LAS VEGAS “Crossroads fight” is one of the most overused terms in boxing. However, in the case of Ryan Garcia, it was more than appropriate for his fight against Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title on Saturday.
A win would allow Garcia to realize his massive potential and capture his first major world title after a tumultuous past couple of years that had many questioning if his desire would ever match his immense potential and exceptional talent. A loss would have been devastating for one of the most popular fighters in all of boxing, relegating him to one of the biggest “What if?” stories in recent memory.
Fortunately for Garcia, the former scenario took place as he dominated Barrios with a blistering combination of speed and power while pitching a near shutout at T-Mobile Arena to snare his first world championship. The victory opened a plethora of lucrative opportunities for his first title defense as he will have his pick from an incredibly deep pool of opponents calling out for the opportunity to step inside the ring with him.
