Barrios Defends WBC Title Saturday
Mario Barrios will defend his WBC welterweight championship against Ryan Garcia this Saturday in a high-profile bout pitting technical prowess against lightning-fast hands. The fight showcases Barrios' defensive skills against Garcia's social media-fueled swagger and explosive speed. Meanwhile, Claressa Shields is reportedly inking an $8 million deal for her rematch against Franchon Crews-Dezurn, a fight that comes full circle from their 2012 Olympic trials encounter.
- Mario Barrios first won the interim WBC welterweight title by defeating Yordenis Ugás in September 2023 and was later elevated to world champion after Terence Crawford was declared "champion in recess." - Ryan Garcia is coming off a tumultuous period that includes a no-contest ruling against Devin Haney due to a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, a one-year suspension, and a unanimous decision loss to Rolando Romero. - In his most recent title defense in July 2025, Barrios (29-2-2) retained his championship with a majority draw against boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. - Garcia (24-2) has a knockout ratio of 83%, having stopped 20 of his 24 opponents. - The upcoming rematch between Claressa Shields and Franchon Crews-Dezurn is for the undisputed heavyweight championship. - Their first fight in November 2016 was the professional debut for both athletes; Shields won by a unanimous decision in the four-round bout. - Shields, an undefeated, three-division undisputed champion, also defeated Crews-Dezurn in the 2012 Olympic trials. - Crews-Dezurn, a former undisputed super-middleweight champion, will be moving up to the heavyweight division for the rematch with Shields.
