Garcia Needs a Statement Win Over WBC Champ Mario Barrios
Welterweight title challenger “King” Ryan Garcia is getting a second shot at becoming a world champion in the division on February 21, when he will take on WBC champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios. Garcia can’t afford to have another let-down performance.
Several pundits and enthusiasts feel that King shouldn’t be fighting for the title, after that terrible performance against WBA champion Rolando Romero in May 2025. Nonetheless, he will face Barrios, who is considered the weakest champion in the division.
In fact, boxing fans still talk about the WBC champion’s abysmal performance against a 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao in July 2025. The fight ended in a draw, but Barrios was heavily criticized for not being aggressive against the obviously diminished veteran. This wasn’t the first time Barrios had a disappointing performance. Prior to facing Pacquiao, he had a draw against a subpar opponent in Abel Ramos, in 2024.
GARCIA SHOULD WIN EASILY
Despite Garcia’s poor outing against Romero, he is still viewed as the heavy favorite. He must put on a dominant performance in this fight as Barrios is not an overly aggressive fighter. The Californian wants to fight guys like WBO 140-pound champion Shakur Stevenson and WBO champion Devin “The Dream” Haney. A below-average showing would only hurt his case with fans wanting to see those fights. A rematch with Haney would still gain interest due to his testing positive for a PED.
Yet, several fans still give him credit for the way he manhandled The Dream in their first fight. Garcia needs to knock out Barrios early and he should be capable of it. If this fight goes the distance, it should be seen as a failure by Garcia.
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