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RYAN GARCIA GETS TITLE SHOT DESPITE LOSSES ON FEBRUARY 21

Ryan Garcia will challenge Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title on Feb 21. The controversial title shot comes after Garcia's loss and a year-long suspension, sparking merit debates.

Ryan Garcia Gets Title Shot Despite Losses On February 21
Date Confirmed, Garcia V Barrios WBC Title Fight

Mario Barrios is set to face Ryan Garcia! He has confirmed that he will take on the WBC welterweight champion on February 21. This matchup is shaping up to be an exciting fight in the 147-pound division.

However, it's hard to see how this title opportunity is justified.

An Unmerited Title Chance  


Garcia announced via social media that he will be fighting Mario Barrios for the WBC championship belt on February 21.

To clarify, we have a boxer who recently suffered a defeat at the hands of Rolando "Rolly" Romero and is making his return after a year-long suspension. This is somehow enough to put him back in contention for a world championship.

In contrast, Conor Benn is waiting in the wings after his win against Chris Eubank Jr., a middleweight. Benn may actually be more deserving of this shot than Garcia.

Yet, Garcia is receiving preferential treatment due to his popularity and financial value in the sport. This is what makes the politics of boxing so frustrating.

Discussions Were Already Progressing  


Bob Santos, Barrios' trainer, recently mentioned to WBN that discussions were "progressing," suggesting that both parties were preparing to fight.

The bout is officially scheduled for February 21, with Golden Boy Promotions and Premier Boxing Champions now focused on finalising the venue and broadcast arrangements.

Nevertheless, this does not change the fact that, from a sporting viewpoint, this title opportunity feels unjustified.

The stakes: a lost opportunity or a chance for redemption?  

Garcia's recent performances have been inconsistent: 

His initial professional loss was to Gervonta Davis.  

He scored a knockout against Oscar Jurado.  

Following a defeat to Rolando "Rolly" Romero, any momentum he had built was halted by a second consecutive loss.  

A One-Year Suspension: A significant interruption in a career characterised by ups and downs.
  
Fans aren't anticipating a fair title run, even if he manages to win against Barrios. Barrios has little room for error since he recently came off a contentious draw with Manny Pacquiao.

While the fight has high visibility, it appears to prioritise marketing and entertainment over the sport itself.

What is Next? Fans can look forward to the fight on February 21, as contracts are reportedly nearing completion and the date has been confirmed. However, we must differentiate between fairness and showmanship.

From a purely boxing merit standpoint, this matchup is contentious, yet it could boost clicks and ticket sales.

This is the state of boxing in 2026: Ryan Garcia epitomises how the quickest route to a title is often not the most equitable.

JUAN CARLOS GUERITO OUTPOINTS BARKER SSEWANYANA TO SECURE PROFESSIONAL DEBUT SUCCESS

Recap the undercard results from Riyadh's Night of Champions. Juan Carlos Guerito and Sultan Almohammed scored wins, while Julio Porras Ruiz drew with Pius Mpenda. Mohammed Alakel remained undefeated.

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Juan Carlos Beats Ssewanyana In Exciting First Pro Bout

In the opening bout at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Mexican newcomer Juan Carlos Guerito triumphed over Uganda's Barker Ssewanyana, who entered the ring with a record of 1-1-1.

Guerito started the match with intense aggression, delivering powerful punches throughout, with a particular focus on landing left hooks to the body. Ssewanyana lost a point in the fourth round due to holding, resulting in Guerito dominating the scorecards with a 40-35 decision.

Sultan “El Nino” Almohammed, originally from Syria and now competing out of Saudi Arabia, unexpectedly prompted India’s Umesh Chavan to turn away in the first round, leading the referee to call off the match. Although Chavan’s record now stands at 3-2-1, he protested against the stoppage, which occurred after Almohammed landed a significant body shot just before Chavan was unable to continue. Almohammed improved his record to 2-0 (1 KO) following this bout.

Mexican super middleweight Julio Porras Ruiz, who had been unbeaten, experienced his first setback, bringing his record to 13-0-1 (9 KOs) after falling to Tanzania's Pius Mpenda, who holds a record of 11-4-2 (5 KOs).

Ruiz, with a height advantage, attempted to find his rhythm with his jab early in the fight but was hit by several solid blows, ultimately failing to impress before a 57-57 draw was declared.

Saudi fighter Mohammed Alakel started strong against the 34-year-old Jiaming Li from China, landing clear shots in the opening round. Alakel's jab was effective as the fight progressed, and he enjoyed significant success.

Li managed to avoid severe trouble by utilising a high guard and only attacking sporadically, but a frustrated Abel Sanchez, Alakel's trainer, demanded more from him.

In the fifth round, Li briefly lost his balance due to a jab, which he claimed was merely a slip, but there was little argument against the validity of the punch that caused it.

As the fight drew to a close, Li attempted to exchange blows with Alakel, who was successful across all areas and earned a unanimous decision with scores of 60-53. Alakel's record now stands at 7-0 (1 KO), while Li's falls to 7-6 (4 KOs).

These four matches served as preliminary events leading up to the Night of Champions Ring 4 show, featuring key matchups such as Sam Noakes facing Abdullah Mason, Jesse Rodriguez against Fernando Martinez, Devin Haney challenging Brian Norman, and Anthony Yarde taking on David Benavidez.

SHOCK: CANELO ALVAREZ CONFIRMS CRAWFORD REMATCH NEGOTIATIONS ARE GO

Canelo Alvarez has requested a 2026 rematch with Terence Crawford after losing their first fight. Negotiations are underway, but questions remain over the financial backing and fan interest.

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Crawford Holds ALL Cards: Canelo Begs For Second Fight

Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez are negotiating a rematch for 2026. After losing to Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) in the "Fight of the Century" earlier this year on September 13 in Las Vegas, Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) has demanded the rematch.

Canelo and Crawford are reportedly in talks to fight again, according to TV Azteca. Since neither combatant has any thrilling options, social media fans are largely in favour of a second fight.

Canelo has never expressed a desire to take on David Benavidez, while Crawford, 38, has already turned down a bout.

Canelo-Crawford is ageing, sluggish, and not as strong as it once was. It would be unwise to pit them against the best 168-pounders and most definitely not against the top 175-pounders. Therefore, they should consider running it back.

On September 13, 2025, Crawford defeated Canelo via unanimous decision in 12 rounds at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Crawford only made a brief appearance in rounds 4, 9, and 12.

Apart from those few moments, Canelo was primarily restrained by Crawford's movements, jabs, and wrestling holds, which prevented him from escaping. Watching it was not thrilling. 115-113, 115-113, and 116-112 were the results.

Alvarez will need to make many changes if he wants to win the rematch since Crawford will be sticking to his hit, move, and hold strategy from the previous bout. Although that style is hard to match, many find it extremely boring to watch.

Turki's Uncertain Role


Whether Turki Alalshikh will fund the Canelo vs. Crawford match is still unknown. It makes sense that he would not want to. He gave the two boxers a huge sum of money in September of last year, but their performance was extremely poor, comparable to what spectators witnessed in the highly anticipated 2015 bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

Questions about funds


Crawford reportedly received $50 million and Canelo $150 million for the bout. It is unclear if they would want a pay increase or comparable compensation from Turki for their rematch. After their performances in September of last year, would they even be worth a small portion of that sum? They were not fighting at the calibre of fighters who should be paid enormous sums of money.

Turki must pit Canelo and Crawford against a seek-and-destroy fighter like Benavidez to make the most out of his investment. Fans would find that much more fascinating to watch than a repeat of the first Canelo-Crawford bout.

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