Ryan Garcia Slammed For Undeserved WBC Title Shot At Barrios

Fans on social media are slamming Ryan Garcia for his announcement of his title fight against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios on February 21, 2026, in Las Vegas. It’s reportedly a joint PPV event on DAZN and Amazon Prime Video.

The Marketing Machine at Work

The critics see Ryan as being given a title shot against Barrios due to his marketability on Instagram and X. They feel that, if not for Garcia’s popularity, he wouldn’t be getting a title shot, as he’s not ranked in the WBC’s top 15.

Kingry’s social media following

Instagram – 12.16 million followers
X – 1.13 million
YouTube – 1.73

People are complaining about Ryan (24-2, 20 KOs) getting a title shot with a 1-2 record in his three fights. He tested positive for a PED after a win against Devin Haney in 2024. The fight was later changed to a no-contest. He was suspended for a year and lost to Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero by a 12-round unanimous decision on May 2, 2025.

Barrios: The Softest Touch

Ryan’s choice of WBC 147-lb champion Mario Barrios (29-2-2, 18 KOs), who looked poor in his last fight against 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao, suggests that he was looking for the weakest of the four champions to improve his chances of winning a belt. Picking the softest of the belt-holders gives Garcia his best chance of winning a title for the first time in his nine-year career.

It’ll look bad if Ryan wins a controversial decision. That would make it pretty clear to fans that Garcia’s career is just one big marketing gimmick and that he’s an artificially manufactured fighter to bring in money.

If Ryan Loses, Then What?

If Garcia loses to Barrios, it’s going to be hard for him to come back. It would be his third defeat in his last five fights and his second in a row against a flawed fighter. To come back from that loss, Ryan would need to focus exclusively on soft opposition to turn things around.

The WBC could prevent the fight between Barrios and Ryan Garcia from happening if they refused to sanction it. But they’re not expected to do that because it’s a fight that.

Ima make you believe pic.twitter.com/2zsS2QHzeM

— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) November 20, 2025