An old rivalry has come to the surface after Ryan Garcia suffered an upset loss to Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero earlier this month in Times Square, New York. The former WBA super lightweight champion stunned fans by dropping Garcia with his own signature left hook in the second round and thus securing a unanimous decision victory.

The upset not only handed Garcia a major setback but also cast doubt over his future in the sport. Regardless, after the victory, Romero appeared on the Pound for Pound podcast with Kamaru Usman & Henry Cejudo, where the former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion claimed beating Garcia would be easy money.

You see, Garcia first called out Cejudo all the way back on May 12, 2020, on X, asking his followers whether the former UFC champion could give him a good fight in the boxing ring. “You think @HenryCejudo would give me a good fight in the boxing ring?” Garcia had mused. This was in response to Cejudo’s UFC 249 victory over Dominick Cruz on May 9, 2020. Interestingly, ‘Triple C’ had announced his retirement from the sport after the win, but after being called out by Garcia, Cejudo seemed open to the challenge. Later in July of the same year, Garcia appeared in an interview with Ariel Helwani, where he challenged Cejudo to both a boxing match and an MMA fight.

Despite the heated exchanges between the duo back then, a fight never really materialized. However, during Romero’s appearance in Cejudo’s podcast recently, ‘Rolly’ brought up the topic once again, asking, “Wasn’t Ryan calling you out or something?” To which, Cejudo responded by stating, “Me? Yeah! A long time ago.”

However, he proceeded to ask Romero whether he could beat Garcia since Romero did it earlier this month. “I think you should beat the shit out of him in some MMA,” Romero quickly responded. To this, Cejudo agreed, stating, “That’s easy money, bro.” Despite Cejudo’s claims, it’s unlikely, the pair would ever end up fighting.

This begs the question: What’s next for the Victorville native?

Disappointed, Ryan Garcia explores next steps

Ryan Garcia is reevaluating his future after a shocking upset loss to Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero in New York. Entering as an 11-1 favorite, Garcia was dropped in the second round and outboxed over 12 rounds, losing by wide margins. The defeat has cast doubt on his scheduled October rematch with Devin Haney. “You know, whatever the fans want,” Garcia said post-fight.

“If they want me to, you know, run it back with Rollies, let’s do it. If they want me to go straight for Devin, let’s do it.” Garcia, now fighting at welterweight, admitted he didn’t feel like himself: “Today I didn’t feel good at all… maybe a little slower.” After missing weight for his last two fights, Garcia confirmed he’s done with the 140-pound division. 

Whether it’s Haney or Romero next, Garcia’s road to redemption will demand more than just name recognition—it will require a renewed sense of focus and discipline.

That said, as Ryan Garcia’s career takes a new and uncertain turn, his past rivalry with Henry Cejudo seems to be making a return. While it’s unlikely to happen, it would be interesting to see what the Victorville native does next. Do you think Cejudo can beat Garcia in a boxing match?