‘It’s going to be a madhouse’

ORANGE, California – Of course Oscar De La Hoya is most excited about the scheduled May 2 return of his marquee fighter, Ryan Garcia.

When the topic of the venue where Garcia will headline a card against former 140-pound champion Rolando Romero – on a card that also includes Garcia’s rival Devin Haney meeting Jose Ramirez – his eyes truly lit up.

Saudi Arabia’s boxing financier Turki Alalshikh has secured New York’s Times Square for a live outdoor show that will feature seats for an estimated 300 dignitaries and offer access for an unlimited crowd.

“Free and open to the public,” De La Hoya told BoxingScene Thursday after hosting the news conference for his Saturday DAZN-streamed card at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

“If they smash together like sardines, we could have millions of people … it’s going to be incredible. You can imagine it … Times Square … the ring right smack in the middle of it.

“With all the buildings around Times Square, all the billboards [promoting it], it’s going to be a madhouse. It’s going to be so unique. It’s a one-off.”

The anticipation for Garcia and Haney’s returns has been palpable since their memorable April 20 bout in Brooklyn, when Garcia knocked down Haney three times and claimed a majority decision victory. 

The celebration was short-lived as Garcia was found to have submitted three positive tests for the banned performance-enhancing drug Ostarine. In addition to having his victory converted to a no-contest, Garcia was suspended for one year by the New York State Athletic Commission.

Former two-division champion Haney has also taken time off since the defeat as he moves to the showdown against former unified 140-pound champion Ramirez.

The May 2 Times Square card will also include a heavyweight fight between Martin Bakole and Efe Ajagba.

“It’s going to be something like you’ve never seen before,” De La Hoya said. “It’s never happened. I’m glad we’re part of it. I’m glad that Turki Alalshikh is making it happen, and making boxing great again.”

Tris Dixon covered his first amateur boxing fight in 1996. The former editor of Boxing News, he has written for a number of international publications and newspapers, including GQ and Men’s Health, and is a board member for the Ringside Charitable Trust and the Ring of Brotherhood. He has been a broadcaster for TNT Sports and hosts the popular “Boxing Life Stories” podcast. Dixon is a British Boxing Hall of Famer, an International Boxing Hall of Fame elector, is on The Ring ratings panel and is the author of five boxing books, including “Damage: The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing” (shortlisted for the William Hill Sportsbook of the Year), “Warrior: A Champion’s Search for His Identity” (shortlisted for the Sunday Times International Sportsbook of the Year) and “The Road to Nowhere: A Journey Through Boxing’s Wastelands.” You can reach him @trisdixon on X and Instagram.