Ryan Garcia says he’s “disciplined” in early training for his fight against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios on February 21, 2026. He’s got a lot of time to get ready for that fight, so he won’t miss weight like we saw when he challenged Devin Haney for his WBC 140-lb belt last year on April 20, 2024.
Fans Skeptical of “House Mitt Work”
“We’ve been disciplined, as you can see with my demeanor and my confidence. You know I’ve been working,” said Ryan Garcia on social media about his mental state as he prepares for his title fight against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios on February 21st.
Boxing fans have no way of knowing if Ryan has been “disciplined” or not, because they haven’t seen any gym workouts. The only thing they’ve seen is Garcia training on mitts at his house. That’s not serious training. He needs to be in the gym, and ideally with his old coach, Eddy Reynoso.
Skipping Jake Paul: Smart or Foolish?
“It’s just going to be the day of the fight that you guys are going to see the work. Jake wanted me to fight really quickly, and I had a title shot coming up. I chose to get away from the money and go for the titles,” said Garcia.
If Ryan loses to Barrios, he could regret not taking the bigger payday against Jake Paul. It only works out for Garcia if he’s victorious in the Barrios fight; otherwise, he made a mistake by not fighting Paul.
Barrios Fight: High Risk, Thin Reward
Kingry doesn’t need Barrios’ WBC 147-lb title for a rematch against Haney to be a huge one for fans. They’re going to want to see it anyway. The only reason it matters for Ryan to have the WBC title is for negotiation purposes. So, instead of his beginning talks with Haney as a beltless challenge, he could have had the WBC title to be in a better bargaining position.
“Everything is going to pay off. It’s like an investment. You win a title, you get the money. The money is going to come. I definitely want to give thanks to Mario Barrios for letting me. He accepted my challenge, my offer.
Tank 2 or Haney 2: Which Sells Bigger?
“What do you think is more exciting, me vs. Tank #2 or me vs. Devin #2?” said Garcia.
At this point, the bigger fight might be Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney 2. Gervonta Davis has hurt his popularity by facing Lamont Roach and Frank Martin in his last two fights. Those are not ones that fans wanted to see, and he looked poor against Roach.
Haney’s Villain Arc Boosts the Rivalry
Haney has become popular in the villain sense. He’s not entertaining to watch, but he and his dad, Bill Haney, rub fans the wrong way with their cockiness. It angers fans when they see a fighter with a boring style act confident.
Last Updated on 11/26/2025
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