Speaker 3: You're sure.
Speaker 1: Welcome back to our podcast, the WBC wel Theweight Worlds
mann In, Mario Brios and Mario. Before we get cracking,
I'm gonna tell our listeners what.
Speaker 2: You have coming up. It's a big time fight.
Speaker 1: You're gonna headline the the Zone Pay Review card, defend
your title for in the third time. You gonna be
taken on Ryan Garcia.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 1: Like I said, the Zone Pay Review. It's at the
Team Mobile Aria in Las Vegas, a place you have
fought before. So welcome to the show. Thank you very
much for doing this. I know you're already in Vegas
getting ready for the fight. Just tell me right off
the bat, how how do you feel going into this
fight and you're coming off the July fight with Manny Pack.
Speaker 2: Yeah, now you've got another big one.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, I'm just uh, as always, I'm just excited,
you know, to you know, be a part of you know,
a big card. Excited you know, to be you know
seven out there against a dangerous and unpredictable opponent.
Speaker 4: You know, big name.
Speaker 3: But uh, yeah, you know, I was been having a
great camp with Joe Goosen. Uh was out there and
lay since the beginning of December and we were, uh,
you know, we got plenty of work out there, and yeah,
we recently this past weekend we moved to Camps of
Vegas to close out.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 3: Now we're I think like ten days away from the fight,
and yeah, I'm just just ready to excite it.
Speaker 4: Being patient.
Speaker 1: But yeah, well you use the word unpredictable to describe Ryan,
and we'll get to that in a minute. But I
want to just go back real quick to the July fight.
You fought a living legend in Many Pacio. He came
out of a four year retirement to challenge you for
your title. Who was a good fight. It was a draw.
A lot of people thought that he won. There were
some people that thought you won. How good is Manny Pacio?
Speaker 2: Still?
Speaker 1: People curious about what he's still left at his age
and after the long layf And how did you feel
about getting a draw? On the one hand, yeah, it's
great you get to keep your title. But on the
other end, it's not a victory.
Speaker 4: Yeah, uh no, yeah, you know, very very happy.
Speaker 3: You know, it's still with the performance I was able to,
you know, to show you know, Podyas still has a
lot left, you know, in the tank. I don't know
how much longer you know that is gonna last. But
you know, he definitely, you know, went into that fight ready.
You know, I don't think I've seen many forty five
year olds looking at you know that in shape or
you know, able to to to still throw hands like that.
And he was still still very strong and had a
lot of you know, cracking both of his hands. But yeah,
you know, I felt I edged out the fight. But
of course, you know, that's why, you know, I think
it was. I think that's why you know, the judge
you know, counted drawn. I think, especially being in that
arena or being at the MGM.
Speaker 4: Live that like the crowd definitely plays. I feel like
a big factor in the way that the fight.
Speaker 3: Is like it moves in because it didn't matter what
what pack yall did. He could shuffle with his feet,
he could I could like he can land some punches
on my arms, and the crowd was going crazy like,
oh yeah.
Speaker 2: I was there for that.
Speaker 1: I know exactly what you're talking about fights and felt
that energy plenty of times.
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, he definitely you know, it's an electric environment.
Speaker 3: But you know, for for Manny and uh so, I
mean I feel like, you know, that played a big part,
but it is what it is. You know, boxing, boxing
is weird like that sometimes. Uh, but yeah, you know
it's still it's to keupt the title.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 3: And that's kind of know what just led you know
to So now you know this this big opportunity, you know,
to defend against Garcia.
Speaker 4: But yeah, I'm excited.
Speaker 1: You have a style that lends itself. Do you think
to close fights? I say that because it is highly
unusual for a world champion who has made two successful defenses,
but both of them have been draws. Your draw against
pak Yao in July, and your previous defense that was
in the fall of last year against set another great
fight by the way, against alb Ramos, and both of
them came out. One was a draw, one was a
majority draw. He kept the thought of both times, but
again you don't come away with the win. But is
it something that you do that lends itself to just
being in these tight fights?
Speaker 4: Yeah?
Speaker 3: But maybe, But you know that was one of the
reasons why I was looking, you know, to just you know,
change things, you know, with with with my camp, you know,
just because I want to continue to just grow as
a fighter. Of course, you know, like I don't want
to nobody wants to, you know, retain the title, you
know from from a draw.
Speaker 4: You know, you want to.
Speaker 3: Have a very successful, very dominant performance. And so yeah,
you know that was one of the reasons why you know,
I went with Joe Goosen, just to get back to
some of the things that they got me this far
in the first place. It's just I was always in
and aggressive fighter, very busy fighter. So I just wanted
to get back to some of those old ways. And
you know, we're very familiar with Joe's style and we
you know, he has brought that out of you know,
a lot of fighters, so our styles, you know, they
they they messed up, you know very well. And you
know it has to be very excited for this fight.
Speaker 1: So you're taking on Ryan Garcia you mentioned earlier, unpredictable.
That's a very nice way of saying it.
Speaker 2: I suppose.
