🚨 CHAOS ERUPTS! Ryan Garcia Throws TANTRUM at Mario Barrios and FILES Lawsuit After Fight Pullout!
Las Vegas, Nevada – February 21, 2026 (1:30 AM local time) – World boxing is on fire this morning following the official announcement that Mario Barrios is withdrawing from his WBC welterweight title fight against Ryan Garcia, scheduled for tonight at the T-Mobile Arena.
What could have been a coronation night for “King Ry” has turned into an unprecedented scandal: Garcia, furious and visibly out of control, threw a public tantrum live during an Instagram broadcast, directly insulted Barrios and his team, and minutes later confirmed that his legal team has already filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the champion, Golden Boy Promotions and DAZN for breach of contract and damages to his career.
The chaos began around 11:45 PM on Thursday the 20th, when Golden Boy Promotions issued an official statement: “Due to a right elbow injury suffered during final training, Mario Barrios will not be able to compete this Saturday. We prioritize his health and are working with all parties to find a solution.” The news fell like a bucket of cold water on thousands of fans who had already bought tickets and PPV, and on García himself, who had been training intensely under the tutelage of Eddy Reynoso and with the public support of Canelo Álvarez.
Ryan didn’t wait ten minutes to react. In an Instagram live broadcast that quickly surpassed 1.2 million viewers, García appeared in his hotel suite, his face red with anger, yelling and gesticulating uncontrollably:
“This is bullshit! Complete bullshit! Elbow injury? Now? Just when I’m ready to take the title? Mario, you’re a coward! I saw you face to face on Wednesday and you were already scared! You don’t want to fight me because you know I was going to knock you out in front of everyone! And Golden Boy, DAZN, you all owe me millions for this! I already talked to my lawyers, the lawsuit is set! They’re going to pay for every penny I lost in training, promotion and reputation!”
The tantrum lasted almost 12 minutes. García alternated between direct insults (“Barrios, you are a paper champion, a champion who hides!”), tears of frustration (“I have been rebuilding for years, working with Canelo, doing everything right… and this?”) and legal threats (“I am going to sue for punitive damages! They are going to pay what they owe me and more!”).
In one particularly viral moment, he threw his phone against the wall (although he later clarified that it was an old one) and shouted: “This won’t stay like this! If I don’t fight this Saturday, someone is going to pay dearly!”
Minutes after finishing the broadcast, García’s lawyer, Richard Schaefer (former CEO of Golden Boy), confirmed in an official statement: “Ryan García and his team have filed a civil lawsuit in the Superior Court of Nevada against Mario Barrios, Golden Boy Promotions, DAZN and other parties involved. They allege breach of contract, promotional fraud, intentional damage to reputation and substantial economic losses resulting from the last-minute cancellation. We ask for compensation for actual and punitive damages and the immediate rescheduling of the fight or a suitable replacement.”
The reaction was immediate and polarized. On X (Twitter), the hashtag #RyanLawsuit surpassed 3 million mentions in less than two hours. Many fans supported García: “He’s right, this smells like a cheap excuse,” “Ryan deserved it, after everything that happened.” Others criticized him harshly: “Another tantrum from Ryan, always victimizing himself,” “Sue for an injury? That’s ridiculous.” Even Canelo Álvarez, who had trained García in recent weeks, posted a story on Instagram with a prayer emoji and the phrase “Calm down, brother. Everything is fixed with time.”
Mario Barrios, for his part, issued a statement through his team at 1:15 AM: “I am deeply sorry that the fight cannot take place. The injury is real, diagnosed by independent doctors. I am not running away from anyone. Ryan is a great fighter and was ready for a great war. I hope to recover soon and defend my title as I have always done. I respect Ryan and I am sorry that this has affected his opportunity.”
Golden Boy Promotions and DAZN also reacted quickly. Oscar De La Hoya stated: “We understand Ryan’s frustration, but an athlete’s health is a top priority. We are negotiating options for Saturday and a rescheduling. We don’t want this to end in court; we want it to end in the ring.” DAZN, for its part, offered partial refunds of the PPV and promised an alternative card with high-level fights to maintain the event.
The economic and media impact is massive. It was estimated that the PPV could exceed 800,000 purchases thanks to García’s hype and the “redemption” narrative. Now, with the cancellation, thousands of tickets already sold could generate million-dollar losses. Industry analysts estimate that García’s lawsuit could amount to $20-$50 million if successful, alleging not only direct losses but damage to his image and future opportunities.
Ultimately, this episode once again exposes Ryan García’s emotional volatility. The same fighter who publicly rehabilitated, trained with discipline and won Canelo’s support is now showing his most impulsive side again. For some, it is a justified reaction to a missed opportunity; For others, it is proof that García remains his worst enemy.
As Las Vegas wakes up to scandalous headlines, the question on everyone’s mind is: will this fight come back? Or will García’s lawsuit mark the end of a rivalry that promised to be epic? For now, boxing loses a big event… but gains a drama that no one will soon forget.