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.
DISCOVER: WILL XANDER ZAYAS RETIRE IF HE LOSES TO JARON ENNIS IN NEW YORK?
Xander Zayas vs Jaron Boots Ennis, Barclays Centre boxing, June 2026, Zayas vs Ennis tickets
Xander Zayas and Jaron "Boots" Ennis are about to clash in what’s shaping up to be one of the biggest U.S. boxing matches this summer.
Zayas puts his unified WBA and WBO super welterweight titles on the line against Ennis, the former WBA and IBF welterweight champ. Ennis is making a run at world titles in a second weight class, which just adds another layer to this fight.
Ennis was originally set to face Vergil Ortiz Jr. That matchup had everyone talking, but things fell apart over a purse dispute. Ortiz Jr's manager, Ricky Mirigan, wasn’t happy with the offer, and drama erupted when Ortiz Jr sued his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, claiming breach of contract and “interference with economic advantage". De La Hoya fired back, countersuing Mirigan for allegedly meddling with Ortiz Jr.’s contract behind the scenes. With lawsuits flying, the fight crumbled, and Ennis moved on. Now he’s set to face Zayas for two of the four major belts in the division.
Zayas and Ennis meet on Saturday, June 27, at Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York. Expect the main event ring walks around 10 p.m. EDT, which is 3 a.m. GMT for UK fans tuning in overnight.
The undercard details are still a mystery, but we do know Ben Whittaker is making his first U.S. appearance on the show.
Both fighters aren’t shy about their ambitions. Zayas said, “It’s always been about legacy – becoming the youngest world champion at 22, the youngest unified champ, and now taking on one of the best in my division. Anyone can chase easy wins, but I want to fight the best. I want to prove I’m the best every time I get in the ring. That’s exactly what I’m going to do on June 27.”
Ennis didn’t hold back, either: “I think Xander’s bitten off way more than he can chew. Come fight night, he’ll figure that out. I’m going to show everyone I’m the best in the world. Watching me is one thing, but once you’re in the ring, it’s a whole different story. I’m faster than he thinks and stronger, and I have a better boxing IQ. He’s in for a long night.”
MANNY PACQUIAO BELIEVES HIS ELITE SPEED WOULD HAVE EASILY DISMANTLED ERROL SPENCE JR.
Manny Pacquiao reveals why he would have "easily beaten" Errol Spence Jr. and shares the secret to his 8-division success.
Manny Pacquiao didn’t need much time to give his take on a fantasy matchup with Errol Spence Jr. If their rumoured 2021 fight actually happened, Pacquiao says he knows how it would have played out.
Back then, Spence was already a big deal. He was a unified welterweight champ, a local hero in Texas, and he’d built up hype with Dallas Cowboys players and musicians. Undefeated, 27 wins with 21 knockouts. His star was on the rise in the US, and Pacquiao was the perfect name to take him to that next level, just like when Pacquiao beat Oscar de la Hoya and launched his own pay-per-view takeover.
But Pacquiao saw things differently. “I wanted to fight him because I know I can easily beat him,” he told ‘Inside The Ring’ on DAZN.
At that point, Pacquiao had fought 71 times. He’d done it all. Titles, wars, all of it. But he was quick to say he wouldn’t be the ageing de la Hoya in this story.
If he had beaten Spence, it would have been thanks to his speed. “It’s not about strength or how strong the punch is. It’s about skills and abilities in the ring and how you move. That’s boxing. That’s the secret to being an eight-division champion,” Pacquiao explained.
In reality, Pacquiao ended up fighting Yordenis Ugas instead, and it didn’t go well. He lost badly. Fans saw him days later, face swollen shut, being spoon-fed by his wife, Jinkee. After almost four years out, he came back in 2025 and nearly beat Mario Barrios, settling for a controversial majority draw.
Spence, on the other hand, bounced back to beat Ugas with a 10th-round stoppage but got knocked out by Terence Crawford in the ninth round in 2023. He hasn’t fought since, but he keeps getting linked to a summer fight with Tim Tszyu.
Last we heard, Spence was still undecided. He says he’ll only return if the right fight comes along.
