Ryan Garcia Blasts ‘Traitor’ Joe Goossen

Ryan Garcia and Mario Barrios stood face-to-face at the launch of their media tour for their February 21 WBC welterweight title clash.

The press conference was dominated by Garcia’s antics towards his former trainer, Joe Goossen, who is now training Barrios. Garcia, who is back under the tutelage of his father, Henry Garcia, went as far as presenting Goossen with a custom “I’M A TRAITOR” t-shirt, which he pulled from a backpack during his time on stage.

Garcia’s outburst stemmed from Joe Goossen’s departure following his 2023 loss to Gervonta “Tank” Davis. Garcia claimed that Goossen “abandoned” him immediately after the defeat and was later responsible for leaking sensitive camp information. Goossen stood his ground, as he refused to be bullied by Ryan.

The two fighters also have plenty to prove. Garcia has not won a boxing match since 2023 where he stopped Oscar Duarte. Since then, he has had a no-contest against Devin Haney. Despite getting a majority decision win, the result was overturned after Ryan tested positive for Ostarine. A one-year Ostarine suspension followed. However, Ryan came up short against Rolando Romero in his next fight, losing a unanimous decision.

Meanwhile, Barrios is seeking his first “win” in nearly two years. His last two title defenses ended in draws: a controversial November 2024 split draw with Abel Ramos and a July 2025 majority draw against the 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao. Here were the key moments from the presser.