It looks like Ryan Garcia will again attempt to win his first pro boxing world title, with Mike Coppinger of The Ring reporting that Garcia is close to a deal to face WBC welterweight titlist Mario Barrios
in “the first quarter” of 2026.
Garcia (24-2, 20 KO) has attained incredible success as far as accruing social media followers and having A Brand goes, but his in-ring achievements have not matched his level of fame to date. Even his biggest win, coming over Devin Haney in April 2024, was overturned after he failed a drug test, and last time out, Garcia looked unmotivated and listless in a miserable upset loss to Rolly Romero.
But the 27-year-old is famous and drives some money still, and Barrios (29-2-2, 18 KO) needs an opponent. He went to a draw with a 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao in his most recent fight, and before that went to a draw with Abel Ramos, a career fringe contender. By the time he fights Garcia, there’s a good chance neither of them will have actually won a fight in nearly two years, and yet it will be for a major world title.
It’s an interesting fight in that Garcia has the more obvious skills, but he has only performed well in a truly marquee fight the one time, and then that got erased from his record, basically, which was his own fault. Barrios, meanwhile, has barely looked like an actual top 10 guy in a fairly weak division for his last 24 rounds.
If both are actually on their game, it might be a really good fight. But neither of them has looked all that good recently, and there’s just no telling what version of Ryan Garcia you’re ever going to get.
