Rolando Romero dropped Ryan Garcia! The unthinkable unfolded before a stunned crowd at Times Square. Entering the fight as a heavy favorite, most expected Garcia to dispatch his former sparring partner with ease. But fate had other plans. In the second round, Romero, the former super lightweight champion who’s faced his own share of scrutiny, unleashed a blistering left hook. It sent Garcia to the canvas. Perhaps the first time he’d been dropped since his KO loss to Gervonta Davis two years ago.

The venue erupted. Gasps, disbelief, and roaring chaos filled the air. At ringside, sitting in as a fight analyst, Mike Tyson remained frozen, his eyes wide. Flanked by boxing royalty, Bernard Hopkins, Shakur Stevenson, Terence Crawford, and former rival Lennox Lewis, the former heavyweight champion looked utterly stunned. Garcia, making his long-awaited return after a year-long suspension, had just hit the deck. No one saw it coming.

A knockdown and the final blow – Rolando Romero turns the tables on Ryan Garcia

In the end, Rolando Romero secured a victory that many believed would determine the fate of his boxing career. A career already hanging by a thread after his devastating loss to Isaac Cruz last year. Had he lost to Ryan Garcia, it might have marked the beginning of the end. The judges announced the scores: a unanimous decision for Romero. Two judges scored the fight 115–112, while the third gave a wide margin of 118–109 in favor of the 29-year-old Las Vegas native. With that, Romero may have added a few more years to his boxing journey.

And when he dropped Garcia, the crowd erupted. Terence Crawford and his close friend and protege Shakur Stevenson leaped out of their seats. “Hey Ryan, keep your hands up!” Stevenson shouted. Soaking in the electric atmosphere was Mike Tyson, dressed in a colorful, eye-catching outfit and holding what appeared to be a copy of ‘The Ring’ magazine.

The former heavyweight champion, who had his 59th professional bout just six months ago, was a crowd favorite. “Relax, Ryan,” Tyson quipped, seemingly taunting Garcia.

The spotlight dims on Ryan Garcia

Meanwhile, Devin Haney‘s win over Jose Ramirez has cast further doubt on a potential rematch with Garcia. With Garcia’s loss, the hype surrounding a Haney-Garcia bout now hangs in the balance.

Rick Glaser commented, “Ryan Garcia was horrible, Rolly Romero wasn’t much better, but good enough to get a big upset UD12 win. Ryan made little effort, fought like he didn’t want to be in there, period. Back to the drawing board for Ryan Garcia, but needs to do some real soul searching before he fights again!”

And rightfully so. The baggage Garcia carried into this fight, controversy surrounding the Haney bout, bizarre conduct, missing weight, positive drug tests, a suspension, and a WBC ban may have taken a toll on his ability to stage a strong comeback. His callout to unified welterweight champion Jaron Ennis now feels like mere wishful thinking.

For Romero, this was the morale booster he desperately needed. A win over one of boxing’s biggest stars is the perfect comeback narrative. After losing his 140-pound title to Cruz 12 months ago, Romero now has renewed momentum and perhaps a legitimate case for another shot at title contention.

What’s your take on the Garcia-Romero showdown? Does this loss shut the door on a potential Garcia-Haney rematch?