Mario Barrios was tired of being called a steppingstone. The unwanted nickname wasn’t some arbitrary alias that fans wanted to give him, but instead, they looked at his body of work.
In 2021, as an undefeated fighter, Barrios, despite having a considerable size and weight advantage, was dropped on multiple occasions and eventually stopped at the hands of Gervonta Davis.
One year later, Keith Thurman needed an opponent to wipe the rust off and get back into the mix. So, Barrios was given the call. The 28-year-old, while motivated, once again came up woefully short, losing a wide decision. An undesirable trend began forming. Although Barrios was good, he wasn’t viewed as an elite-level fighter.
Yordenis Ugas, much like Thurman, needed a respectable name to take on following a protracted stint on the sidelines. Unsurprisingly, Barrios immediately accepted. With those two losses haunting him, Barrios learned from his previous mistakes, beating Ugas and becoming an interim-WBC champion.
Barrios has never been the type to shy away from a fistfight, something that makes both Jaron Ennis and his father, Derek “Bozy” Ennis, smile widely. His deleterious power, smooth switch-hitting ability, and overall skills might’ve won him several fans but seldom are fighters in any rush to fight him. Barrios, however, has made it known that he would have no issue getting into the ring with Ennis next.
His words, while brazen, are like music to the ears of Bozy. Although nothing is concrete as of now, the famed trainer has a feeling that Barrios will be next up for his son.
“I think that fight is gonna take effect,” said Bozy during an interview with YSM Sports Media. “That’s a good fight, he’s a good fighter.”
The last time someone wanted a piece of Ennis, it led to a monumental beating. Roiman Villa was on top of the world. He was on a seven-fight win streak and picked up the biggest victory of his career over Rashidi Ellis.
Still, even with everything clicking, Villa was barely able to win rounds against Ennis. It’s been six months since the Philly star stopped Villa in the 10th round and few appear anxious to jump in with him. However, as previously stated, Bozy has a hunch that Barrios will step up to the plate.
“That’s gonna happen, that’s for sure.”