Speaker 1: He has a lot of people they look at Ryan Garcia,
they see a guy with a tremendous amount of talent,
quick hands, good power, electrifying left hook that can knock
a lot of guys out. But others might say unfulfilled
potential that he quit when he fought Gravanta Tank Davis
when it got tough that he's a drug cheat because
of what happened in the fight getting busted for peds
against Devin Heaney. What is your perspective? I know you
gotta fight him. You're gonna know a lot more about
him after this fight's over on February twenty first, But
going into the fight, h what do you when you
when you hear all the things I just mentioned about
the good and the bad about Ryan Garcia, what is
your take on his career where he's at?
Speaker 3: Yeah, really, I just know I have, you know, a
dangerous opponent in front of me. You know, I know
he's been clawing that, you know, an opportunity, you know,
for a world title, you know, for a while.
Speaker 4: Now.
Speaker 3: I know, you know when he looks I guess when
he looks good. You know, he looks good. But it's
a little inconsistent, you know, like very unpredictable. Like I said, you,
I mean, everybody's saying, you know, even he said to himself,
you never know what Ryan, You're gonna get. Uh, He's
saying for this fight. You know, he's focused. His team
is saying he's ready he's.
Speaker 2: Sharp and something else saying that Mario.
Speaker 3: Yeah exactly, so you know me as as somebody fighting him,
I can only hope you know all that is true,
you know so because I know if it is, you know,
then you know, we have a very exciting fight in
front of us. But I know if not, it's not
gonna change. You know what I bring, you know, into
into the ring come fight night. You know, I'm gonna
go in there with bad intention and I'm gonna go
in there with trying to you know, to to test
you know how much he really wants to, you know,
be in the ringcome fine name and how bad you
know he really wants, you know, like to win that fight.
Speaker 1: So he did take the year's suspension because of the
positive drug test. After what happened with Devin Hane he
got to win turned into a no contest. Because of
that suspension, he gave up his entire purse, didn't fight
it against the commission, and then when he came back
after serving the suspension, he fought the fight against Roly
Romeiro for what was I guess the w what became
the WBA title after it became vacant and Roly had
beat him and he got elevated, but be then as
a may he lost that fight. He got knocked down,
he didn't look particularly sharp, and he was coming off
the drug suspension. And now here he is in his
next fight, getting opportunity to fight you for the WBC
world title. And so I know you're gonna fight him,
and obviously you're gonna get uh, you know, your work
in and get your payday and all that. But how
much do you think he deserves to have a chance
to fight for the world title after what happened in
the last two fights. Yeah, you understand why I'm asked now,
Like it's you understand why people might say, well, Brios
is a good champion, but Ryan is Ryan Garcia getting
that shot?
Speaker 4: Yeah? Yeah, No, I mean I definitely see it.
Speaker 3: I just think, you know, the boxing is in a
very interesting place, you know, where I think you're going.
If you're definitely know if your name has still carries
a lot of weight, you know, whether it's following, whether
it's like your just your presence, you know, you're still
able to get you know, those opportunities and everything. But yeah,
you know, I can't think too much into that because
I just know you know, I have an opponent in
front of me. You know that's gonna you know, he
is dangerous, you know when when he's you know, on
his A game. And but yeah, you know, I don't
I haven't really been, you know, thinking so much about
that anymore, you know, especially this close to the fight.
Speaker 1: Sure, one thing, I was interested because of the positive
drug test. Obviously, I know you guys are doing VODA
testing as you've done before, but I feel like this fight,
the testing started maybe a little sooner than it normally
would for a regular fight. You mentioned that you started
training for this fight in December. Is my understanding that
even before the deal was signed and official and announced
that you were already testing, as was he, And so
I'm wondering, from your perspective, how important was it to
get the VOTA testing going as quickly as possible compared
to maybe the usual length of time that the two
guys would would test before a fight.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 3: No, you know, as soon as the fight was being
uh spoken on or the spoken avolve between our teams,
me and my team were like pushing like okay, if
this fight is gonna happen, like we're gonna you know,
jump like jump on Beta, you know, immediately. So that
was definitely you know, uh, the yeah, something that we
were emphasizing right away.
Speaker 1: One of the things when you guys had your press
conference to announce this fight, that that he made a
big deal about that that Joe Goosen had decided to
train you when you asked him to do so after
he had previously trained Ryan, and Ryan then of course
fired him, and he somehow thought that even though he
fired Joe Goosen, that by him taking the job with you,
that he was somehow being disloyal. That'd sort of become
a you know, a storyline. If you will love this matchup,
what what is your perspective, because it's a fight between
you and Ryan, not a fight between Joe and Ryan. Uh.
And I've heard Joe's interviews and things he said. He's
saying all the right things, but it did strike me
as unusual that he'd be so bent out of shape
about I got going to get a really to get
a job after the other guy fired him.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know that's so, I mean, that's the best
way I could put it, you know. Uh, you know,
it's it's not personal, you know, I think it's a
business and it just happened, you know, to work that way.
