Connect with us

Boxing

Barry McGuigan Announces Verdict in Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Garcia: ‘It’s His Case’

Published

on

Barry McGuigan delivers verdict on Mario Barrios vs Ryan Garcia: “That’s his issue”

Barry McGuigan pointed out a sedate problem that Ryan Garcia needs to address before his fight with WBC world champion Mario Barrios.

Both opponents will fight on February 21 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and Barrios will defend his green and gold welterweight belt for the third time.

After previous draws against Abel Ramos and 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao, it must be said that the 30-year-old has struggled to establish himself as the top dog at 147 pounds.

But Barrios’ work rate alone could be a key factor against Garcia, whose sporadic activity and lack of discipline in recent years have clearly been a concern.

The cracks first began to show when Garcia, after truly strange preparations for his bout with Devin Haney, weighed more than 3 pounds over the super lightweight limit in April 2024.

“King Ry” then knocked down his fighter three times to claim a majority victory, which was later overturned due to him testing positive for ostarine, a performance-enhancing substance.

Then, after a one-year ban, Garcia returned against Rolando Romero last May and suffered a unanimous decision defeat after being eliminated in the second round.

According to Hall of Famer McGuigan, the 27-year-old has lacked professionalism since his seventh-round loss to Gervonta Davis in 2023.

Additionally, the Irish boxing legend emphasized in his column titled: Mirror that Garcia must rely on more than just his talent against Barrios.

“Garcia’s talent is unquestionable; the problem was his professionalism. He made a huge impression on me when he fought Luke Campbell five years ago. His hand speed and left hook were exceptional.

“At that time, his future seemed certain. [But] is a perfect example that innate abilities are never enough. After the defeat against Gervonta Davis in early 2023, everything became clear.

“He failed to make weight in the Devin Haney fight, then was kicked out for testing positive for a banned substance, and then lost completely to Romero.

“A dedicated Garcia can still be great in this sport. But he hasn’t been since the Davis loss.”

Garcia turned in perhaps the best performance of his career after surviving an early knockdown that stopped Campbell, the Olympic gold medalist, in the seventh round of their 2021 lightweight bout.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Boxing

Keyshawn Davis says his next fight at 147 pounds could be a title shot

Published

on

Image: Keyshawn Davis Says Next Fight Likely at 147, “For a Championship”

“My next fight will definitely be under a credible name, bigger than Jamaine Ortiz,” Keyshawn told Fight Hub TV.

Since stopping Jamaine Ortiz in the 12th round on January 31 at Madison Square Garden, Keyshawn has been openly calling for bigger fights. He has mentioned names from junior welterweights and welterweights in interviews and on social media, including Devin Haney, Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, Richardson Hitchins, Lewis Crocker and Lamont Roach Jr.

These challenges followed a performance that Keyshawn pointed to as evidence that he was among the top contenders. He dropped and stopped Ortiz in a fight where several previous opponents had gone the distance against a hard-wearing opponent. Now Keyshawn says the next step will take him to a welterweight title shot.

“I think I’m on the rise,” Keyshawn said when asked about the importance of his next fight, confirming plans to compete at 147 pounds and indicating the fight will be for the world championship.

Keyshawn did not name his opponent, but hinted that the fight would be a step up from his last fight. He also said that discussions about this fight have already taken place and that his return could come sooner than many expect.

A move up to welterweight would place Keyshawn in one of boxing’s most competitive divisions, with several established fighters already competing for title opportunities and championship fights receiving constant attention.

One possible opponent at 147 pounds is IBF champion Lewis Crocker, who Keyshawn mentioned when discussing future fights. Keyshawn has previously said he would be willing to head to the UK to challenge Crocker if a title opportunity arises. No agreement has been announced, but a fight has emerged as one potential path if the fighter wins the welterweight title outright.

For now, Keyshawn says preparations for his return are already underway as talks continue for a world title fight.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Canelo Alvarez discusses his retirement plan

Published

on

Canelo Alvarez addresses his retirement plan

Canelo Alvarez talked about how long he could stay in the sport before hanging up his gloves and opting for a decorated career.

The 35-year-old is already destined for a place in the Hall of Fame, as he became a four-division world champion, but he still wants to compete at the highest level.

Since his professional debut in 2005, the Mexican has made 68 appearances and has twice become the undisputed king of the 168-pound division, scoring notable victories over the likes of Callum Smith and Caleb Plant.

However, his most critical victory came in the middleweight division, where Alvarez made a very controversial decision by majority vote in a rematch with Gennady Golovkin in 2018.

More controversial was their first meeting a year earlier, when many felt Golovkin had done enough to claim a convincing victory and the Kazakhstan ended in a draw.

Still, Canelo received plenty of credit for his follow-up triumph before dethroning Sergei Kovalev to capture the WBO featherlight heavyweight title over a year later.

Alvarez’s second undisputed super middleweight reign came to an end last September when Terence Crawford moved up two weight classes and won a unanimous decision.

But Canelo explained anyway Froch About the fight that he can still compete for another two years, maybe even longer, depending on how often his opportunities come along.

“I don’t know. I think maybe two years. I don’t need it, [but] I still enjoy it. If I [fight] maybe once a year [I can go on] a little bit [longer].

“Once a year to rest my body, I think I can fight more [than two years]”

Although an official announcement has not yet been made, Canelo is scheduled to fight in Riyad, Saudi Arabia this September, and Turki Alalshikh has promised to fight for the world title.

Continue Reading

Boxing

The Inoue-Nakatani title fight will take place on May 2 at the Tokyo Dome

Published

on

Boxing’s worst kept secret has now been confirmed – Naoya Inoue (32-0, 27 KO) and Junto Nakatani (32-0, 24 KO) will meet on May 2 at the Tokyo Dome for Inoue’s undisputed junior featherweight championship.

The all-Japan clash was formally announced at a press conference in Japan. The fight will be broadcast live on Lemino pay-per-view; US distribution rights have not yet been announced.

Inoue – ESPN’s No. 2 pound-for-pound boxer – is coming off an impressive 2025 in which he competed four times, defeating Kim Ye-Joon, Ramon Cardenas, Murodjon Akhmadaliev and David Picasso. Thanks to Inoue’s unanimous decision victory over Picasso in December, Nakatani defeated Sebastian Hernandez in the second fight of the night in a tougher-than-expected fight. Their victories set up a long-awaited clash between two of Japan’s best players.

Nakatani is ranked No. 6 pound-for-pound by ESPN and will look to become a four-division champion after winning world titles at bantamweight, junior bantamweight and flyweight. Although Nakatani narrowly won his junior featherweight debut in a grueling fight against Hernandez, Nakatani proved he was one of the best fighters in the world and had a powerful showing in 2025, winning 3-0.

The Undercard will feature Inoue’s younger brother Takuma defending his WBC bantamweight title against former four-division titleholder Kazuto Ioka.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending