Garcia Vs Barrios — garcia vs barrios: Ryan Garcia dominates Mario Barrios to capture WBC welterweight title
In a one-sided championship performance, garcia vs barrios ended with Ryan Garcia dethroning Mario Barrios and capturing the WBC welterweight title. Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) won by unanimous decision (119-108, 120-107, 118-109) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Early knockdown and control
On Saturday night, Ryan Garcia finally became the fighter he was always supposed to be. Garcia knocked Mario Barrios (29-3-2, 18 KOs) down in the first 25 seconds of Round 1 with a right hand to the side of Barrios' head. Barrios rose but then took more heavy shots as Garcia continued to press and punish with right hands, body shots and fast combinations.
Right hand and injury
Garcia's right hand was blisteringly fast in the early rounds, repeatedly breaking through Barrios' high guard by changing the trajectory and landing on different parts of Barrios' face. Garcia hurt Barrios again to begin Round 5 when a right-hand equilibrium shot visibly affected Barrios' legs. Each time Garcia let his hands go, Barrios looked bewildered and unable to see the punches coming.
Game plan and corner instructions
Barrios struggled to break down distance and work on the inside, something his trainer Joe Goosen wanted him to do. Before Round 10, Goosen told Barrios, "You've got three rounds to knock him out. " Barrios, who is not known as a puncher, tried to walk Garcia down with more urgency but often became an easier target for Garcia's power shots.
Midfight slowdown and trainer note
The pace slowed in Round 8 as Garcia began to fight more behind his jab, mixing in occasional left-hand power shots and flurries. Henry Garcia, who served as the head trainer for his son for the first time in many years, said the change in approach was because his son had hurt his right hand.
Judges and unanimous decision
The verdict was emphatic: a one-sided unanimous decision for Garcia with judges' scores of 119-108, 120-107 and 118-109. One media outlet awarded Garcia every round. With the win, Garcia — one of boxing's biggest stars — not only added to his drawing power but also legitimized a career that has had its fair share of ups and downs.
Career context and recent history
Garcia had an extensive amateur pedigree, including three wins over Devin Haney in the amateurs, and he had reached a 20-0 professional record by the time he was 21 years old. His recent run included turbulence: in the lead-up to his 2024 fight with Haney he was allegedly drinking every day in camp and going on late-night social-media rants, then failed a post-fight drug test for ostarine and served a one-year drug ban. He also challenged Rolando "Rolly" Romero for the WBA welterweight crown this past May and delivered a poor showing in that fight after failing to utilize his right hand because of an injury suffered in camp.
Post-fight callout
Immediately after the decision, Garcia called out four-division champion Shakur Stevenson, who is ranked No. 3 pound-for-pound by one outlet. Garcia declared he wanted that fight, making his intentions clear as a newly crowned world champion.
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Garcia's win over Barrios is a clear sequence of events: an early knockdown in Round 1, continued punishment through the middle rounds, a visible effect in Round 5, a paced approach from Round 8 as a result of a hurt right hand, a final flurry of rounds after Goosen's warning, and the unanimous decision in Las Vegas that crowned Ryan Garcia the WBC welterweight champion.
