The old snap and speed on his punches is not the same anymore.
He is fighting at welterweight now and clearly was training more for power than what was formerly his best asset years ago.
Speed.
Not as fast anymore but a good win tonight over Mario Barrios on UD nonetheless.
Here’s the facts of what happened in the fight a short time ago:
- Ryan Garcia knocked down Mario Barrios with a big right hand within the first 30 seconds of Round 1.
- Garcia won by unanimous decision with lopsided scores (e.g., 119-108, 120-107, 118-109), winning nearly every round.
- This was Garcia’s first major world title (WBC welterweight), improving his record to 25-2 (20 KOs).
- Barrios dropped to 29-3-2 (18 KOs); he was the defending champion but couldn’t mount meaningful offense.
- Garcia showcased elite hand speed, footwork, and boxing IQ, using combinations and body shots effectively.
- He outboxed Barrios from start to finish, dropping him early and controlling the pace without reckless risks.
- Reports called it a “thorough and one-sided beatdown” and “arguably the best performance of his career.”
- Garcia highlighted his amateur skills post-fight, saying he took his time and picked shots carefully.
- He slowed slightly in later rounds but still dominated, with no doubt about the outcome.
- The win redeemed Garcia after recent losses and controversies, proving he can deliver at 147 lbs against top competition.
Once again, we thought it was a good win — but that old snap on the jab and even the speed of foot he used to have years ago is not what it was.
Not much lateral movement either, he was going backwards and forwards in straight lines.
No good when you step in there with the best boxers in the world like Shakur Stevenson.
If he really wants to fight Shakur Stevenson he must work on speed and timing more as although he will have a big size advantage, that is not what wins fights always.
Well done on the win tonight but far from his best, in decline for us with mistakes he made here was Ryan Garcia.
You can’t even make one mistake when you step in there with the best fighters in the world.
They will be watching everything in attention to detail tonight on what they saw in a good scrap overall.
Barrios was not at his best either.
