Times Square Transformed: A Night of Boxing History
NEW YORK — Picture this: the bustling heart of New York City, Times Square, known for its bright lights and constant flow of tourists, suddenly transformed into an outdoor boxing arena. It was a sight that left many pedestrians puzzled, snapping photos of the unexpected boxing ring and its surrounding structure.
As curious onlookers tried to navigate the area, one pedestrian asked a nearby officer, “What’s going on, and how do I get to the other side of Fifth Avenue?” Another visitor, accompanied by a friend from California, expressed her frustration when told the area was restricted. “She came all the way out here for Times Square to be blocked off. I don’t even know what’s going on,” she lamented.
A security worker offered a hint of the excitement, saying, “This is an exclusive, big match.” Little did the crowd know, they were witnessing a historic moment in the world of boxing.
Last Friday marked “Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves,” the first event to transform Times Square into an outdoor boxing venue. The card was headlined by Ryan Garcia, who was fighting for the first time since a year-long suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancement drug, taking on Rolando “Rolly” Romero. Devin Haney took on Jose Ramirez and Teofimo Lopez faced Arnold Barboza Jr.
Unlike an average boxing event, the punches and jabs added to the light-filled ambiance of Times Square. Here’s what made this historic boxing night so special.
The Ring
The ring was strategically set on Seventh Avenue, right in front of ABC’s “Good Morning America” TV studio and Carlo’s Bake Shop, with Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Taco Bell, and Hard Rock Café just across the street. It was enclosed within a setup that included four pillars with a roof and four small video boards.
Bill Haney, father and trainer of Devin Haney, couldn’t contain his excitement about the venue. “I’ve been in fights with 50,000 people and I would have to say this is the most iconic, historic fight that I’ve witnessed in my entire life,” Bill told ESPN. “Right here in the middle of Times Square. If you had told me last year that we would be here and we would be fighting, or me just seeing a fight [let] alone being a part of it, I wouldn’t have believed it. I feel like I’m dreaming.”
Boxing Fans Had Their Chance to Watch the Event
With no tickets on sale for this show, crosswalks were blocked off, barricading fans and tourists inside gates, with video screens available in multiple locations in the area. As fights progressed through the night, delayed roars from the scattered crowds around the venue in three different designated viewing areas could be heard when a big hit was delivered.
Oscar De La Hoya: “It’s Amazing”
Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who had three fighters (Garcia, Ramirez, and Barboza) on the card, said the location made this night different from any other sporting event. “In my 45 years in boxing, there’s no comparison whatsoever,” De La Hoya told ESPN on Thursday. “I think this tops everything in the sport of boxing or in any sport, literally. I don’t think we’ve had basketball at Times Square live. … I think this is very unique, it’s incredible, it’s amazing.”
Everybody Was Watching
One thing about boxing fans is that they will find a way to view a big card. Different screens around Times Square provided an opportunity to those who didn’t have access to the ring, to watch on big video screens. Surrounding the ring were fences that stood around 12 feet tall covered in red tarp, blocking the outside view to contain the exclusivity of the event. But fans found a way to watch, even from surrounding platforms and buildings.
Under where the New Year’s Eve ball drops, a group of construction workers had arguably one of the best vantage points for viewing the action. Dressed in their work vests and hard hats, the workers gathered on top of a construction site. They watched the early fights while leaning over a guardrail before pulling chairs onto the platform to watch the main events seated. The workers grew comfortable as Garcia took on Romero, eventually removing their hard hats and vests.
Celebrities, Athletes, and Boxing Royalty Were Ringside
Aside from the impersonators of Snoop Dogg, Tupac Shakur, Harry Potter, Hulk Hogan, Michael Jackson, and four Elmos, there was star power in every direction you looked. Spectators sat in three sections. The north and south sections consisted of celebrities such as actor Michael J. Fox, streamers IShowSpeed and AMP, legendary drummer Jonathan “Sugarfoot” Moffett, rapper/actor Ice-T, and New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, fresh from a winning performance the night before when the Knicks eliminated the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Boxing royalty was seated east of the ring. Lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson was one of the first boxers to arrive to witness the historic night before being joined by junior middleweight champ Terence Crawford, who built lots of hype for his Sept. 12 fight against Canelo Alvarez. Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson strutted around in a designer navy blue satin suit, taking photos with fans.
