Some might think Mario Barrios is rather vulnerable in his WBC welterweight title defense this Saturday against Ryan Garcia.
After all, Barrios’ two most recent performances were disappointing. He had to get off the canvas and was held to a draw against the 28-6-2 Abel Ramos in November 2024. And then he had another draw this past July against Manny Pacquiao, an all-time great who nevertheless was 46 years old and had not fought professionally in nearly four years.
It’s not that Garcia has been doing well lately either. Last May, he laid an egg in a lackluster unanimous decision loss to Rolando “Rolly” Romero, depriving himself of a lucrative rematch with Devin Haney. But given Garcia’s physical gifts, it is understandable if your prediction is that Barrios’ reign will soon come to an end.
Barrios, 29-2-2 (18 KOs), isn’t minimizing what Garcia, 24-2 (20 KOs), will bring to the ring at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Barrios is just confident that he has what it takes to come out victorious anyway in the main event, which will stream on DAZN as a pay-per-view.
“I give Ryan credit – he’s fast, he’s dangerous, and he’s hungry,” Barrios said in a press release. “But I’ve been in deep waters before, and I know how to stay composed and break my opponents down. This fight is about proving that I’m not just a champion; I’m one of the best in the world at 147. Garcia has power, but I’ve seen it all in the ring. I’m ready to go through fire to keep what’s mine.”
Barrios did see fit to make a major change to his team after the Pacquiao bout. He is no longer trained by Bob Santos and instead brought on Joe Goossen – and not just because Goossen used to work with Garcia.
“Working with Joe Goossen has brought a whole new level to my game,” Barrios said. “His experience, the way he sees the ring, it’s been a huge advantage. Every session, he’s pushing me to refine my strengths and fix every small mistake. I’ve grown more as a fighter in this camp, and I’m ready to bring a war to Ryan Garcia.”
Barrios won the WBC’s interim belt at 147lbs in September 2023 with a wide decision over Yordenis Ugas and then defended it in May 2024 by outpointing Fabian Maidana. He was upgraded to the primary titleholder after Terence Crawford vacated the undisputed welterweight championship and moved up to 154.
A triumph over Garcia would be Barrios’ third successful title defense, but only his first in the form of a win. Being a titleholder carries even more significance for Barrios given the struggles he endured earlier in this decade, with back-to-back losses to Gervonta Davis in 2021 and Keith Thurman in 2022.
“Defending this title means everything to me,” Barrios said. “I fought my way back to the top, and now that I’m champion, this belt is staying home with me. Every round, every second, I’ll be fighting like a man whose entire spirit is in that ring – like everything I am is on the line.”
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
