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Ryan Garcia's next bout is turning heads for more than just what happens in the ring. On Friday night, Garcia will face Rolando “Rolly” Romero in an unprecedented Times Square fight, a setting that has never hosted a marquee boxing event, BoxingScene reports. The moment is steeped in spectacle, and Oscar De La Hoya, Garcia’s promoter, is leaning into it — with a little help from his girlfriend, Holly Sonders.
Ahead of the fight, De La Hoya gushed not only about the event's historic location, but also about Sonders’ glamor. “Holly’s dress… just wow,” he said, praising her skin-tight look before pivoting to the fight itself. For Sonders, the venue marks a turning point in how boxing presents itself. “It’s a game changer,” she said. “All the screens will light up like New Year’s Eve — the glamor is back.”
Sonders also teased the A-list energy at the event, with 100 to 200 VIPs and celebrities slated to sit ringside. That old-Hollywood energy is exactly what De La Hoya wants to revive. And if Garcia delivers? The Golden Boy legend says he could explode into a “megastar.”
Cinco de Mayo weekend brings seismic boxing energy
The Garcia-Romero fight headlines the opening night of DAZN’s stacked Cinco de Mayo weekend tripleheader, which also includes Canelo Alvarez’s return to reclaim the undisputed super-middleweight crown and Naoya Inoue’s card in Las Vegas. For under $90, fans get a feast of fights — a rarity in today’s fragmented boxing landscape.
“We’re making history,” De La Hoya said. “Three major events, back to back to back — I’ve never seen this before.”
As Garcia steps into the spotlight after a year-long layoff and controversy surrounding his overturned win against Devin Haney, De La Hoya believes his fighter is embracing the villain arc. Booed by fans in New York, Garcia isn't backing down. Instead, he's stepping up.
“He’s going to knock [Romero] out. Devastatingly,” De La Hoya promised. If that happens, Ryan Garcia might not just win the belt — he might finally become boxing’s next big icon.
