Teddy Atlas delivered his verdict in the Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Garcia case, emphasizing that the outcome would ultimately be determined by Garcia’s mental state.
Both pairs will face each other next Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and Barrios will be preparing for his third defense of the WBC world title.
He drew against Abel Ramos and 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao in both of his most recent outings, though the 30-year-old is nonetheless considered a solid test for Garcia.
Entering his second world title challenge, Garcia had only one fight at 147 pounds and lost a unanimous decision to Rolando Romero in May since moving up from super lightweight.
Previously, the American won a majority victory over Devin Haney in April 2024, which was later declared a no contest due to a positive test for the banned substance ostarine.
Not only that, but Garcia too received a one-year ban from the New York State Athletic Commissionduring which time he openly admitted to “drinking and partying”.
As a result of such antics, many questioned the 27-year-old’s commitment to the sport, which seemed especially problematic in the run-up to the fight with Haney.
During this time, Garcia’s erratic behavior led many people to express concern about his overall mental state, not to mention any perceived lack of application to his craft.
The same questions still seem to be on his mind ahead of his clash with Barrios, although Hall of Fame trainer Atlas has expressed his opinion on his YouTube channel that Garcia’s relative silence could be considered an encouraging sign.
“At this stage of Barrios’ career – Garcia is younger, Garcia is quicker with his hands, a little more explosive – I think you would favor Garcia.
“But again… is his mind okay? Where is he? You have to take a chance: is he mentally right?”
“It was peaceful on the Western Front [and]If Garcia’s situation is peaceful on the Western Front, that’s good news. If there’s no noise, maybe everything will be okay… And if I have to agree, I’d say I favor Garcia. If you have to favor Barrios, you know what you’re going to get. With Garcia you don’t know for sure what you’re going to get.
“Ultimately, my guess is that Garcia will stay together.”
Many others would likely agree with Atlas’ assessment of the situation, believing that a mentally focused Garcia had an advantage over Barrios.