Mario Barrios Fully Embracing a Potential Fight With Ryan Garcia
Reactions continue to reverberate in the boxing community following Ryan Garcia’s majority decision victory over reigning WBC junior welterweight champion Devin Haney on April 20. One fighter who wasn’t impressed with Garcia and wants to see him in the ring is WBC Interim welterweight champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios (28-2-1, 18 KOs).
El Azteca is currently preparing for his upcoming fight with Fabian Maidana on May 4 in Las Vegas. During an exclusive interview with the media outlet Boxing News, Barrios said the following when asked if he’d entertain getting in the ring with Garcia.
“If that fight is brought up to me, if that is a fight he wants to make, I’d be more than willing to fight him.”
A LOT TO BE DESIRED
El Azteca described Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) as a one-trick pony whose only real asset is the left hook. Outside of that punch, Barrios feels Garcia has little else to offer.
“He has the absolute equalizer in his left hook. Aside from that, there’s not much to be said about his style.”
Coming off an impressive performance in a decision win over former WBA 147-pound champion Yordenis Ugas in September 2023, the Interim WBC champion is as confident as he’s been at any point in his career.
THE GARCIA SWEEPSTAKES
Fighters anywhere from 140 to 147 pounds are now showing their interest in facing Garcia. So, it’s understandable why Barrios would want his shot. But a potential development could make a Barrios versus Garcia matchup enticing.
With Terence Crawford soon to move up to 154, look for the WBC to elevate Barrios to full-time WBC welterweight champion. Should that occur, it could be the nugget that would entice the handlers of Garcia to entertain a fight with the Texas welterweight.
It would be a plausible matchup for the Hispanic market, which is huge in the United States. Barrios feels he would outbox Garcia. Conversely, the handlers probably view Barrios as a reasonable risk worth taking, especially if the full-WBC title were on the line. As a result, there’s a more than reasonable chance that it could occur either later this year or in early 2025.
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