Ryan Garcia speaks during a press conference at Palladium Times Square on March 04, 2025, in New York City.
The heat between Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez reached a boiling point at a press conference on Tuesday, ahead of their upcoming triple-header event on May 2 in Times Square. Garcia is set to headline the event against Rolando Romero, while Lopez will face Arnold Barboza Jr., and Devin Haney takes on Jose Ramirez on the undercard. Despite not fighting each other directly, Garcia and Lopez stole the spotlight with their fiery exchange during the press conference.
“I’m tired of hearing this,” Garcia snapped at Lopez mid-rant. “We don’t give a f*** what you are, bro. Enough of this s***. I’m gonna get to you, shut the f*** up.”
Lopez didn’t hold back, firing back with a comment about the polite tone of the other fighters on stage, saying, “You guys are so boring. You’re talking so politely, man. What the f*** is this?”
Despite the heated exchange, a fight between Garcia and Lopez isn’t in the immediate future. If Garcia defeats Romero and Haney beats Ramirez, a much-anticipated rematch between Garcia and Haney could take place this October in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
While Garcia and Lopez dominated the tension, the press conference had its fair share of drama. Lopez’s confrontation with Barboza was one of the day’s most intense moments. The two fighters had an earlier staredown, which continued as Barboza criticized Lopez for taking so long to accept a fight between them. Lopez defended his actions, pointing out his early success in his career, saying, “At 15 fights, I got my first world title… I’m only 27.”
Barboza wasn’t backing down, accusing Lopez of avoiding him in the past. “Shout out to Top Rank for cutting the umbilical cord and letting your ass crawl, finally,” Barboza said, referencing Lopez’s past fights against injured opponents. Lopez shot back, dismissing Barboza’s remarks as “crazy talk.”
Lopez also found himself in a heated exchange with IBF super lightweight champion Richardson Hitchins, who has expressed interest in facing Lopez in a unification bout. “What you working with?” Lopez taunted, but Hitchins kept his cool, responding, “Y’all ain’t even send no offer.” Lopez, not letting up, mocked Hitchins, saying, “Where’s your belt though? I thought you was a rapper.”
The fiery exchanges between Garcia, Lopez, and the other fighters set the stage for what promises to be an unforgettable event in Times Square on May 2. Watch the full press conference video below.
