Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaimán: The Return of Ryan Garcia
By Mauricio Sulaimán
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 25 Feb 2026
Ryan Garcia defeated Mario Barrios to become the new World Boxing Council welterweight world champion, and he did so in emphatic fashion, dropping the champion in the first round and setting the tone for the entire fight. He ultimately won by a wide unanimous decision.
This was no ordinary victory; it holds special significance for several reasons, but it is truly a success story that will undoubtedly leave a unique mark on the history of modern boxing.
Who is Ryan Garcia?
Ryan is a young fighter from California with great charisma who became a viral sensation on social media due to his talent, following his participation in Amateur tournaments and the start of a professional career marked by spectacular knockout victories.
He frequently visited the WBC office in Los Angeles, which was managed by my brother Pepe and Nancy Rodriguez. During his visits, he would have photo shoots followed by magical conversations in the boardroom, where he admired the WBC belts decorating the room. Even then, he claimed that his childhood dream was to conquer the Green and Gold Belt.
Ever since I met him, we hit it off from our very first encounter with a sincere friendship. He had an electrifying personality, a charismatic smile, the gift of gab, and was restless and hungry for glory. Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions became his promotional company, and Guadalupe Valencia became his representative, leading him to generate massive expectations among fans.
While everything sparkled publicly and achievements continued to mount, his heart and mind were suffering in private. In the intimacy of his home, mental health conditions tormented his family nucleus due to the difficult situation of his sister suffering from the horrors of schizophrenia.
His first major success came when he won the WBC Silver lightweight championship, reaching the highest tier of the WBC rankings. There was so much excitement surrounding Ryan; I remember that exactly one day after his victory, we participated together in the Celebrity Family Feud contest with Steve Harvey . Our WBC team was rounded out by Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, and Shawn Porter. Our rival, the UFC, put up no fight, and we beat them 567 to 14. Ryan was the team captain, and it was, without a doubt, a very special moment.
Less than a month later, the lockdown order arrived due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and we all know how that went for all of us around the world .
At the beginning of 2021, Ryan fought in those famous “bubble” events without an audience and managed to be crowned WBC lightweight world interim champion by knocking out Britain’s Luke Campbell. The pandemic overshadowed everything; his triumph did not receive the recognition it deserved, and humanity continued to face uncertainty and suffering. It was then that “King Ryan” suffered his first severe mental health crisis and made the decision to retire from boxing, ending his brief reign.
From that point on, his life took a complicated turn. He held high-profile fights for a lot of money, but he wasn’t the Ryan who shined just by smiling. He entered that bubble created by fame and money, always accompanied by temptations and pleasures that provide false and fleeting happiness while digging a deep hole that becomes increasingly difficult to escape.
The fight against Devin Haney for the WBC super lightweight title arrived, and that was when a living hell began for him. His social media posts turned into macabre messages. Weigh-in day came and he failed to make the divisional limit; he won the fight spectacularly, only to be discovered testing positive for banned substances.
After the fight, he fell into addictions, violent behavior, and messages against religions. The WBC took the difficult to expel him.
At all times, we stayed close to him, offering help and paths to rebuild his life. A year later, he proved he had defeated his demons, and the WBC gave him that second chance that every human being deserves.
Ryan achieved glory and is today the undisputed WBC welterweight world champion. The celebration in the ring was emotional and memorable, reunited with his father who trained him and worked his corner. We saw the best version of Ryan, and the future is bright. May God keep him on the right path.
The great WBC atomweight champion defended her title categorically before a spectacular full house in her native Hermosillo. Camila Zamorano is the pride of Mexico, as at 18 years old, she is the youngest current champion.
The WBC also participated in the first intercollegiate green belt challenge in a sensational USC vs UCLA dual meet in California with the sanctioning of USA Boxing, building bridges together for amateur / Olympic style boxing.
Did you know…?
Camila Zamorano became the youngest world champion in history, breaking the record of the legendary Wilfredo Benítez, by crowning herself at 17 years and six months old.
Today’s Anecdote
Don José was always fair to his champions because his philosophy was that all human beings tend to make mistakes of any kind, but the important thing was to recognize and rectify the path to get out of the hole, no matter how deep it was, to receive one more opportunity with discipline, order, and character. With those elements—which he instilled in many champions—they moved forward, just as Ryan Garcia has done in this new stage of resurrection for the new welterweight world champion.
I welcome your comments at contact@wbcboxing.com
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Mauricio Sulaimán.
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