The selection of opponent is telling. Barrios is widely seen because the weakest of the present welterweight titleholders, and up to date results explain why. He has gone twelve rounds with no win in his last two fights. In July, he was held to a majority draw against Manny Pacquiao, who was 46 on the time. Before that, Barrios was dropped and fought to a split draw against Abel Ramos. Those fights showed a champion who may be pushed, hurt, and outworked.
For Garcia, that vulnerability is the appeal. After losing badly to Rolando Romero, he needed a path back that didn’t involve one other unforgiving puncher or a rising contender. Difficult Barrios offers a belt without facing the sharpest version of the division. On paper, it looks just like the softest landing spot available at world level.
That doesn’t mean it’s secure.
Garcia’s loss to Romero raised real questions on where he’s physically and mentally. He struggled with timing, balance, and defence, and the fight slipped away from him early. Barrios will not be dominant, but he’s durable, experienced, and comfy over twelve rounds. He has been in with elite opposition and survived difficult nights. A fighter coming off a collapse doesn’t at all times get rescued by facing a vulnerable champion.
Barrios became full WBC titleholder after Terence Crawford moved on, having first picked up the interim belt with a choice win over Fabian Maidana. His best night stays the win over Yordenis Ugas in 2023, and his only losses got here against Gervonta Davis and Keith Thurman. He knows easy methods to stay composed when a fight turns messy.
Garcia is gambling that Barrios’ recent draws reflect decline relatively than style. If he’s mistaken, even essentially the most reachable champion at welterweight could still be enough to stop his comeback before it starts.
Some fans on social media are critical of the Barrios vs. Garcia fight being on DAZN PPV. Ryan is coming off a loss and a suspension for PEDs before that. He hasn’t won a fight in three years since 2023.
As for Barrios, he’s winless for 2 years and hasn’t beaten anyone since 2024, when he defeated Fabian Andreas Maidana. He looked poor in his last two fights, battling to a pair of 12 round draw against 46 yr old Manny Pacquiao and Abel Ramos.