Chris Walker: Is Mario Barrios title win the peak of Ryan Garcia's career?

It was probably overdue inside the mind of Ryan Garcia, but the extremely popular Californian is now a world champion . 

Garcia’s dominant performance over Mario Barrios on Saturday night was undoubtedly the finest performance of his decade long career, realising the potential and promise that many close to him have long forecasted. 

Boxing fans have been here several times with Garcia, observing a fighter on the verge of greatness, but is this now the time where he takes his career to a new level by adding to his WBC welterweight crown or has Garcia peaked with future opponents set to be too good for him? 

When Garcia climbed off the floor to halt Luke Campbell with a stunning body shot in 2021, boxing appeared set to unveil its new face as Garcia demonstrated guts, power, and an ability to entertain by sacrificing his handsome looks during combat. 

The result saw Garcia stop a world level fighter who had taken Jorge Linares and Vasiliy Lomachenko the distance, but the immediate plaudits and rife expectation for him to push on and become boxing’s biggest name were calmed shortly after. 

Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy/Getty Images

Suffering a crushing stoppage loss to Gervonta Davis in 2023 hurt Garcia inside the ring in one of the year's biggest fights, but 2024 would offer a chance for redemption in the shape of former amateur rival, Devin Haney. A dramatic turn of events outside the ring would devastate Garcia, and his reputation was soiled following a series of disturbing incidents. 

Garcia failed to make the weight against Haney and when he dropped his great foe three times before winning on the scorecards, scrutiny was splashed all over the fight with Garcia accused of having an unfair advantage. A failed drugs test revealed days after the win would later change the result to a ‘No Contest,’ but an outcome reversal was the least of Garcia’s problems. 

Banned for a year, Garcia returned in Times Square as an enemy of the sport following the issues that had been attached to his farcical contest with Haney. With Rolly Romero picked as his comeback opponent, Garcia had a fighter in front of him specifically designed to make him look a million dollars, but after being dropped and widely outpointed, Garcia’s value had plummeted.  

Heading into the Barrios fight, Garcia, on the back of a loss and NC, was not seen as a suitable contender in some areas of the sport, and although he entered a favourite with the bookmakers, there was enough evidence in recent performances to suggest Barrios may pull of a small upset. Believers in that theory, like this writer, were badly exposed. 

After dropping Barrios seconds into the fight, Garcia stayed in control throughout the bout before winning widely on the scorecards to finally reach the pinnacle of boxing ten years after making his professional debut. Garcia will always be able to see he was a champion, but what comes next will go a long way to defining his entire legacy in the sport. 

As is common with every noteworthy win in boxing, the focus on the future comes into play before the achievement can be properly celebrated. Devin Haney rematch, Shakur Stevenson, and mandatory challenger, Conor Benn, are the frontrunners for Garcia, and how he handles these assignments will determine how he will be remembered. 

As it stands, Garcia has experienced mixed reviews that will range from frightening fighter to disgraced cheat, but time is on his side in a sport where people’s memories can be altered based on performances and results. 

Victories over Benn, Haney, and Stevenson over the next couple of years may not erase the events that accompanied Garcia when losing to Davis and blatantly disregarding protocol against Haney in some people’s eyes, but wins inside the ring are usually more valuable than any problems outside it. 

Garcia has breathed life into a stuttering career after his masterclass against Barrios. Boxing is the sport that repeatedly hands out second chances, and Garcia has made the most of the undeserved one handed to him, and after observing him this past weekend, it appears to be one he is very grateful for after becoming WBC ruler at 147lbs.

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