[IMPORTANT: Make this 4 times longer with much more detail]
Boxing They Will Rumble In Times Square by Rich Mancuso March 4, 2025 Image Credit: Geoffrey Knott/Matchroom Boxing NEW YORK, NY — Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, Eddie Hearn, head of Matchroom Boxing, and Top Rank represented all on one platform late Tuesday afternoon in the heart of Times Square in New York City. There they were with six of the huge names — Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, Rolly Romero, Jose Ramirez, Arnold Barboza Jr. and the show stopper Teofimo Lopez. They headline a Ring Magazine triple header outdoors in the crossroads of the world, Friday evening May 2nd. Only 350 seats for fans, this isn’t a New Year’s Eve celebration so how they will pull this off remains to be seen. An AI projection of the ring and set up for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves in Times Square -Image Credit: Ring Magazine But this is boxing and where the unusual circumstances take place in a ring and planning what promoters say is best for the sport. They say this will be a super-card three-fight spectacular in Times Square, perhaps it will not supersede some of the recent. Perhaps not in the magnitude of mega boxing cards a few minutes away from 8th Avenue and the Mecca of Madison Square Garden. However “Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves” has suspense and implications for bigger fights this year that involves the participants, only boxing can do it this way with exception of those who grapple and devise a script with WWE. The matchups in Times Square provide a perspective of two champions (Lopez’ WBO junior welterweight title versus Barboza) in quest to unify the division with another champion Richardson Hitchins. Devin Haney and Jose Ramirez, and the return of Ryan Garcia versus former champion Rolly Romero is the main event. Image Credit: Ring Magazine Of course all eyes are on Garcia, returning from a year suspension imposed with getting nailed for failing a drug test and using a banned substance last April 1st at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, a no contest versus Haney that resulted in the fight being thrown off the books. Garcia is seeking gold again, at 140 and vows he is different, always saying his suspension was a conspiracy, yet he was caught with strict testing. Haney has apparently agreed to drop his lawsuit against Garcia as being a hazard to him. Recall, Garcia also did not make weight and admitted to drinking alcohol prior to their fight, seen also at their weight in. That was the boxing story of 2024 it was said, more so from Haney, they would never meet again. But if both prevail they are headed for an anticipated and hyped second fight later this year. Only in boxing can this happen, different from other major sports leagues that have authority with a commissioner. Boxing politics is dictated with alphabet soup organizations and now with the millions that promoters are lured into with Turki Al-Sheikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority who recently purchased a revived Ring Magazine. Image Credit: Ring Magazine The Turki has revived boxing. He has brought the promoters together and fighters are getting mega fights. Though most of the activity of mega fights are taking place in Riyadh, good to a certain extent because fight fans here have a void. They can’t go to the Garden, or venues in Las Vegas where plenty of boxing history is a symbol of the sport. Regardless, we have sort of a mega card in Times Square. The Turki is also at the forefront of this one. Boxing fans who are lucky enough to get one of those tickets will be in paradise. Though their intent is to lure boxing back into the mainstream, they say boxing is back. To the contrary, boxing is no longer mainstream and luring those fans back into the picture has been difficult. Though this one will get some mainstream attention. The names are there for the astute fans who follow. Outdoors in Times Square as the venue will gather some headlines because the event is in the crossroads of the world. They shouted insults at each other on the podium and Lopez again took center stage. Image Credit: Geoffrey Knott/Matchroom Boxing The three fights and Lopez versus Barboza to many should be the major fight but Ryan Garcia and his return overshadowed that. Ryan Garcia (24-1, NC, 20 K0s, Mexican-American) vs Rolando “Rolly” Ronero (16-2, 13 KOs, Mexican-American) junior welterweights. Romero with the knockout ratio but losing two of his last three fights including the WBA title to Issac “Pitbull” Cruz. Image Credit: Geoffrey Knott/Matchroom Boxing Devin Haney (31-0,1 NC, 15 KOs) vs. Jose Ramirez (Mexican-American) (29-2, 18 KOs) both moved up to welterweight, interesting because Garcia and Haney