Is The Main Event A Mismatch? Undercard’s Charisma Casts Doubt On Rolando Romero Vs. Ryan Garcia

Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero says it doesn’t bother him that fans and the media are talking more about the undercard of the May 2nd Fatal Fury event than they are about him in the headliner against Ryan Garcia at Times Square in New York City. Romero was just a wallflower at the press conference.

Invisible Rolly

Rolly was an invisible person during yesterday’s press conference, largely ignored, while Ryan, Teofimo Lopez, Arbold Barboza Jr. and Devin Haney hogged the limelight. Some feel that Romero doesn’t make the headliner a true one because he lacks the talent and persona of the undercard fighters, which puts Kingry (24-1, 20 KOs) in a bad spot.

“I’m not one of them and that’s what’s going on. I don’t give a f*** about any of that s***. My only concern is beating Ryan Garcia,” said Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero to Fight Hub TV, when asked if it bothers him that people aren’t mentioning his name enough to make this a true main event. “I know him. I know him really well,” said Rolly on what gives him the edge against Ryan.

“There’s no fear with Devin. He has no power. Also, he [Garcia] wanted to come in with all that extra weight overweight. That makes a big difference,” said Romero when asked why Garcia did so well against Devin Haney in his last fight. “There’s still controversy with that fight. Devin was winning damn near every round that he ddin’t get dropped. Even rounds he got dropped, he was winning the round and he got dropped.”

Did Turki Alalshikh and the event organizers make a mistake using Rolly Romero as Ryan Garcia’s comeback opponent rather than someone with more charisma and seen as a threat to beating him? You can definitely make that argument.

Given that the welterweight division is so barren of talent, a light welterweight would have needed to be recruited for the job to face Ryan Garcia in the main event.