to exceeding the 140-pound weight limit by more than 3 pounds.
The event will commence with Lopez, with a record of 21 wins, 1 defeat, and 13 knockouts, making a hometown appearance to defend his WBO junior welterweight title against the unbeaten Arnold Barboza Jr., who holds a 32-0 record with 11 knockouts.
Further details concerning the venue setup amidst the iconic New York tourist spot have yet to be unveiled. However, boxing fans can look forward to catching all the action live on pay-per-view.
