Sport|Boxing
Ryan Garcia has won the WBC welterweight title with a dominant unanimous decision over Mario Barrios.
Garcia dropped Barrios in the opening seconds on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nevada, and controlled the fight with sharp combinations. The 27-year-old stayed patient after the early knockdown and turned more conservative late with a big lead.
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The judges scored the fight 119-108, 120-107 and 118-109 for Garcia (25-2, 20 knockouts) of Victorville, California. The Associated Press news agency had it 119-109.
“It feels good to finally be a world champion,” Garcia said. “It’s something I’ve been dreaming of since I was seven years old.”
Garcia already has begun to turn to his future, looking at WBO super lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson and saying he wanted him next.
This was the second underwhelming bout in a row for Barrios (29-3-2, 18 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas, after he was fortunate to escape with a majority draw victory over Manny Pacquiao in July.
The win capped a turbulent stretch for Garcia, including a suspension, fines and other controversies.
In the co-main event, Gary Antuanne Russell kept his title against Andy Hiraoka.
Ryan Garcia, right, fights Mario Barrios in their WBC welterweight title boxing match [Lucas Peltier/AP]
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