Ryan Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs) revealed that he has been signed to fight Mario Barrios (29-2-2, 18 KOs) in a WBC-sanctioned welterweight showdown, a fight that will take place in the T-Mobile Arena in February. The fight will be Garcia’s first fight after the organization lifted his ban in November. This fight sanctioning has been without a host of criticisms. However, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has a message for the doubters.
Talking to the Ring Magazine, Sulaiman defended his organization’s decision to sanction the welterweight bout between the duo.
“I don’t think anyone can even question that he has the ability to win that fight. It’s a different scenario if he was a non-proven fighter, but Ryan Garcia is an elite fighter. He can certainly win the fight,” he said. “You cannot only be judged by your last performance. It’s certainly something to consider, but his overall track record is that of a very good, elite fighter.”
Garcia is often labelled as an unreliable and unpredictable fighter for a myriad of reasons. During fights, he is extremely emotional and impulsive. Moreover, he is seen fighting off feel and momentum rather than structure. When things go his way, he looks electric. When they don’t, he can mentally unravel fast.
Additionally, his erratic behaviour outside the ring has also been a major blow to his marketability as a fighter. Be it his wild social media posts, conspiracy vibes, controversial outbursts, his failed drug test, or his admission of regular alcohol use, he has added to his reputation of being undisciplined and unprofessional.
With all this mounting up, many feel that Garcia might not have deserved a shot at the Barrios fight. However, Sulaiman was sure to point out that the organization had kept the choice of how he bettered himself both as a fighter and as a person.
“Well, we have absolutely a track record of being very close to Ryan Garcia’s career for many years. We have been public about his mental wellness situation for many years,” he said. “The WBC decided to expel him from the WBC. But we always kept close to him, and we always continued to offer help and support, and kept the door open for him to get better, which he did.”
“We All Deserve A Second Opportunity”
Sulaiman is of the opinion that everyone deserves a second chance and an opportunity for redemption, which is exactly what he wishes for Garcia.
“And we believe in opportunities. We all deserve a second opportunity in life. We all deserve an opportunity to redeem ourselves, to take the proper course of life. And that’s what the WBC did,” he said. Moreover, he shed light on the fact that the organization was criticized for giving Manny Pacquiao a desperately needed opportunity, which ultimately helped him.
“So, I feel very strong and proud of welcoming a kid who deserves another opportunity, who has battled strongly against the demons of addictions and for his mental wellness. And I’m proud to give him an opportunity to fight for the WBC title,”he said.
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