Boxing
Does Mario Barrios feel overlooked versus Ryan Garcia before Sin City super-bout?
Barrios vs Garcia only on DAZN PPV - Saturday
Mario Barrios believes that he has not been overlooked ahead of his fight against Ryan Garcia, despite the hype around the latter's latest world title bid.
The WBC welterweight champion defends his crown for the fourth time on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, live and exclusive on DAZN.
Despite his status as the A-side belt holder on the headline bill, Barrios has found himself frequently viewed as second fiddle to his opponent beforehand.
Garcia, seeking to finally earn a full major strap of his own, has been tipped to deliver on his promise this time around following a loss to Rolly Romero.
But speaking at Thursday's press conference, Barrios played down any suggested he has felt passed over in the contest, stressing he is laser-focused.
"None," he replied. "None of it has bothered me. I'm the champion for a reason. I know everything that I've been doing in the gym, to prepare for this fight.
"I'm ready. I'm not a talker when it comes to all this. Every time I get in there, I fight. I leave it all in there. That's what I'm looking forward to this Saturday."
Barrios saw his reputation take a hit with two successive title defences ending in draws, including his last bout against an aging Manny Pacquiao in Vegas.
He will hope to hand Garcia a third professional reverse however, with the Californian desperate to draw a line under a messy few years in and out of the ring.
3 fight nights, 1 unmissable weekend - only on DAZN
Watch three amazing fights this weekend - Feb 21-22 - exclusively on DAZN. It's Barrios vs. Garcia for the WBC welterweight title on PPV, with Wood vs. Warrington II, and Shields vs. Crews-Dezurn II on DAZN subscription. Get all three all included with DAZN Ultimate Tier.
