Boxing

Jim Lampley Previews Times Square Boxing Card (Exclusive)

International Hall of Fame commentator Jim Lampley broke down the Times Square card on Friday.
Nathaniel Marrero|
Jim Lampley (right) and Larry Merchant (left).
Jim Lampley (right) and Larry Merchant (left). | IMAGO/Hoganphotos

The venue and stacked card on Friday at Times Square in New York isn't the only thing grabbing headlines.

International Boxing Hall of Famer Jim Lampley will make his return to ringside for the first time since HBO Boxing's last telecast on Dec. 8, 2018. Lampley was HBO Boxing's blow-by-blow commentator for 30 years before it stopped broadcasting the sport.

Given the time off, Lampley is looking to live up to his expectations in his and hoping to show he still has it at 76 years old.

"Fans can expect to listen to a guy who has not called a fight in a while trying to show that he still has the same passion, the same devotion, the same informational capability, the same psychological understanding of fighters that he had before," Lampley told KO on SI.

Lampley added: "If I can to my own satisfaction demonstrate all that, then I'll take it. I will live with whatever is the critical response and the fan response if within my own self and my own constitution, I believe I have fulfilled all of those prerequisites."

Lampley will be ringside for Ryan Garcia vs. Rolando "Rolly" Romero for a secondary WBA welterweight title, Devin Haney vs. Jose Ramirez at a catchweight of 144 pounds and WBO and Ring Magazine junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez defending his titles against undefeated interim WBO junior welterweight champion Arnold Barboza Jr.

Garcia's (24-1, 20 KOs) return to the ring will be his first since serving a one-year suspension due to multiple positive tests for ostarine, which overturned his decision victory over Haney on April 20, 2024. Lampley lauded Garcia's skillset, though, he also wasn't a fan of Garcia's actions toward VADA in the aftermath of his failed drug tests.

MORE: Exclusive: Hall-Of-Fame Broadcaster Jim Lampley Excited For Return On May 2nd

Ultimately, Lampley believes Garcia moving up to welterweight could prove to his benefit as long as he's in the right headspace.

"I think he still has tremendous potential as he goes up in weight," Lampley said. "Going to 147, I think he has even more potential. I think that weight class is likely to be kind to Ryan Garcia, but where is his personality now? What’s his preparation like? Is he ready to accept the challenge of looking good now and heading toward a potential rematch against Haney? Those are all things we're going to find out on the night of May 2."

Romero (16-2, 13 KOs) is a former WBA junior welterweight champion and defeated Manuel Jaimes by unanimous decision in his last fight on Sept. 14.

Alongside Garcia, Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) faces the most question marks after he was dropped three times in the no-contest. How he recovers and looks against Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs), who is a former unified junior welterweight champion, will go a long way toward seeing if Haney is still one of boxing's best talents.

MORE: Exclusive: Jim Lampley Honors Mother With Memoir

Lampley believes there are still mental hurdles for Haney to overcome and how he trained will go a long way toward exorcising those demons. The Hall of Fame broadcaster also thinks Haney would benefit from going deep into the fight against Ramirez, rather than it ending early.

"He's a fighter with enormous talent, as he showed in the past," Lampley said. "He is more of a boxer than a puncher, although he has scored some meaningful knockouts. At the end of the day, I think Devin Haney is looking to re-establish himself. It's probably better for him to fight 9,10, 11,12 rounds than to walk away with a two or three-round knockout. I think that he needs time and exposure in the ring to reestablish the baseline confidence that it takes to be a great fighter."

The last time Haney stopped an opponent was on Sept. 13, 2019, against Zaur Abdullaev after his corner stopped the fight after the fourth round. Ramirez has only been knocked down twice and has never been stopped in his career.

Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) vs. Barboza Jr. (32-0, 11 KOs) is the lone fight with a world title on the line. For Barboza, it has been a long time coming, as he won the interim WBO title in his last fight with a split decision victory over Jack Catterall.

Watch the fights on DAZN here

Lampley believes Barboza Jr. has flown under the radar and that he's more than capable of giving Lopez a tough night at the office.

"I think Barboza is underrated. I think he comes from a very positive gym culture in Los Angeles. I think he trains effectively...I am not at all surprised if Barboza poses a big problem for Teofimo."

Lopez is coming off a pair of uninspiring decision victories over Jamaine Ortiz and Steve Claggett, though, he remains one of boxing's top talents at his peak. Which version of Lopez shows up is one of many questions Lampley has heading into his bout vs. Barboza Jr. Ultimately, he believes Lopez vs. Barboza Jr. can go either way.

"If we see the Teofimo Lopez who defeated Vasily Lomachenko, that's a cosmically talented fighter who can beat anybody," Lampley said. "The Teofimo Lopez who lost to George Kambosos, that's a different story. So, which Lopez shows up? Is Barboza as ready as I've seen him in the past? I wouldn't want to be pinned to the wall to make a pick in that fight. I think anything can happen."

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Nathaniel Marrero
NATHANIEL MARRERO

Nathaniel Marrero is a writer for the Boxing, Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Ravens On SI sites. He's also written for the Orlando Sentinel and MLB.com, and was a part of UCF's sports show, Hitting The Field. He attended UCF and graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2023. Twitter/X: Nate_Marrero

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