The choice of opponent is telling. Barrios is widely seen as the weakest of the current welterweight titleholders, and recent results explain why. He has gone twelve rounds without a win in his last two fights. In July, he was held to a majority draw against Manny Pacquiao, who was 46 at the time. Before that, Barrios was dropped and fought to a split draw against Abel Ramos. Those fights showed a champion who can be pushed, hurt, and outworked.
For Garcia, that vulnerability is the appeal. After losing badly to Rolando Romero, he needed a path back that did not involve another unforgiving puncher or a rising contender. Challenging Barrios offers a belt without facing the sharpest version of the division. On paper, it looks like the softest landing spot available at world level.
That does not mean it is safe.
Garcia’s loss to Romero raised real questions about where he is physically and mentally. He struggled with timing, balance, and defence, and the fight slipped away from him early. Barrios may not be dominant, but he is durable, experienced, and comfortable over twelve rounds. He has been in with elite opposition and survived difficult nights. A fighter coming off a collapse does not always get rescued by facing a vulnerable champion.
Barrios became full WBC titleholder after Terence Crawford moved on, having first picked up the interim belt with a decision win over Fabian Maidana. His best night remains the win over Yordenis Ugas in 2023, and his only losses came against Gervonta Davis and Keith Thurman. He knows how to stay composed when a fight turns messy.
Garcia is gambling that Barrios’ recent draws reflect decline rather than style. If he is wrong, even the most reachable champion at welterweight could still be enough to stop his comeback before it starts.
Some fans on social media are critical of the Barrios vs. Garcia fight being on DAZN PPV. Ryan is coming off a loss and a suspension for PEDs before that. He hasn’t won a fight in three years since 2023.
As for Barrios, he’s winless for two years and hasn’t beaten anyone since 2024, when he defeated Fabian Andreas Maidana. He looked poor in his last two fights, battling to a pair of 12 round draw against 46 year old Manny Pacquiao and Abel Ramos.
