Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs, 1 NC) and Rolando “Rolly” Romero (16-2, 13 KOs) will soon face each other in a 12-round welterweight clash.
Joining them will be Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC) who takes on Jose Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs) in a 12-round bout at a 144-lb catchweight. Additionally, Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) defends his WBO super lightweight title against Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-0, 11 KOs). Reito Tsutsumi will also be making his professional debut against Levale Whittington (1-2-1, 1 KO) in a six-round featherweight contest.
These bouts will take place on a card presented by SNK Corporation – in association with Golden Boy Promotions and Matchroom Boxing – at Times Square in New York City, NY. Fight fans around the world can catch the action live as a pay-per-view (PPV) on DAZN. (Note: SNK Corporation is a video gaming and interactive entertainment company owned by the Misk Foundation, an organization founded by the current crown prince of Saudi Arabia).
Ahead of their bouts on May 2, all fighters spoke at a press conference. Below is some of what they had to say.
Ryan Garcia vs. Rolly Romero Press Conference Quotes
Ryan Garcia
“Rolly [Romero] has never been seen as a real elite fighter so I’m just here to do my job,” said Garcia. “Knock him out and ride off into the sunset. That’s it.”
Rolly Romero
“Imma knock Ryan [Garcia] out and he can go have fun with Devin [Haney] right afterwards,” said Romero. “I think Devin deserves his rematch.”
Devin Haney
“Y’all can boo or y’all can cheer,” said Haney. “It don’t matter. It’s all noise. It’s all noise. When I dust Jose Ramirez off on Friday, Imma get to y’all boy Ryan [Garcia] after. That’s it.”
Jose Ramirez
“Last time I was in New York I became a world champion,” said Ramirez. “So, I got a good feeling about New York. [Makes statement in Spanish]. I know he’s a very talented fighter. I know he’s a good fighter, is a great fighter. On Friday May 2, I will beat Devin Haney and we’re going after the best version of Jose Ramirez [sic] and the best chapter yet to come.”
Teofimo Lopez
“I’m just grateful and thankful to be here amongst all of you,” said Lopez. “Ready to show you guys a third version of Teofimo that you have not seen. Let’s go.”
Arnold Barboza Jr.
“Like I said, I just came from doing it [defeating a fighter in their hometown],” said Barboza. “It turns me on, honestly, you know what I mean? So, look, we’re here to show up, show out. I’m excited. I’m blessed. God bless. Thank you to God, man. My Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. My family’s here, my people are here from LA, baby. From Belle Monte. That’s all I need, baby. That’s it. Let’s go.”
Reito Tsutsumi
“It is my debut fight so I would all the people in the world to see my fight and what I want to do is I want to make a really good impact for the people who’s watching the fight Friday night and I want people to see who is this guy,” said Tsutsumi.“I want to make [a] name for myself for this fight.”
Levale Whittington
“Y’all overlooking me,” said Whittington. “That’s cool and all. I ain’t want y’all to expect me to win. But Friday night, y’all are gonna see the best version of Levale Whittington.”
Fight Predictions
Ryan Garcia vs. Rolly Romero
This fight will definitely not go the distance. Between the two, Garcia is faster and a lot more skilled. Expect him to win by stoppage within eight rounds.
Devin Haney vs. Jose Ramirez
Haney will be having his first professional bout in over a year. In that same time, Ramirez has fought twice. However, at his best Haney is hard to hit, which allows him to ultimately win fights on the scorecards. Expect him to win a unanimous decision over Ramirez on Friday.
Teofimo Lopez vs. Arnold Barboza Jr.
Barboza is a fighter who can box off of the back foot and win fights doing so. Lopez has struggled with opponents who do not come forward, which is something that will work against him on Friday. Expect Barboza to win via unanimous decision.
Reito Tsutsumi vs. Levale Whittington
Tsutsumi was one of Japan’s most promising boxers during his time as an amateur. He now has the opportunity to showcase his skills at the professional level. Expect him to gradually break down Whittington and eventually win via late stoppage.
Full Press Conference
For the press conference in its entirety, click here or the play button below. Video courtesy of DAZN Boxing.
Currently writing out of Toronto, Canada, Saadeq first became a boxing fan while living in Doha, Qatar. Looking to become more involved in the sport, he began writing about boxing and has had work published in outlets such as Seconds Out and Boxing Social. He looks forward to continue covering boxing on Big Fight Weekend.
