00:00In championship results, Ryan Garcia finally claimed a world title, dropping Mario Barrios twice before cruising to a unanimous decision
00:08for the WBC welterweight belt.
00:10It was sharp, composed, and arguably the most complete performance of his turbulent career.
00:18The 27-year-old prodigy hasn't had a smooth run of late. His record reads just 1-2, with one
00:24no contest from his last four outings.
00:26That included a high-profile loss to Javonte Davis, and a shock defeat to Orlando Romero that looked to completely
00:34stall his ascension.
00:37The lowest point for his career, however, came when his win over Devin Haney for a junior welterweight title was
00:43overturned after he failed the drug test.
00:47This triggered a year-long suspension, during which time he was arrested over alleged property damage at a Beverly Hills
00:54hotel
00:54before being expelled by the WBC for offensive social media remarks.
00:59His rise looked to be over, but the WBC saw money on the horizon.
01:05Mario Barrios may have been the defending champion, but his only two defenses were draws,
01:10one of which was to the 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao.
01:13It's almost as if the WBC felt he was beatable, and that the money magnet Garcia was the man to
01:19do it.
01:20So, they reinstated him.
01:24I believe it was like a masterclass, but I should have got the knockout, to be honest, Garcia said after
01:29the win.
01:30It wasn't just the left hook.
01:31Jor was saying, watch out for my left hook the whole time, but you saw my right hand working tonight.
01:37It is his left hand that usually gets the attention,
01:40but Garcia leaned on his right hand, dropping Barrios early and dictating every exchange.
01:46Speed, variation, and timing kept Barrios guessing and covering up
01:49as Garcia controlled range and tempo until the final bell.
01:55You know who I want?
01:57He's right there.
01:58So, Shakur Stevenson, let's go, said Garcia.
02:01Hey, I want to be a great champion, and I'm not scared of s***.
02:04I fought Devin Haney.
02:05I'll fight Shakur Stevenson.
02:07I'll fight anybody.
02:08I want to be a great champion, and I want to be a great champion.
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