FDNY vs. NYPD
First responders hold an annual charity event called Battle of the Badges, featuring amateur boxing matches between New York police officers and firefighters. It benefits the Tunnel 2 Towers Foundation, which provides vital assistance to first responders and military veterans. An hour before the start of Friday’s professional card, firefighter James Gennari of Ladder 24 and police officer Joel Allen arrived at the ring in appropriate robe colors (blue for the NYPD, red for FDNY), exiting vehicles related to their occupations.
Time to Get Ready
Barboza sat in a hotel ballroom to get his hands wrapped and gloves taped before his bout against Lopez. To start his journey to the ring wrapped in a white-and-blue robe and white hat, Barboza and his team rode up an escalator to exit the hotel.
Taxi, Taxi!
With no locker rooms connected to the venue, the question was how fighters would arrive in the ring. The answer? With style. Fighters’ dressing rooms were at a hotel blocks away from the ring, and they were taken to the ring in classic cars — some in New York’s distinctive yellow cabs. It took the fighters about eight minutes to get to the ring from the hotel.
The fighters in the WBO junior welterweight bout rode to the ring in old-fashioned taxi cabs through the New York City streets as fans cheered and recorded them on their mobile devices. Lopez, born in Brooklyn, took in the moment of fighting in his backyard. As he arrived at the ring with an “NYPD” vest, supporters of the American chanted “Teo.”
Devin Haney’s Turn
Haney entered the ring to 50 Cent’s “Many Men” with a black leather jacket and black leather trunks. As he bounced around the ring, he took a quick look around at the different billboards outside the ring, and how the handful of fans were mostly celebrities and fellow boxers inside the venue. Though Haney is used to fighting in front of thousands of fans, the exclusivity seemed to fuel the 26-year-old.
“This, you can’t prepare for it. This is so iconic, and I don’t think this will happen again for a long time,” said Bill Haney.
Rolly Romero Pays Homage to “Back to the Future”
Romero opted for a “Back to the Future” theme for the main event. His team was equipped with turquoise jumpsuits with “Rolly McFly” on the back in pink Back to the Future-themed lettering.
To complement the theme, Romero’s boxing shoes replicated Marty McFly’s, the character of Michael J. Fox, who was in attendance. They were like the self-tying Nike sneakers worn in the sequel of the “Back to the Future” movie series.
Romero arrived at the ring in an old-school cream-colored lowrider equipped with hydraulics and knock-off wheels, wearing a pink-and-yellow-sleeved jacket.
Time for the Main Event
Garcia’s return was anticipated to be big. He wore a blue look featuring “King Ryan” on the back of his robe, with a cross and angel wings. Garcia’s trunks featured crosses on each leg, with “King” on the front and “Ryan” on the back. He finished the look with white shoes with the same pattern as his robe and trunks.
The hotel entrance was crowded as Garcia made his way to his escort vehicle to the ring. His ride to the ring was a Batmobile, which set the standard for the fight. He climbed through the ropes to Lupe Fiasco’s “Superstar” featuring Matthew Santos.
Garcia was knocked down in the second round by a Romero left hook. With few fans in attendance, the response to the knockdown was quiet. The only sounds were cars, bicycle bells, car horns, and sirens.
Tyson and Stevenson were moved by the Romero knockdown.
Ultimately, Romero spoiled Garcia’s return and the potential rematch against Haney with an upset by scorecards of 115-112, 115-112, and 118-109. Romero still vouched for the rematch.
“I think Devin and Ryan should get their rematch and make it a big one,” Romero said.
Originally Written by: Kalan Hooks
