Ryan Garcia suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Rolando “Rolly” Romero on Friday night in Times Square, losing on points in his first fight since returning from a one-year doping ban.

American welterweight Ryan Garcia was unexpectedly beaten at Times Square in his long-awaited return to the ring. Garcia was banned by boxing authorities after testing positive for a prohibited substance last year but lost to Rolly Romero by unanimous decision after a knockdown in the second round of their bout.

It’s a disastrous return to action for Garcia, who hadn’t fought since earning a suspension following his overturned bout with Haney in April 2024, having failed the post-fight drug test. For Romero, it’s a massive burst of new life for a career that seemed it had reached its peak.