THE WELTERWEIGHT KING: HOW RYAN GARCIA’S TACTICAL SHIFT DISMANTLED MARIO BARRIOS TO WIN GOLD
Ryan Garcia is the new WBC welterweight king! Get full fight results, O'Reilly’s knockdown, and the Shakur Stevenson call-out.
Ryan Garcia put on a show Saturday night, outclassing Mario Barrios to grab the WBC welterweight crown in a clear-cut unanimous decision. The judges’ cards said it all: 119-108, 120-107, 118-109. No controversy here; Garcia left no doubt he earned that belt.
Barrios, who now sits at 29-3-2 with 18 knockouts, just couldn’t keep up. This loss stings even more coming off his draw with Manny Pacquiao last July.
Garcia wasted no time, knocking Barrios down with a big overhand right in the opening half-minute. But he didn’t get reckless. Instead, Garcia picked his shots, working combinations upstairs and catching Barrios off guard late in round three.
After the fight, Garcia didn’t hold back. “You know who I want. He’s right there. Shakur Stevenson. Let’s go. Let’s run that,” he said on DAZN.
Stevenson, by the way, beat Teofimo Lopez in January to become a four-division champ. If that fight happens, sparks will fly.
Back in the ring, Barrios, 30, just couldn’t figure Garcia out. He’d land an occasional right, but nothing rattled Garcia. By round five, Garcia was all over him, attacking from the bell and unloading on Barrios’ head, though he didn’t manage another knockdown. Still, no question was in control.
At one point in the tenth, Garcia even glanced over at Barrios’ corner, maybe sending a little message to his old trainer, Joe Goosen. Garcia’s dad, Henry, is back in his corner after a stint with other coaches.
Knowing he was way ahead, Garcia eased off in the final rounds. He could coast.
It’s been a wild year for Garcia. He got hit with a year-long suspension and a $1 million fine by New York for allegedly using PEDs after his win over Devin Haney in April. The WBC also kicked him out for a few months after he used racial and ethnic slurs, and he’s dealt with some legal trouble, too.
On top of all that, Garcia was bouncing back from a tough unanimous-decision loss to Rolando Romero in Times Square.
Earlier in the night, Gary Antuanne Russell held onto his WBA super lightweight title with a unanimous decision over Japan’s Andy Hiraoka. That moves Russell to 19-1 with 17 knockouts, while Hiraoka takes his first loss.
Richardson Hitchins was supposed to defend his IBF super lightweight belt against Oscar Duarte, but he pulled out last minute, saying he was sick. That match was actually set to be the co-main event, but there’s no word yet on whether Hitchins will lose his title because of it.
HOW DANIEL DUBOIS SURVIVED TWO KNOCKDOWNS TO STOP A BLOODY FABIO WARDLEY
"I had to dig deep." Read Daniel Dubois' full reaction to his stunning comeback victory against Fabio Wardley in Manchester.
The punch that changed everything wasn't thrown by either of the fighters.
Fabio Wardley came out blazing in his title defence, dropping Daniel Dubois just 10 seconds in. He did it again in the third round, making it look like his big night. But then, something strange happened. As Dubois got up after the fourth round, his trainer, Don Charles, slapped him hard on both cheeks.
That’s when Dubois woke up. “I had to make him realise what he needed to do,” Charles said afterwards. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you see at team-building seminars, but it worked. Dubois turned on, and suddenly Wardley’s reign started to unravel.
Wardley had picked Dubois for the first fight since collecting the WBO belt that Oleksandr Usyk dropped. Honestly, it looked like a smart pick: he dropped Dubois twice and set the tone. But after that slap, Dubois started seeing Wardley’s moves coming; those wild lunges became easier to dodge.
He landed his stiff jab and followed up with savage right hands. Wardley’s jaw somehow took the hits, but his nose was pouring blood, and his right eye was almost swollen shut. He kept pushing forward, showing crazy heart, while Dubois just kept piling on. The fight turned into a brutal spectacle, the kind you can’t look away from.
Wardley got checked twice by doctors but kept fighting. Honestly, it could've stopped before the second-to-last round, when referee Howard Foster finally stepped in. Dubois got his second world title; Wardley, battered and worn, just managed a thumbs up to his mum.
Dubois summed it up later: “I had to dig really deep. When you’re a warrior, you go to dark places. I was nervous at first, all over the place, and had to fight my own battles. That slap woke me up. My dad and everyone were in my corner; I couldn’t let them down.
“Fabio came to fight; he was tough. We were exhausted; it was a real war. I had to use all my skills to win. Great fight, great battle, and I’m No. 1 again.” Sure, Usyk might argue about that, but Dubois proved something; he got up off the canvas and won.
People have called Dubois a quitter since the Joe Joyce fight six years ago. Wardley himself thought Dubois would fold again in Manchester, and for three rounds it looked like he was right until reality snapped Dubois awake.
HEARN HITS BACK: CONTRACT DISPUTE THREATENS DANA WHITE’S MASSIVE FURY VS AJ PROMOTION
"This year is the busiest of my career." Read Dana White’s full statement on promoting the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua fight.
Dana White is set to take the lead as promoter for the upcoming clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
After a long wait, Fury and Joshua will finally face off later this year in what promises to be a major British heavyweight showdown.
The fight is lined up to happen, provided both fighters navigate their respective warm-up bouts first. Joshua is expected to step into the ring against Kristian Prenga on July 25.
This event is shaping up to be massive, with the fighters’ usual promoters, Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren, continuing to represent them.
Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh will be backing the event financially, and it’s slated to be broadcast live on Netflix.
In a surprising move, Dana White from Zuffa Boxing has announced he’ll be the one promoting the fight.
White said, “This year is hands down the busiest of my career. I’m travelling widely, fully focused on Zuffa Boxing, signing fighters and putting on solid fights. We’ve also struck a deal with Sky in the UK, so look out for quality matchups there. And yeah, I’ll be promoting the Tyson Fury vs AJ fight.”
His role doesn’t come without complications, though, especially since Hearn and Warren are often viewed as rivals.
Tensions between White and Hearn have been rising recently, particularly after White signed Conor Benn, which didn’t sit well with Hearn.
White’s ability to lead this event comes largely through Alalshikh’s backing, who has been a key financial supporter of the UFC Boxing initiative.
Unsurprisingly, Eddie Hearn responded sharply to White’s announcement.
Calling White a clout chaser, Hearn dismissed the idea as contractually impossible and challenged White to back his words.
With this level of friction, things might get even more heated in the weeks ahead.
No official date or venue has been announced yet for the fight, but there’s hope among fans that it will take place in the UK.
