Ryan Garcia's struggles in big fights, and why he needs to deliver against Mario Barrios

Garcia is one of boxing’s divisive characters, he has the talent and the following to be a huge force in the sport, but he often lets himself down with how he conducts himself inside and outside of the ring.

Tonight’s fight with Barrios feels like make-or-break for Garcia.

He has been handed this opportunity on a silver platter and needs to deliver, but there is a chance Garcia may shrink under the bright lights once more in his career.

Gervonta Davis stops Garcia in one of modern boxing’s great events

When Gervonta Davis’ fight with Garcia was made official three years ago, boxing had a mega event on its hands.

After calling out ‘Tank’ on numerous occasions, Garcia finally got his wish to face one of the sport’s most feared names in Las Vegas.

It was a fight night which the whole world was watching, delivering huge viewing numbers, but it could not have been a worse start for Garcia.

In just the second round, a Davis left hand floored ‘King Ry’, and the young star was brought back down to earth. He was in a real fight against an opponent who wanted to inflict serious damage.

Garcia showed tremendous courage to get back up, but he was shaken up. The bounce in his movement had vanished and he was scared to engage with ‘Tank’.

With each passing round, it felt like the end was getting closer and closer for Garica. He was frequently backed up by Davis before the then 24-year-old was put of his misery midway through the seventh.

A Davis left hook to the body appeared to have no effect, but a few moments later, Garcia winced, took a knee and the fight was waved off.

For someone being touted as boxing’s next big star, this clash with Davis was a reality check for Garcia, but sometimes this type of performance can be a benefit.

Unfortunately, it was a downward spiral.

Garcia’s unhinged behaviour overshadows Devin Haney showdown

One year on from the loss to Davis, Garcia was involved in another huge all-American fight. This time against old amateur rival Devin Haney.

After conquering the lightweight division, Haney was making the move up to 140lbs and already had the WBC belt following a win over Regis Prograis.

Garica’s behaviour in build-up was erratic to say the least. Eyebrow raising social media posts, appearing on a horse to a press conference and concerns over Garcia’s mental health led to doubts as to whether this fight would go ahead.

Then came fight week where Garcia missed weight whilst drinking a beer on the scales, before knocking down Haney three times en-route to a split decision win.

 A performance such as this by Garcia should have been praised, but instead it was overshadowed by his antics beforehand and then came the news of a Garcia failed drugs test.

The result was overturned to a no contest, and Garcia became a ridiculed figure.

Once again, this proved that Garcia is someone who struggled on the biggest stages, and this time, it looked like the Haney affair had long lasting effects.

The unpredictable behaviour continued and at one point there was a fear that ‘King Ry’ would never fight again.

Garcia fails to impress against Rolly Romero in Times Square

Maybe it was seen as third time lucky for Garcia as he was once again handed a prime sport on a marquee fight card.

Last May, Garcia found himself featuring on The Ring’s unique event in Times Square, New York, facing former ‘Tank’ Davis rival Rolando Romero.

Taking place at welterweight, this fight was a perfect opportunity for Garcia to get rid of his demons and re-announce himself in one of boxing’s most popular weight divisions.

Instead, he shrunk, again, when everyone was watching.

Two quick successive left hands from Romero knocked down Garcia, but this was the only standout moment.

Neither man was eager to commit, and the Compu Box stats showed what an actionless encounter this contest was with just 123 punches landed out of 490.

The knockdown may have dented Garcia’s confidence, but surely if he was to make a statement, he would have been eager to put pressure on Romero, let his hands go and put on a show in front of arguably boxing’s most powerful figure in His Excellency Turki Alalshikh.

Garcia would lose to Romero by unanimous decision, his second defeat in the pro ranks and seemingly with no route back to the top, until his world title encounter with Barrios.

Garcia needs to beat Barrios, or his career is over

There is a consensus that Garcia does not deserve this world title fight after the loss to Romero, so he needs to grasp this opportunity with both hands and deliver.

A loss would be catastrophic and there will inevitably be calls for him to end his career.

Barrios may not be the biggest of threats, but for Garcia, his biggest issue is showcasing his exceptional talent when it really matters and to do it without any huge caveats.

On tonight’s world stage in Las Vegas, it’s simple for Garcia, win, and prove that he is someone who deserves to be a major presence under boxing’s bright lights.

Watch Barrios vs. Garcia only on DAZN PPV

The  WBC welterweight world title is on the line this Saturday - Feb 21 - as Mario Barrios and Ryan Garcia go toe-to-toe, exclusively on DAZN. Buy the PPV as a one-off cost or get included with DAZN Ultimate Tier. 

For more information, pricing and to buy, click here.