Could an All-Texas shootout be on the horizon for fight fans from the Lone Star State? Former WBA 140-pound world champ, 28-year-old "El Azteca" Mario Barrios of San Antonio, is fresh off the best win of his career, a 12-round beat down of former welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas. Ugas lost his claim to the welterweight championship to Errol Spence of DeSoto in his previous bout, in April 2022. Spence went on to lose three of the four straps at the 147-pound title to Terene Crawfordin July. 33-year-old Errol Spence, 28-1 (22), and El Azteca seem to be heading in different directions, and it could easily be argued that Barrios handled Ugas better than Spence did. Ugas had Spence in serious trouble before, Spence got the stoppage in the 10th round.
A fight between the two would have seemed like one-way traffic just a year ago. However, with Barrios surging under new trainer Bob Santos and Spence having gotten beaten down by Crawford, plus all of the outside-of-the-ring issues seem to be heading in completely opposite directions. The fight now seems like a much more competitive affair. The Alamo City and his trainer are now calling for the all-Texas shootout. A fight that could pack out either AT&T Stadium or the Alamodome.
Barrios's trainer said in an interview with 210Boxing, a San Antonio-based YouTube channel, that he wouldn't mind a fight between Barrios and Spence and that "it would be great for Texas." It certainly would be and would have a chance to set all types of attendance records. However, there are some obstacles that could hold up the fight. Spence has activated his rematch clause to fight undisputed champion Crawford, that fight appears to be in the works for February. There's also the issue of weight. Spence seems set on jumping from 147 to 154 and can no longer make the 147 comfortably. Barrios, who started his career a decade ago as a 122-pounder, is having a resurgence in his career and looks sensational at 147, so it seems like he would be unlikely to move off of the weight class in the foreseeable future.