Reports of Ryan Garcia being in negotiations for a title fight against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in the first quarter of 2026 have got fans on X heated, trashing this potential abomination.
The Unranked Challenger Problem
The WBC is expected to sanction the Barrios-Garcia fight for their 147-lb title, despite Ryan not being ranked in the top 15 by any of the governing bodies. One can expect Garcia to be given a top 10 ranking by the WBC soon.
They don’t like the idea of Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs) being poised to get another fight for a belt at 147 after his failure against Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero in a battle for the vacant WBA welterweight title on May 2, 2025. Ryan, 27, is getting the fight because of his massive 12 million followers on Instagram and the PPV buys on DAZN.
What looks bad in the eyes of fans is that Ryan didn’t even attempt to avenge that loss. If he had at least tried to even the score against Romero, people would respect him more.
Boxing’s Merit System in Shambles
Garcia is making a mockery of the old-fashioned merit system for fighters to earn title shots. He’s done nothing to rate a fight for a world title after a loss to Rolly, and his victory over Devin Haney in April 2024 was ruled a no-contest due to his positive test for a PED.
Obviously, it would be a more tolerable situation if Ryan were challenging Brian Norman Jr. for his WBO welterweight title rather than the badly flawed Mario Barrios. Fans view him as so beatable that even a fighter as poor asd Ryan can probably beat him.
Why Barrios Is the Softest Touch at 147
Viewed as a paper champion and the weakest link, Barrios is cashing in big time since being upgraded to WBC 147-lb champion by the WBC Board of Governors on June 18, 2024. In other words, Barrios was emailed his WBC belt.
In his two defenses of his belt, he fought to a pair of 12-round draws against fringe contender Abel Ramos and 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao. Barrios has reportedly earned $3 million from those two fights, which has transformed his life
“It would be a great fight. It would be very exciting, but overall, my boxing ability and boxing IQ would give me the edge in that fight,” said Mario Barrios last year to Sean Zittel about a bout between him and Ryan Garcia.
“We’re two completely different people, especially with the way we present ourselves,” said Barrios. “But he’s going great now,” said Barrios.