As far as ‘Fatal Fury: City of Wolves‘ goes, the in-ring stories have fans buzzing. However, it seems there might be some lingering issues off-ring. With just two weeks to go, excitement continues to build. After all, how often do you come across some of the sport’s biggest names sharing the same card that too, in such an iconic location? Following last year’s highly popular clash and its fiery aftermath, the Riyadh Season event will feature Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney making a comeback, though not against each other.

Reports suggest that tickets for ‘Fatal Fury‘ may not be available to the general public. Instead, the event is expected to be invitation-only. So just a select group of VIPs, celebrities, and special guests will witness the show live. Regular fans? They might have to settle for watching from their screens. That sounds intense, wondering if it’s true? Let’s break it down. Five days from now, Ryan Garcia’s one-year suspension will officially end, clearing the way for him to appear at the May 2 Times Square spectacle. Some had hoped for a rematch with Haney. But Garcia will instead face former sparring partner Rolly Romero. Haney, on his part, will square off against ex-world champ Jose Ramirez.

Ryan Garcia vs Rolly Romero Tickets: Why Are They Not on Sale?

To set the record straight, a lot of what we know about the alleged ticket lockout comes from comments made by Matchroom chief, Eddie Hearn. A reporter asked Hearn to respond to fans’ disappointment that tickets won’t be available for the event. Especially since early visuals appeared to suggest a large public event in the heart of Times Square.

Hearn clarified that those ‘mock-up designs’ weren’t official. In fact, he believes an AI or fan-run social media account may have generated those. “There was never an intention to sell tickets for the event, I believe,” the Englishman added. While he expects some people to be in attendance, the event isn’t being planned with a real, live crowd in mind.

Instead, the focus is entirely on creating a blockbuster TV event, not live attendance. “It’s not about the crowd,” Hearn explained. It could be primarily because of the location. Times Square is unique. So it might have been planned purely for visual impact and broadcast spectacle, he speculated.

Hearn pointed out that purely on business terms, he wouldn’t have opted for the move. Holding the event without ticket sales means leaving $5–10 million in potential revenue! “I could never do this because you’re low. You’re literally leaving somewhere between 5 and 10 million dollars on the floor by not having a crowd,” he said.

Hearn even compared it to the potential 2026 boxing event scheduled to take place at the infamous prison island Alcatraz. These different locations enhance the visual experience for fans. Still even though they are exciting, they may not host large crowds.

Exploring the logic behind the choice

Speaking about the choice of the venue, Ring Magazine’s CEO said, “We wanted to do something special, something iconic, because if we put this in any other venue, any other location, it just would have been a really big event with three great fights.”

So it’s worth a thought. As of now, the card just features three fights: Garcia vs. Romero, Haney vs. Ramirez, and Teofimo Lopez vs. Arnold Barboza. Times Square is a world-renowned place. Even with its popularity, this event of one of a kind. The location is hosting a boxing event for the first in its history.

Oscar De La Hoya reportedly said that they expect ‘half a million people, for free.’ It’s something even Ryan Garcia mentioned on his Instagram post. In the absence of proper seating at one of the world’s busiest locations, how and where do organizers plan to accommodate the attendees?

So, even if early visuals may have suggested otherwise, based on Eddie Hearn’s comments, it seems general audience attendance was likely never part of the plan for the Fatal Fury Times Square event.

What do you think: Is turning ‘Fatal Fury’ into a made-for-TV VIP-only event a bold move? Or a missed opportunity for real boxing fans?