Mario Barrios vs Ryan Garcia

When Ryan Garcia took out Oscar Duarte in Houston, Texas, in December 2023, I would have picked him to take out Mario Barrios in pretty quick time. But there has been a lot of water under the bridge since that great win for the man known as “King Ry.” Fight insiders and fans don’t really know where Garcia is at right now. When we talk about his mental well-being, it is hard to predict what he is going to do next. In Barrios, he faces a very solid and experienced champion. It’s easy to knock the WBC champion’s form, but he does also hold some decent wins, such as Yordenis Ugas(UD) and Giovanni Santiago(TKO-8), among others. What many people point to is his last outing against the 43-year-old Manny Pacquiao, who many believe did enough to take the decision. So if you listen to the naysayers, we have a fight between two less-than-elite talents at this time. Will the champion do just enough to hang on to his title again, following the two draws in defence of the title against Abel Ramos and Pacquiao? Or will the real Ryan Garcia turn up and ascend to the WBC welterweight throne? Fairness demands that we forget the Devon Haney result and just look at Garcia’s form since the Duarte fight. In which case, it’s a straightforward Barrios win or draw. But I’m going to have faith in “King Ry” and go for a knockout win for the younger, more talented man.