You know, I was gonna go with Joe Goosen, whether
me and Ryan or we're gonna whether that fight was
gonna happen or not.
Speaker 2: In other words, if you were gonna find a different opponent,
you still want to sawn out Joe.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I was still that was that was still
like our our plan regardless was it was to go
out there with Joe, and then just happened like a
week or two after that was when the talks about
the fight was I started getting brought up. So yeah,
it was just like that's just just something that something
that happened.
Speaker 1: So the question is this, then it is still the
fact that he did train Ryan at one period of
time as a professional. He also knew him back in
the day and worked with him as an amateur. So
even though you were gonna go with Joe, regardless of
who your opponent was going to be for your next fight,
it does happen to be Joe Goosen's former pupil in
Ryan Garcia. So has he giving you information that he
knows from having worked so closely with him over those
over those fights in those years. Has it is it
something that you can get from him in terms of
like tips or secrets or whatever you want to call it,
and in terms of what to expect from Garcia.
Speaker 2: Yeah, like is he giving it the blueprint all of
his secret knowledge?
Speaker 4: I think that's that's the thing. I don't think.
Speaker 3: It's like it takes me working with Joe Goosen to
really see where where Ryan is beatable.
Speaker 2: But he does that insight into that.
Speaker 4: Oh yeah absolutely.
Speaker 3: But but yeah, you know, so like Joe does know
him a little bit more personally, and but yeah, you
know it's just like our focus is just on you know,
what what Ryan brings, uh stylistically.
Speaker 2: So then how do you think the fight goes?
Speaker 1: Because when I look at it, I see the Mario
Barrios I've seen fight many times. Big heart will go forward,
you know, willing to take a couple of shots to
make sure you get your best win. In Ryan is
more of a guy that relies on the speed and
then the and the sort of the footwork when he's
on his game. Uh and can really, uh you know,
be a lot quicker than most of his opponents.
Speaker 4: Uh.
Speaker 1: And so maybe it's up to you to try to
make sure you're slow down and catch him. How do
you think that the fight plays out in that sense,
like if you tag him and you know, does he
maybe go into a shell, does he maybe find a
way out the way he did against Tank Davis, Or
how do you think about the blue the blueprint of
how the fight will go.
Speaker 3: Well, a lot of that is, you know, it's hard
to really say how it's going to happen. Like you said,
a big part of that just depends on what Ryan
shows up. But definitely, you know, just like I said,
and I'm looking to just go out there and make
him uncomfortable just with I I know the type of
styles or the or what he doesn't do well with.
And I know it's one of those things, is adversity.
He doesn't like to be uncomfortable in there. And uh
so yeah, just you know, using what I know about
him as a fighter, using what Joe knows about him
as a fighter, and then just like going in into
the fight and using all of those things.
Speaker 2: Is that the big Mario Barrio's body attack?
Speaker 4: Yeah, oh for sure, that's that's that's every fight.
Speaker 1: Well, that's what worked against him when he fought against
Kank Davis, your old foe as well.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, No, for sure, we know, and oh yeah,
you know that's always a part of part of the plan.
You chop the tree down, you know, break the body,
you know, the the head will fall. So yeah, you know,
just gonna go out there and make it uncomfortable. Uh,
you know, try to get the bodywork early, early in
and just you know, just try to break him down
round by round.
Speaker 1: So you're you're defending your welterweight title, and it's a
welterweight division that is kind of wide open. He got
four different champions. H A lot of the guys are
are newish in terms of having the title. You are
the longest tenured champion in the way class. Presently. You
have the WBC champion as you You've got Devin Haney,
has got the WBO title, which he recently won, Lewis
Crocker is the IBF champion, and Roly Romero got the
wb A title last year.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 1: And there's also Connor Ben out there who's been talking
specifically about his desire coming off his big victory in
the rematch against Chris you Bank Jr. That his dream
is to be the WBC champion, not because he's chasing
after you specifically but because he's talked about how it
means a lot to his family because his father was
a former WBC champion back in the day. So if
you are victorious, like I know, you expect to be
what's your path, what's your dream fight? I mean, whether
it's another champion or it's a bend fighter moving up
or somebody else. Like when you look at that landscape,
you're gonna you get a big win here. You're gonna
be you know, still a wanting end by everybody.
Speaker 3: Yeah, no, you know that's what makes you know this
fight is so important, you know, uh for you know,
I'm looking like I want to have you know, a
sensational you know, uh sensation sensational title defense because yeah,
you know, of course ideally you know, like I want
to have a title unification with one of the other champions.
But if not, you know, like still you know, bring
like those big you know, those big names you know,
like like a A Connor Ben. So that's why you know,
what victory is is so important And I'll come next week.
Speaker 1: A victory is not a draw, right absolutely, Mario, thank
you very much for your time in the interview. I
appreciate it very much, and I wish you nothing but
the best of luck, Like against Ryan Garcia, I.
Speaker 3: Was gonna tell that too, Dan, Thank you
Speaker 2: You bet Mario appreciate it.