Dominant points victory for Ryan Garcia against defending champion Mario Barrios at the T-Mobile Arena
Ryan Garcia is the new WBC welterweight world champion. The US-American defeated Mario Barrios at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas last night and secured the belt with a clear unanimous points victory.
Garcia (25-2, 20 knockouts) dictated the action for long stretches and took the title from the reigning champion with scores of 119-108, 120-107 and 118-109. It was a dominant performance from the new title holder, who set the pace from the start and landed the decisive blows.
Barrios (29-3-2, 18 knockouts) thus loses his belt after a short reign. He had previously defended his title in two consecutive draws against Abel Ramos and Manny Pacquiao.
Garcia opened the fight explosively. Right at the start of the first round, he hit a hard right to the chin and immediately followed up with a cracking overhand right, sending Barrios to the floor within the first 30 seconds. The knockdown made a clear statement.
Although Garcia was unable to force an early knockout, he controlled the opening rounds confidently behind his fast jab and precise right hand. In the fifth round, Barrios faltered again after a right hook, but remained on his feet with great fighting spirit.
Also in the seventh round, Garcia landed several heavy right hands to the head and body and finally took command. In the championship rounds, Barrios tried to turn the tide with a lot of heart and determination, but Garcia was technically and tactically several classes better. In the end, it was a comfortable unanimous victory for the new WBC world champion.
“It feels great,” Garcia said in the DAZN interview after the fight. “I dedicate this to my dad. I wanted to show my full arsenal. I should have knocked him out, but I hurt my right hand. We put on a damn good show. I showed my amateur school. I can move, I can box. I hurt him several times. He’s a tough dog.”