Rolando Romero wasn’t the first choice for Ryan Garcia’s comeback opponent – he preferred to take on Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz – nor is Romero foremost on Garcia’s mind.

But it is Romero whom Garcia will take on in the main event of a May 2 show in New York City’s Times Square. Should Garcia win, he is aiming for a rematch with one of the men in the event’s co-feature bout: Devin Haney, who will face Jose Ramirez on the undercard.

“Things played out a different way,” Garcia, 24-1 (20 KOs), said after a press conference held Monday and meant to hype up the show. “I’m really focused on just whooping Devin Haney’s ass again. That’s all I’m really worried about. Just to not even redeem myself, but to cement that bullshit fucking ostarine bullshit.” 

Garcia defeated Haney by majority decision after coming in massively overweight, and seemingly intentionally so, for their April 2024 bout. That result was overturned because Garcia then tested positive multiple times for ostarine in samples taken before the bout but whose results came back afterward. Ostarine is a performance-enhancing drug that helps athletes lose weight without losing muscle mass.

Garcia accepted the yearlong suspension and other punishment from the New York State Athletic Commission rather than fight the allegations, and yet he continued to accuse Haney and his team of being behind the positive tests.

“Which you probably did set up. We know you did that,” Garcia said, an allegation that lacks evidence. “Corruption at its finest. They couldn’t take the loss.”

Romero, meanwhile, didn’t sound bothered by Garcia looking past him, though Romero also didn’t sound overly engaged during the press conference altogether.

“I think Devin should get the fight again,” said Romero, 16-2 (13 KOs), who has lost two of his last four, stopped by Gervonta “Tank” Davis in 2022 and Cruz in 2024.

Earlier, Romero, a former junior welterweight titleholder who lost that belt to Cruz, said that he’s not very concerned with Garcia’s vaunted left hook. 

“You move the fuck out the way,” Romero said. “I don’t really got a game plan. I didn’t have one when I whooped his ass.”

That was a reference to a sparring session Romero says took place eight years ago.

Garcia believes there’s an explanation for Romero not being as verbose as he had been ahead of past fights.

“I think he’s a little shell-shocked,” Garcia said. “When somebody’s in front of you, it’s hard to talk shit. I’m staring him down. He’s a deer caught in the headlights right now. When I'm looking at him, he doesn’t want to engage in everything.”

However, Garcia believes Romero will engage in the ring.

“He’s going to come to fight,” Garcia said. “I’m not taking him lightly or anything like that. I’m still going to train my best. But everybody wants to see the rematch. That’s where my heart’s at.”

The left hook is the punch that will dispatch Romero and deliver the Haney rematch, Garcia said.

“Every fight is different. For me, you’re going to see more of a pure boxer,” he said. “You’re going to see something like what happened to Fonseca.”

Garcia knocked out Francisco Fonseca with a single counter left hook in the first round of their 2020 bout.

“I know I’m the better fighter and Imma knock him out,” Garcia said. “That’s it.”

David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.