Garcia Dominates Barrios To Claim WBC Welterweight Crown In High-Stakes Las Vegas Showdown!

By: Travis "The What's Next Kid" Smith Jr.

On February 21, 2026, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the "High Stakes" boxing card, co-promoted by TGB Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with The Ring magazine and streamed live on DAZN, featured a dominant performance by Ryan "King Ry" Garcia, 25-2, 20Ko’s in the main event, where he captured the WBC welterweight title with a unanimous decision victory over defending champion Mario "El Azteca" Barrios, 29-3-2, 18Ko’s of San Antonio, Texas. Garcia, a 27-year-old from Victorville, California, dropped Barrios just 25 seconds into the first round with a sharp overhand right and maintained control throughout the 12-round bout, utilizing superior speed, footwork, and combinations to outbox the 30-year-old Barrios, who showed resilience but failed to mount effective counters or close the distance. Judges scored the fight 119-108, 120-107, and 118-109, marking Garcia's first major world title and prompting him to call out Shakur Stevenson post-fight, while Barrios suffered his third career loss in a one-sided affair that highlighted Garcia's potential despite recent personal challenges.

In the co-feature, a battle of southpaws, Capitol Heights, Maryland's, Gary Antuanne Russell, 19-1, 17Ko’s, a 2016 Olympian and brother to former champions Gary Russell Jr. and Gary Antonio Russell, defended his WBA super lightweight title with a unanimous decision over Yokohama, Japan's, Andy "Da Blade" Hiraoka, 24-1, 19Ko’s, winning on scores of 117-110, 116-111, and 116-111 in a competitive 12-round clash that showcased Russell's power and precision against Hiraoka's aggressive style. The planned IBF super lightweight title bout between Hackensack, New Jersey's Richardson "Africa" Hitchins, 20-0, 8Ko’s and Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico's Oscar "La Migraña" Duarte, 30-2-1, 23Ko’s was cancelled due to Hitchins' illness, leaving the card without that matchup.

On the undercard, Indianapolis, Indiana southpaw, Frank "The Ghost" Martin, 19-1-1, 13Ko’s and Sicklerville, New Jersey's, Nahir "Woo" Albright, 17-2-1, 7Ko’s battled to a unanimous draw in a 10-round super lightweight contest, with all three judges scoring 95-95 in a tactical fight marked by Martin's elusiveness and Albright's pressure.

At super middleweight, Indio, California-based Uzbek southpaw, Bektemir "Bully" Melikuziev, 17-1, 11Ko’s, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist, stopped Nashville, Tennessee-based Ghanaian, Sena Agbeko, 29-5, 23Ko’s via seventh-round TKO after a dominant display of body work and power shots that forced the referee's intervention.

Las Vegas, Nevada's 23-year-old, Amari Jones, 16-0, 14Ko’s remained undefeated with a fourth-round TKO over fellow Las Vegan, 35-year-old, Luis Arias, 22-7-1, 11Ko’s, in a 10-round middleweight bout, as Arias's corner retired him due to accumulated punishment from Jones's aggressive knockout streak.

Preliminary action saw Houston, Texas's, Joshua "The Rocket" Edwards, 6-0, 5Ko’s secure a unanimous decision over Victoria, British Columbia, Canada's Brandon Colantonio, 7-2, 1Ko in a six-round heavyweight matchup, with scores of 60-54 across the board in a one-sided affair favoring Edwards's jab and movement. Finally, Big Bear, California-based 21-year-old, Arabian "Mighty" Mohammed Alakel, 8-0, 2Ko’s delivered a second-round KO against Aston, Pennsylvania's, David Calabro, 5-2, 3Ko’s in a six-round super featherweight opener, underscoring the card's mix of rising prospects and established contenders in a night dominated by Garcia's title conquest.

Golden Boy Promotions: Established in 2002 by current Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya, an International Hall of Famer and a 10-time World Champion in six divisions. Golden Boy is the first Latino-owned boxing promotions company with a world-renowned reputation in organizing the largest and highest grossing events in the history of the sport.

With more than two-decades as an industry leader and a lengthy roster of past, current and future world champions, Golden Boy will continue to leave an indelible mark in sports history.

Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2002 by 10-time world champion in six divisions Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company.

Golden Boy Promotions is one of boxing’s most active and respected promoters, presenting shows in packed venues around the world.