Home Boxing News Rolly Romero: “Derrick James made Ryan Garcia ten times worse!”

Rolly Romero: “Derrick James made Ryan Garcia ten times worse!”

Rolando 'Rolly' Romero

WBA junior welterweight champion Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero 15-1 (13) believes Ryan Garcia 24-1 (20) has gone backwards under new trainer Derrick James.

The popular Garcia, 25, returned to the ring for this past weekend to knock out Oscar Duarte 26-2-1 (21) in the eighth round of their 143-pound catchweight bout at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Saturday night. Garcia was leading 69-64, 68-65 and 68-65 at the time of the stoppage.

It was his first bout following his seventh-round knockout loss to southpaw powerhouse Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis 29-0 (27) in their 136-pound catchweight bout in Las Vegas in April.

But not everyone was impressed by Garcia, who looked awkward defensively as he attempted to use a shoulder roll to deflect incoming blows.

You can count his rival Romero amongst their number.

“He’s over here thinking he’s Floyd Mayweather or something. Derrick James taught him some weird shit,” the 28-year-old Romero said to FightHype.

“You know how these trainers get ‘Trainer of the Year’ and then they’re the worst trainer for the next three years. He has a pretty bad track record.”

Texan James trains some of the biggest names in the sport, including former unified welterweight champion Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr 28-1 (22), former undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo 35-2-1 (19) and former two-time WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua 26-3 (23).

But despite his obvious credentials, Romero says Garcia has regressed under James’ tutelage.

“He made Ryan ten times worse. He fucked up Spence’s career. Anthony Joshua, I don’t know what happened to him. Frank Martin ain’t looking too good. So, yeah, maybe it’s time for [Garcia] to go back to Joe Goossen or something?” Romero continued.

Garcia called out Romero after his win over Duarte and criticised him for his title winning effort 40-year-old Venezuelan southpaw Ismael Barroso 24-4-2 (22) in May. It proved to be a tougher than expected fight for Romero who was trailing on all three judges’ cards by scores of 75-76, 74-77 and 73-78 at the time of the ninth-round stoppage.

“I’m committing to becoming a world champion,” Garcia said in the ring after the fight. “If Rollys wants that, bring it on Rollys. I know you talk a lot. Let’s get that going, Rollys. Where you at?

“You got beat up by that old dude,” Garcia said. “We know what happened. Don’t be trying to fake it.”

Rolando says a fight between himself and Garcia would not last long.

“He’s over here doing some shoulder roll shit, knocked out, boom. Goodnight. Maybe in twenty-five seconds,” Romero said.

“I don’t want to be at 140 anymore. I want to be at 147. There are a lot of big names at 147. I’m just playing around. That’s a big fight for boxing.”

If nothing else, the smack talk would be worth the price of admission alone.