“Whether you win or lose, the value is there,” Henry Garcia said MillCity Boxing when asked about the backlash.
Ryan Garcia is coming off a decision loss to Rolando Romero last May. The loss raised questions about his position in the division and whether he needs to rebuild before moving on to a title fight. Instead, Garcia is now in line to challenge Barrios without facing any of the WBC’s top contenders at 147 pounds.
Fans criticized this view. Many argue that title shots should be earned through wins over top opponents, not granted based on name recognition. The criticism is stronger as Garcia is coming off a loss and moving into a championship fight in a new weight class.
Henry Garcia dismissed the Romero loss, saying it doesn’t reflect how his son usually performs.
“It wasn’t my son,” Garcia said. “Fighting Duarte was Ryan. That’s the Ryan you want, and that’s the Ryan we have now.”
The explanation did little to change the reaction. While few dispute that Ryan Garcia remains one of the sport’s biggest draws, critics point out that his recent results don’t match up to an outright title opportunity. Some have also noted that Barrios is considered by many to be the best of the current welterweight champions, adding to questions about how the match came together.
Garcia said value played a role in securing the fight.
“That’s the value that can get you that title, whether you’ve lost before or whatever,” he said. “Mario Barrios wants somebody solid. Well, guess what? He picked Ryan, and Ryan picked him.”
For merit-focused fans, the situation reflects a familiar issue in boxing. Ryan Garcia is positioned for a world title fight without first proving himself against the division’s top contenders, which fight should be judged as much on how it’s made as on what happens in the ring.