could also meet at that weight in a rematch. Haney has not fought since meeting Garcia who put him on the canvas three times. Ramirez, a former unified junior welterweight champion needs this win to remain a fixture in another title hunt. Image Credit: Ring Magazine Teofimo Lopez (Honduran, of Brooklyn NY, 21-1, 13 KOs) attempting to take over the junior welterweight division. He is the showstopper two-division champion and still remains under Top Rank umbrella though in a two-fight deal with Turki. But in June was not resembling the lightweight king he was against Steve Claggett. Image Credit: Geoffrey Knott/Matchroom Boxing Barboza, a Mexican-American at 32-0, 11 KOs, with Golden Boy and De La Hoya earned the title opportunity with a mandatory win over Jake Catterall in Manchester last month. Ticket information for those limited few will be announced soon. Regardless, boxing in Times Square is the most unusual venue. The Davis Hair Knockdown: Saturday at Barclays Center Gervonta “Tank” Davis should have lost his WBA lightweight title to Lamont Roach. He took a knee in round 9. The punch from Roach was obvious and referee Steve Willis started the count and stopped at the three count. Image Credit: Prime Video Knockdown and 10-8 round for Roach would have given him the championship in a close fight. Willis not ruling a knockdown and that was the difference of a Roach decision in a fight that resulted in a draw. Davis, though, said he took a knee due to grease from hair treatment that burned his eyes. The outcome has caused an uproar, boxing controversy at its best. Roach warrants a rematch and that won’t happen anytime soon. The New York State Athletic Commission in their second controversial situation, Garcia last year and released a statement: “The commission is reviewing the matter. The commission is dedicated to preserving the integrity of combative sports and is committed to working with all promotions and production teams on behalf of the athletes, officials and fans to ensure technical issues don’t happen in the future.” Image Credit: Premier Boxing Champions Basically the NYSAC is reviewing footage of the fight. They said there was a technical issue at ringside to determine if that punch was a knockdown and the referee decision stood. Regardless this was another of those controversial decisions and what else is new in a sport that is subjective with the scorecards. Boxing needs reform, a classic example is how Roach was robbed of the title due to a technicality, an obvious both from Willis. A rematch is definitely warranted. The referee here obviously is the center of controversy. Serrano Inks Deal With Jake Paul: Amanda Serrano is the pride of Puerto Rico and seven-division world champion. She is the face of female boxing and the leading purse earned in the division. Jake Paul the YouTube sensation and turned pro fighter, co-owner of Most Valuable Promotions have also propelled Serrano’s stardom and popularity. On Tuesday, Paul and MVP announced that Serrano signed a lifetime MVP contract and continued as chairwoman of the promotion and female agenda for women in their stable. Image Credit: Al Betto/Getty Images for Netflix She said, “Signing this lifetime deal with MVP means I can continue fighting not just in the ring bit for the next generation of women in combat sports.” Serrano was the first female fighter to headline a main event at Madison Square Garden, a record gate. And her two fights with Katie Taylor also established viewership records with controversial world title defeats, the last in November with 50 million households viewing on Netflix prior to Paul meeting Mike Tyson. Serrano and Taylor are reportedly in discussion for a trilogy fight. This time though the super lightweight fight would take place in Belfast, Ireland, the birthplace of Taylor. Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and contributor at LatinoSports.com – X: (@Ring 786), Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso Keep It In The Ring with Rich Mancuso live every Thursday 8pm ET. Boxing, pro wrestling, MMA chat and analysis. Subscribe @Rich Mancuso @YouTube Follow us on Social Media for updates and exclusive content Instagram: @latinosportsoficial Facebook: Latino Sports Twitter: @latinosports Related Topics Amanda Serrano Arnold Barboza Jr. boxing Devin Haney Eddie Hearn Fatal Fury Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves featured Gervonta Davis Jake Paul Jose Ramirez Lamont Roach Matchroom Boxing Most Valuable Promotions MVP Promotions New York City Oscar De La Hoya Richardson Hitchins Ring Magazine Rolly Romero Ryan Garcia Teofimo Lopez Times Square Top Rank Top Rank Boxing Turki Al-Sheikh Click to comment Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. 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