NEW YORK — The neon glow of Times Square will dim tonight, May 2, 2025, as a boxing ring takes center stage for a historic triple-header, headlined by Ryan Garcia squaring off against Rolando “Rolly” Romero for the vacant WBA welterweight title. This ain’t just another fight night—it’s a spectacle, the first time this iconic Manhattan crossroads hosts a pro boxing card. With Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez also throwing punches on the undercard, the stakes are sky-high, and the bookies are buzzing.
Garcia, 26, steps into the ring with a record of 24 wins, 1 loss, and 20 knockouts. He’s been out of action since April 2024, when he dropped Haney three times in a majority decision win that was later ruled a no-contest after Garcia tested positive for Ostarine, a banned substance. The New York State Athletic Commission slapped him with a one-year suspension, a $10,000 fine, and forced him to return his $1.1 million purse. Now, cleared to fight, Garcia’s got a chip on his shoulder and a left hook that’s been the talk of the gym. He weighed in at 146.8 pounds, just under the 147-pound welterweight limit.
Romero, 29, brings a 16-2 record with 13 knockouts and a reputation for swinging hard and talking harder. His last outing was a unanimous decision win over Manuel Jaimes in September 2024, a rebound from an eighth-round TKO loss to Isaac Cruz in March of that year. Romero’s been stopped twice before—by Cruz and Gervonta Davis in 2022—and critics say his defense is as leaky as a New York subway station in a storm. He tipped the scales at 146.6 pounds, ready to brawl.
The betting lines tell a lopsided story. Garcia is a heavy favorite at -900, meaning a $900 bet nets you just $100 if he wins. Romero, the underdog at +550, could turn a $100 wager into $550 if he pulls off the upset. Prop bets lean toward a quick finish: Garcia to win by knockout in rounds 1-6 sits at +130, while the fight going under 6.5 rounds is priced at -115. Both fighters pack serious power—Garcia with an 83% knockout rate, Romero at 81%—but Garcia’s speed and two-inch height and reach advantages give him the edge on paper.
The undercard is no slouch either. Devin Haney, 31-0 with 15 knockouts, faces Jose Ramirez, 29-2 with 18 knockouts, in a welterweight clash at a 144-pound catchweight. Haney, still stinging from that no-contest against Garcia, is a -1200 favorite, while Ramirez, a former unified junior welterweight champ, sits at +700. The opener features Teofimo Lopez, 21-1 with 13 knockouts, defending his WBO junior welterweight title against unbeaten Arnold Barboza Jr., 32-0 with 11 knockouts. Lopez is favored at -250, with Barboza at +200.
The event, dubbed “Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves,” kicks off at 6 p.m. ET on DAZN pay-per-view, with the main event ringwalk expected around 11 p.m. ET. A single card costs $59.99, but fans can snag a deal for $34.99 if they bundle it with Saturday’s Canelo Alvarez-William Scull fight. The ring will sit at the intersection of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street, a logistical feat pulled off by promoter Turki Alalshikh and Ring Magazine.
Garcia’s camp has been vocal about his focus. He’s ditched the booze and distractions, training under Derrick James to sharpen his already blistering hand speed. Romero, meanwhile, shrugs off the odds, banking on his unorthodox power to catch Garcia off guard. Both men share a common foe in Davis—Garcia went seven rounds before a body shot ended it, while Romero was stopped in six. That history looms large as they step into the spotlight.
The triple-header is part of a packed boxing weekend, with Alvarez facing Scull in Riyadh on Saturday and Naoya Inoue defending his undisputed crown stateside on Sunday. Times Square, no stranger to chaos, will see a different kind of battle tonight—one where fists, not cabbies, vie for supremacy.