Mario Barrios knew as the night wore on that he was only making things harder for himself in an all-out war of a title fight versus Batyr Akhmedov.
It made for a memorable way to capture his first belt, even if it was a night most of his team would never again like to remember.
“That last fight, that was something,” Barrios (25-0. 16KOs) fondly recalled of last September’s 140-pound secondary title winning effort while hosting a live chat on the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) Facebook page. “That was a fight a lot of my family and my team didn’t like. I’m a warrior, I’ve said It before. Going into that fight, I dominated the early rounds with the knockdown.
“Akhmedov came up very strong. Heading into the last round I had it a draw. I knew and everyone in my corner knew we had to make something big happen. Fortunately, I was able to land that big right hand. I’ll say it myself, that last knockdown solidified it for me.”
Barrios claimed a disputed 12-round unanimous decision that night at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The unbeaten San Antonio native—who turns 25 later this month—also left with a cut over his left eye which required stitches and facial swelling around his left cheek which required plenty of rest and relaxation in order to fully heal.
The battles scars with which he left the ring were worn as badges of honor.
“The fight with Akhmedov… it was just as hard as we expected,” admits Barrios. “Going into that fight, people asked if I was expecting a knockout. I told them no. There was a reason Akhmedov got the opportunity at such an early point in his career. It’s because of what he has accomplished (as a pro) and in the amateurs. He has a great pedigree and had a great game plan going into that fight.
“Hats off to Akhmedov, he has my respect for putting in that type of fight with me. Just being able to share the ring for 12 rounds with him, it was a great fight. I loved it. My team, my girlfriend, my sisters, they hated it. Even to this day, if it’s on they don’t want to watch it.”
A rematch was demanded by Akhmedov (7-1, 6KOs) and his team, and ordered by the World Boxing Association (WBA) whose secondary title was at stake for the contest. However, such talks never seemed to go very far. Barrios was being groomed for a hometown showcase versus fellow Texas native Ryan “Cowboy” Karl on May 9, only for the event—which never had a chance to be formally announced—to be canceled in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Should a second fight ever see the light of day, Barrios vows to work smarter rather than harder moving forward.
“I’m more than willing to give [Akhmedov] a rematch,” Barrios insists. “It was a war. A rematch is something that he deserves also, to try to prove... to try to take the title.
“If a second fight does happen, I’ll be more than ready. We’re going to correct all the mistakes that I was making and we’re going to dominate the second fight.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
