“El Azteca” Mario Barrios Clashes Against Wounded Yet Dangerous Keith Thurman On February 5th In A Guaranteed Shoot-Out

It all starts with ambition, followed by momentum built from attrition. And as for Mario Barios, he always believed that he was more than just a boxer, more than just a survivor turned provider. And all it takes is one night for the cosmic vision to unfold.

Intuition for superstardom is what he sees, and when Barrios moves to the Welterweight division to stamp his claim against the wounded yet dangerous Keith “One Time” Thurman, it’s all within arms reach.

Known as “El Azteca,” Mario always believed that with patience and composure, the best always happens. And as Barrios was waiting in the wings for his next move with the thought of contemplating a weight class bump, the name “One Time” arrived at his doorsteps.

The self-assured brawler(Barrios) always believed that his breakout moment was written in his fate. And with “El Azteca” turning 26-years-old, his tally of candles now matches his victories. 26 years, 26 wins.

Although the public might still favour the former welterweight champion(Thurman) to spoil Mario’s entry to the division, most tend to overlook the priceless experience Barrios gained when he went toe-to-toe with Davis in his last outing where many people including myself, had Barrios winning until the eleventh.

When Barrios made his professional debut at 18, he competed at only 122 pounds. But his growth, literally and figuratively, ascendent him to the super lightweight division(140lbs) where he claimed supremacy by becoming a world champion.

Alongside Mario’s weight rise, a crippling one-punch power was shown on full display. And since his move to 140 pounds, the San Antonio-born managed to secure knockouts in 9 of his 11 fights in the super lightweight division.

Now that Barrios is moving up a division, I genuinely believe that his power will start to flourish even more. Even in Mario’s last outing against Davis, he seemed weight drained. However, now that “El Azteca” will have an extra 7 pounds to save, his conditioning, alongside his power, will show that this division is undoubtedly his home.

Thudding momentum is what propelled both former champions to this moment. And Barrios didn’t stumble on this colossal opportunity. The stage was earned with blood.

On February 5th, Mario Barrios will make the walk under the brightest lights, cool as ice, willing to throw the dice for a chance to double down on an epiphany. He saw it all along, but will he turn it into fruition? Or will Thurman’s Venumus power turn it all into a mirage? PBC on FOX is where all the action goes down.