Barrios-Garcia Press Conference Quotes
WBC welterweight titlist Marrio Barrios (29-2, 18 KOs) and Ryan Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs) met recently in Los Angeles to discuss their February 21 clash, which will stream live on DAZN from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Barrios, who is 3-0-2 over his last five fights including two consecutive draws against Manny Pacquiao and Abel Ramos, will look to retain his title against Garcia, who is getting his first world title shot at 147 pounds.
“Someone said that I rate him [Ryan Garcia] on that level [of Pacquiao, Thurman Gervonta], but he’s an opponent. We have to fight against him. We have to defend against him and that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” said Barrios.
Barrios also spoke about his decision to bring on Joe Goossen to his team after being asked if Goossen’s history with Garcia factored into the decision.
“No. The fact that Joe Goossen trained Ryan Garcia had nothing to do with it,” said Barrios. “The move to go with Joe was going to happen whether this fight happened or not. Me and my team just felt that we needed a change to get this last stretch with my career. That was the reason for the move with Joe. We’ve gotten familiar with him and his style and everything he has accomplished with his fighters. We’re going to have a good camp and look forward to February 21.”
Garcia, is looking to get back into the thick of things after a 2-2, 1 ND run over his last five fights.
“I’m truly honored to be a part of this huge fight. This is how it’s supposed to be. I am super prepared for this fight and have been really focused. You can do a lot of talking, but at the end of the day, the fight is on February 21, and I’m ready to put a beating on somebody,” said Garcia.
“I’m 154-pounds right now, so I’m ahead of schedule. Joe [Goossen] knows when I’m locked in, so he knows there’s going to be a real fight. My prediction is that there’s going to be a lot of cuts in this fight. One thing that we do know about Mario Barrios is he’s a very durable fighter, so he can come back the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th round and keep fighting even though he may be hurt. One thing I want to mention is they have three guys that used to train me, not just Joe. This man [Mario Barrios] called them The Avengers, but I call them traitors.”
Garcia also acknowledged the two losses he’s suffered in recent fights and doesn’t want to add a third to his record.
“Two is cool, but three is too much. I don’t wanna get this third loss at all,” said Garcia. “He doesn’t want to get it. It’s debatable that he lost his last fight, but it was called a draw. But at the end of the day, we don’t want to lose, and we’re both at this moment. That’s why I think this is a sleeper fight. Some people don’t think this is gonna be a good event. I think it is, and I predict that it’s gonna be very bloody. I can see a lot of cuts and grueling fighting.”
“It’s really an honor to be a part of ‘The Ring: High Stakes.’ It’s an honor to be working with Ryan [Garcia] and [Mario] Barrios in this fight. This weight class – 147-pounds – you’re in the middle of a division where they’re hitting hard, they’re fast, they’re trying to knock each other out and it’s exciting. The 147-pound weight class is serious business. Watching Ryan right now puts a smile on my face because I think we’re going to see the old version of him that we’ve seen in the ring who is determined, strong and wants to go out there and knock their head off. Then you have Barrios who is the champion. He’s coming off the confidence in drawing with [Manny] Pacquiao, who is a legend. I’m really grateful and excited that we can do this again to promote the very best at the biggest stage.”
Oscar De La Hoya, who was also on hand, expressed his excitement over Goldeon Boy’s promotion of the card.
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