With Loss, Ryan Garcia Is Back In The Driver’s Seat Of His Career

Ryan Garcia showed up for his Times Square boxing match in the Batmobile. Like Batman in Gotham, he was supposed to swoop in for a quick win. A Times Square victory was expected to set up a blockbuster rematch with Devin Haney.

For now, Rollie Romero upset all that, earning a 12-round decision that derails the Haney rematch. But that might work to Garcia’s advantage.

Garcia had previously made it clear that his interest in the Haney fight was primarily tied to the promotional appeal of Riyadh Season. He feels he beat Haney cleanly (despite the controversial drug test results), and wasn’t particularly eager to run it back unless the business made sense.

Ryan Garcia really rocked up in a Batmobile 🦇

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Garcia’s recent loss may have shocked fans and critics alike, but this isn’t 2015. We are in the post-Mayweather era of boxing, where one loss—even to someone like Romero—doesn’t define a career. So Garcia remains very much in the mix.

While the Haney rematch is off the table for now, other, perhaps more interesting options emerge. A come-forward fighter like Subriel Matías or Liam Paro could offer the stylistic clash Garcia thrives against. Romero was also supposed to be one of those, but the low punch totals for the fight suggest otherwise.

MORE: Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney Highlight Disappointing Times Square Card

But the most exciting option might be Conor Benn. Both Garcia and Benn are coming off losses, and Benn showed in the build-up to the Eubank Jr. fight that he knows how to sell a spectacle.
A Garcia vs Benn fight would be a transatlantic UK-US event with massive appeal. Benn also speaks fluent Spanish, which could help the fight land with Latino fans, an under-tapped market in a bout like this.

Both fighters have flirted with the idea in the past. While Benn recently downplayed interest after watching Garcia’s latest outing, money talks, and there’s plenty of it available to make this fight happen if Garcia wants it. Teofimo Lopez, who also appeared on the Time's Square card, is a Hall of Fame instigator and a fight between Garcia and Lopez would also be easy to make. The Victorville Bomber is a better fighter than Rolly Romero.

Watch Rolly Romero’s knockdown of Ryan Garcia in slow motion 😮‍💨

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There’s little doubt that Garcia’s long layoff in boxing’s proverbial penalty box played a significant role in his lackluster performance. Still, Garcia has consistently demonstrated the ability to rebound, whether from in-ring setbacks or social media storms. This time will be no different.

Ironically, the loss strengthens his hand in avoiding the Haney rematch on unfavorable terms. Now, he can pivot to more marketable or manageable fights.

He may have entered the ring in the Batmobile expecting a clean win, but he left in the proverbial driver’s seat, controlling his narrative once again.

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