The story going into the WBC World Welterweight championship bout between champion Mario Barrios and top contender Ryan Garcia was one that differed from the norm. Of course, the standard narrative when a fighter challenges for a world title as Garcia was here, is one where the onus is largely on the challenger to not only put forth an impressive performance to the best of their ability, but to do so in such a way that they take the title from the champion in a convincing fashion that it not only generates buzz, but also quells any would-be critics.
In this case, both fighters had something to prove in the ring on February 21st at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Despite entering what was his third defense of the WBC Welterweight world championship, Mario Barrios was still seeking the validation that often comes with being a world champion. Although he managed to retain his crown in his two previous defenses, he had to settle for two consecutive bouts that ended up being scored draws rather than hearing “The Winner… And Still Champion” followed by his name. While it is a rarity to see any fighter go through back to back even bouts, let alone at the top level of the sport, the saving grace at least prior to this bout was that Barrios’ third defense came against a fighter in Garcia that also had experienced ups and downs in his career in recent times and was in fact getting this title shot, the first of his career, coming off of a loss.
Although that fact could be attributable, for better or worse, to the various political aspects of the sport, this truly set up what the promotional tag was for this fight. A true “High Stakes” encounter. One where not only was a world title on the line, but also each fighter’s stock for potential lucrative bouts down the line.
What ended up happening come fight time was a statement-making performance. In the opening seconds of the fight, Garcia dropped the champion with a right hand that landed on top of the head. A somewhat unexpected occurrence that was rooted in the fact that not only was Garcia, a former Jr. Welterweight, who was competing for only the second time in the 147lb. Welterweight division was viewed as going against a naturally bigger man in Barrios, but also Garcia, known for his power in his left hand, particularly his left hook, had his say almost immediately in the fight with his right hand.
The champion Barrios was able to get up from the knockdown and to his credit was able to withstand the follow-up assault that Garcia unleashed on him to survive the round. From that point in the fight, however, two things became evident. Number one, the perception of Ryan Garcia as a fighter with one offensive weapon, the left hook, was at best misguided because the challenger increasingly made his point crystal clear. He could not miss with the right hand as almost every time he threw it, he connected. Number two, Mario Barrios found himself in a hole on the scorecards and on this night, he simply had no answers as Garcia put forth an almost clinical, disciplined performance, mixing in combinations in addition to landing the right hand, in dominating and dictating the combat round after round. Simply put, for whatever reason, something in
Barrios’ approach just did not click and he never found a consistent rhythm.
By the middle and late rounds, it became Garcia's fight to lose and to the challenger’s credit, he did not relent and did not provide Barrios the slightest opening to attempt to work his way back into the fight. A convincing, dominant performance that resulted in a near shut out on the scorecards and the first world title in the career of Ryan Garcia.
For a fighter who has had his struggles both in and out the ring including with his mental health, a performance like this in winning his first world title has to be viewed as a triumph for Garcia and his family. Whether or not this ultimately represents a new chapter for Garcia that will be marked by discipline and a mile business-like approach moving forward remains to be seen. What comes with becoming a world champion, however, is being held to the expectations and standards of a champion. As impressive as this performance was, the expectation for Garcia’s first title defense will likely be high, regardless of whom that defense will come against.
“And That's The Boxing Truth.”
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