Ryan Garcia's Father Makes Bold Rolly Romero Claim Ahead Of Mario Barrios Title Fight

Henry Garcia firmly believes that his son is currently in the best position to succeed under his guidance.

After years of working with various coaches, Ryan Garcia is back to training solely under his father ahead of his WBC world title fight against champion Mario Barrios. Both sides are confident that this is the change he needed at this point in his career.

Henry Garcia is particularly confident that the change will result in the "best Ryan" once the bell sounds on Feb. 21.

"This is the Ryan that people are going to see," Henry Garcia said. "It's perfect. What he's doing is exactly what we wanted to see in last camp. He would beat Rolly right now, but our eyes are set on Barrios. This is our time, and we're enjoying every moment of it based on what we're seeing. For this fight, people will see the best Ryan."

Garcia returned from a year-long layoff to face Romero in Times Square for the WBA welterweight title. He was an overwhelming 7-1 favorite to win the fight, but he was instead uncharacteristically timid in an unexciting unanimous decision loss.

Garcia has gone just 1-2 with one no-contest since 2023, when he lost his undefeated record with a knockout loss to Gervonta 'Tank' Davis. The boxer's father blamed the struggles on "issues" with other trainers.

Henry Garcia claimed they only agreed to have Ryan train under different coaches on Oscar De La Hoya's suggestion when they signed with Golden Boy Promotions. Garcia has since notably trained with Joe Goosen, Justin Fortune and Derrick James.

Former champion questions Ryan Garcia, Henry Garcia duo

The Garcia family's decision has led to mixed opinions among fans and boxing analysts ahead of his second consecutive world title fight. Many view the coaching change as a regression, but some believe it might be what the troubled star needs.

Among the reactions, former champion Chris Algieri believes the change could be good for Garcia, saying his father could be the best person to handle his "strong personality."

"Ryan has had a lot of trouble with coaching," Algieri said on Boxing Scene. "It seems like he'd rather train in his living room wearing sweatpants with influencers. Maybe his father can crack him out of that... Possibly the father-son duo could work this time once again, because it has worked in the past."

Right move? Ryan Garcia brings his dad back into camp.

Familiar voice, full trust — but is it what he needs right now?

Full breakdown 👉 https://t.co/E5lZesg8yy

What’s your take? 💬🔥 #boxing pic.twitter.com/IMHNN9CKCd
— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) January 8, 2026

Opening odds have not yet been released, but many feel that Garcia will be favored to beat Barrios, who has also struggled in recent years.

Barrios, who was upgraded from interim to regular champion in 2024, has twice defended his title with a pair of draws. He failed to impress in either performance as a sizable favorite against Abel Ramos or a 47-year-old Manny Pacquiao, though many feel that he should have beaten the latter.

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