Trainers rarely enter a title fight with firsthand knowledge of how their opponent was built, and Goossen’s comments made clear that much of Garcia’s approach remains recognizable to him.
“You kind of know how Ryan is going to fight,” Goossen told The Ring. “There aren’t a lot of secrets, and he doesn’t do a lot of new things, necessarily. But what he does do, he’s very proficient at. He’s mastered a style for himself that normally works, and he’s comfortable with it.”
That familiarity changes the tactical balance. Fighters typically depend on uncertainty to create hesitation in their opponents, forcing them to adjust in real time. Goossen’s remarks suggest Barrios won’t be forced into that position, because his corner has already studied Garcia’s habits in detail through years of direct involvement.
Garcia’s offensive success has always been tied to speed, timing, and the ability to impose his pace early, especially with his left hook. Goossen acknowledged those strengths while also pointing to the variables that come with Garcia’s move to welterweight, where opponents are naturally bigger and harder to deter.
“Everyone knows Ryan has a lot of power, but that was at 135 pounds,” Goossen said. “This is 147 now. You don’t always take that power with you when you move up in weight. Ryan is a big guy, but Mario is bigger.”
That size dynamic removes one of Garcia’s traditional advantages. At lightweight and junior welterweight, Garcia’s physical strength often matched or exceeded his opponents. At welterweight, he faces fighters built naturally for the division, including Barrios, who will enter the fight with both physical durability and a trainer already familiar with Garcia’s offensive structure.
Goossen made clear he is not underestimating Garcia’s motivation and expects him to arrive prepared. The personal tension created by Goossen joining the opposing corner adds another dimension, but it does not change the technical familiarity he brings into the fight.
“I already know that Ryan is very motivated right now,” Goossen said. “I’d be foolish to expect anything less than 100 percent. I’m shooting for 120 percent with Mario, because sometimes 100 percent is not good enough.”
Garcia still has the speed and timing to change any fight quickly, but familiarity reduces the advantage of surprise that fighters often depend on at this level. Facing a trainer who already understands his habits forces Garcia to rely on execution rather than unpredictability, and that is a harder path than most title challengers encounter.
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