Ryan Garcia is WBC Welterweight Champion
By Eddie Sanchez
‘Kingry’ has fulfilled his potential. Garcia (25-2, 20 KO), who owns three wins over Devin Haney in the amateurs and amassed an impressive 20-0 professional record by the time he was 21 years old, dethroned WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios with a one-sided UD victory.
With the win, Garcia fully legitimized his drawing power, which has had its fair share of ups and downs. Garcia previously was allegedly drinking every day in camp and going on late-night Twitter rants in the lead-up to his 2024 fight with Haney, where he then failed a post-fight drug test for ostarine. It seemed at that point that a path to a world championship seemed to be a long way away.
Garcia served a one-year ban following the Haney fight and unsuccessfully challenged “Rolly” Romero for the WBA welterweight crown this past May. Garcia failed to utilize his right hand due to an injury he suffered in camp in the bout’s lead-up.
On Saturday night, Garcia’s right hand was blisteringly fast, and Barrios (29-3-2, 18 KO) was knocked down in the first 25 seconds of Round 1 with a right hand to the side of his head.
Barrios, not known as a puncher, was totally outclassed in the fight. He became an easy target for Garcia’s power shots. In the end, it was a near shutout in favor of Garcia.
Following the fight, Garcia called our Shakur Stevenson.
“You know who I want,” Garcia said. “He’s right there, Shakur Stevenson, let’s go. Let’s run that shit. I want to be a great champion, and I’m not scared of shit. I fought Devin Haney, I’ll fight Shakur Stevenson, I’ll fight anybody… I want that fight. Shakur, let’s get it.”
Other viable options for Garcia include rematches with WBO and WBA welterweight champions Haney and Romero, as well as his new mandatory challenger, Conor Benn.
Ryan Garcia is BACK.
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