Rolando “Rolly” Romero will replace Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and take on Ryan Garcia on May 2 at Times Square in New York. Cruz was initially set to fight Garcia but opted to stick with his scheduled February 1 bout against Angel Fierro before negotiating anything else. We had hoped to see Ryan clash with the hard-charging Pitbull, but now they’ll have to settle for Rolly, who last fought in March of last year.
Rolly’s most recent high-profile outing was a disappointing eighth-round knockout loss to Pitbull on March 30. Stepping into this opportunity, Romero will need to show he can capitalize on a potentially ring-rusty Garcia. Meanwhile, Garcia is looking to shake off any layoff-related issues and build momentum before a rumored October rematch with Devin Haney.
Watch Rolly vs. Pitbull highlights: Watch
This May 2 card, promoted by Turki Al-Sheikh, also features Devin Haney vs. Jose Ramirez and a heavyweight clash between Martin Bakole and Efe Ajagba. While some mightquestion the level of excitement Rolly brings compared to Pitbull, this fight is a chance for Romero to prove he’s still a threat at light welterweight. For Garcia, it’s a tune-up that he can’t afford to overlook.
Get to know more about Rolando Romero’s career.
Image Credit: ESPN