Ryan Garcia vs. Rolando Romero: Who Wins?

Why This Fight Is Important

It’s not going to do Garcia any good just to go out there and destroy Romero in a round. That would be almost pointless unless Golden Boy already has a plan in place for him to fight again in late May or early June. If that’s the case, go ahead and get your viral Instagram-reel KO. It’s going to happen. The only question remaining would be which round the knockout occurs.

On the other hand, we truly don’t know what version of Garcia we will see. That’s the tricky thing about positive drug tests. It opens up a can of worms. Let’s use some more recent examples. When he was accentuating up the ranks, former heavyweight contender Lucas Browne was talking a big game, knocking out guys left and right. Full stop. Steroids. After he tested positive, Browne was no longer the walking killing machine he appeared or claimed to be. Instantaneously, he became a walking heavy bag for anyone with some skill. Sorry. That’s just the truth.

And we can’t forget about Jarrell Miller, the most feared heavyweight prospect at one point. Fans and observers were mesmerized by how a massive heavyweight could possess the speed of an elite fighter, several weight classes beneath him. Well, we got a taste of that Vitamin C in 2019 when he tested positive three times for four potent performance-enhancing drugs before a then-scheduled clash with then-undefeated unified world champion Anthony Joshua. It was like he robbed a local pharmacy and said, “Screw it, let’s swallow everything.”

However, not every fighter falls into this trap. Take Canelo Alvarez, for instance, who, despite his failed tests for clenbuterol, continued to fight at an elite level and still does.

With that said, everyone will be watching to see how Garcia looks. Will he look better? Will he look worse? Or, for the betting individual who wishes to become instantly rich based on pure fantasy, will “Rolly” Romero win the fight?

Ryan Garcia Shall Prevail

Regardless of how lopsided this fight will end, the event is still a spectacle. Times Square will be transformed into a boxing venue for the first time in its illustrious history. Devin Haney makes his return against Jose Ramirez at 147 pounds, and Teofimo Lopez defends his 140-pound belt against unbeaten Arnold Barboza Jr., which could be the best fight on the card, especially after the bad blood that we’ve seen erupt between these two men both at their first face-to-face meeting and the initial press conference.

Expect Garcia to bide his time and work Romero with the jab to start the fight with the occasional left and right mixed in. Once he gets warmed up, Garcia will gradually wear Romero down to the body. And in the seventh round, it will all come crashing down. A body-head combination will stop Romero in his tracks.

In summary, it’s a glorified stay-busy fight with Garcia controlling the action, while Romero employs a sustained aggressive approach coupled with a plethora of taekwondo-style kihaps. But in the end, Garcia will silence the noise and take home the win and the big check.

Garcia vs. Romero Prediction: Garcia by seventh-round TKO

RYAN GARCIA VS ROLANDO ROMERO BETTING ODDS

Per DraftKings SportsBook, Ryan Garcia is the favorite at -900, and Rolando Romero is the underdog at +550.

Ryan Garcia: TKO/KO -350; Decision +500

Draw: +1800

Rolando Romero: TKO/KO +800; Decision +1800