LAS VEGAS – “Crossroads fight” is one of the most overused terms in boxing. However, in the case of Ryan Garcia, it was more than adequate for his fight against Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title on Saturday.

A victory would allow Garcia to fulfill his enormous potential and win his first major world title after a tumultuous last few years that have left many wondering whether his desires would ever match his immense potential and unique talent. A loss would be devastating for one of the most popular fighters in all of boxing and would relegate him to one of the biggest “What if?” stories from recent memory.

Fortunately for Garcia, the first scenario came true as he dominated Barrios with a breathtaking combination of speed and power, almost finishing at the T-Mobile Arena to capture his first world championship. The victory opened up a host of lucrative opportunities for his first title defense, as he would be able to choose from an extremely enormous field of opponents who would be clamoring to get in the ring with him.

And honestly, boxing is in a better place with Garcia at the top of his game.

“I feel so grounded and composed,” Garcia said at the post-fight news conference, contrasting with a tumultuous two years in which he dealt with adversity in and out of the ring. “I don’t even think I’m even close to my ceiling yet. I think it’s going to be even crazier and I’m going to be even better than what I showed today.”

Garcia did an excellent job of dismantling Barrios, who was unable to keep up with Garcia’s exceptional speed and precise punches, making him look like a deer in the headlights for much of the fight. Garcia is a special talent with a devastating left hook. However, he displayed a complete skill set that started with a pair of overhand rights in the first round that put Barrios on the court and set the tone for the rest of the fight. Simply put, when Garcia is at his best, few can match his exceptional skills.

Garcia has always wanted to test himself against boxing’s best, but his previous attempts may have been premature as losses to Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Rolando “Rolly” Romero – as well as missing the fight against Devin Haney due to a failed test for a banned substance – hampered his progress. His performance on Saturday suggests that he is ready to fully realize his potential and face all his rivals.

“You know who I want? He’s in there. So, Shakur Stevenson, let’s go,” Garcia said in the ring after the victory. “Hey, I want to be a great champion and I’m not afraid…. I fought Devin Haney. I’ll fight Shakur Stevenson. I’ll fight anyone.”

Garcia lost to Stevenson in the amateur category in 2013 and has been waiting for revenge ever since. Given Stevenson’s recent dominance over Teofimo Lopez Jr. and winning the WBO junior welterweight title, it seems likely that a fight will occur between the two.

“I still have that chip on my shoulder,” Garcia said. “I’ve wanted this rematch for a minute. I hope we get it.”

With Garcia already establishing himself as a star and Stevenson gaining popularity with his recent performances, the fight between the two could be one of the most significant in boxing. Stevenson doesn’t see anything stopping this fight from happening next.

“He wants to fight me and I want to fight him, so it should be an straightforward thing to do,” Stevenson said during the post-fight show on DAZN. “I’ll make him an straightforward job.”

Between the trash talk and the clash of styles, the Garcia-Stevenson fight would be a close fight even without the world title. However, another option for Garcia is a rematch with WBO welterweight champion Haney, which would be a massive title unification fight with an enticing storyline.

Garcia and Haney have unfinished business, and the stakes are much higher because they are both world champions. Garcia-Haney 2 should be fought for next.

“Devin doesn’t want that,” Garcia said dismissively. – He’s terrified.

Aside from Stevenson and Haney, all fighters like Conor Benn and Romero want a piece of “KingRy.”

“Congratulations champ. See you later this year. Make sure you keep my belt balmy” – Benn, who recently left Matchroom Boxing to sign with Zuffa Boxing, posted on X after the fight.

As for Stevenson, a fight with Benn in the UK on his welterweight debut would be an ideal way to expose him to the winner of Garcia-Haney.

Years ago, Garcia was one of boxing’s four modern kings, but for Saturday’s fight, he was a king without a crown. Now that he has been crowned and taken his place as one of the rulers of the welterweight division, everything seems bigger and more significant. He already had money and fame. Now he enjoys the respect of his peers.

The stakes for Garcia are higher than ever before, and things become much more captivating when he performs at a high level.