LOS ANGELES – Rolando Romero has never shied away from braggadocio despite the recent setbacks and shaky performances, and it’s no different heading into his May 2 welterweight showdown against Ryan Garcia to headline a Ring Magazine card in Times Square, New York
on DAZN PPV.
The game plan Romero (16-2, 13 KOs) is planning to implement to beat Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) is quite simple.
“I have to hit him really hard in the face,” Romero told The Ring in an interview. “I don't think the fight is going to last. It might be a brawl. We don't know. I am going to f--k him up. He's going to be flat-lined on the canvas. He might get hit once and hop out of the ring. The only thing on my mind is beating the sh!t out of Ryan Garcia. But I won't hit him too hard because I don't want to mess up his pretty face and mess up his modeling gigs … What is he doing to prepare for my power? From what I've noticed, he's allergic to punchers. He quit against Tank.”
Romero and Garcia both share a knockout loss to Davis. Garcia was stopped by a body shot from Davis and counted out while Romero was knocked down with a thunderous left hook that left him on unsteady legs, which forced the referee to stop the fight.
The 29-year-old Las Vegas native Romero is 2-2 over his last four fights against Davis (TKO6; loss), Ismael Barroso (TKO9; win); Isaac Cruz (TKO8; loss), and Manuel Jaimes (UD10).
In the Barroso fight, Romero was down on the scorecards when referee Tony Weeks controversially stopped the contest, allowing Romero to sneak away with the WBA 140-pound crown.
“I am just blessed to be a very entertaining personality in the boxing world,” said Romero. “This is my natural personality. I don't have to try for this. This is just me. When you have to try, it doesn't come off as natural. It doesn't have the same effect … F--k all the money, fame, and all that bullsh!t. The only thing that matters is being the champion.”
A secondary WBA title will be on the line for Garcia and Romero.
Manouk Akopyan is The Ring’s lead writer. Follow him on X/Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan.