With all the pressure on him, Garcia shone the brightest he ever has.

Garcia delivered a dominant performance, beating Barrios by unanimous decision to become a world champion for the first time in his career atop the main event of "The Ring: High Stakes" on DAZN PPV at T-Mobile Arena.

Judge David Sutherland had it a shutout at 120-107, while Tim Cheatham scored it 119-108 and Steve Weisfeld's 118-109 score gave Barrios an extra round for his spirited efforts.

After the win, Garcia called for his next fight to be against either Ring and WBO 140-pound champion Shakur Stevenson or a unification rematch with WBO welterweight titleholder Devin Haney, two years after their memorable no-contest in April 2024.

"Shakur Stevenson, let's go," Garcia said in his post-fight interview with The Ring's No. 3-rated pound-for-pound star ringside. "I want to be a great champion. I’m not scared, I'll fight Haney, Stevenson, anybody."

The speed difference was evident from the opening bell. Not even 30 seconds into the fight, Garcia fired an overhand right which put Barrios on the canvas and drew a raucous reaction from the crowd.

Although the defending champion didn't show lingering effects from the knockdown, the tone was set.

Garcia's right hand was the story of the fight, consistently finding its mark, in direct contrast with the attention drawn towards his patented left hook. The 27-year-old's jab and body work also kept him firmly in control.

"Early in my career, all of my knockouts were with the right hand," Garcia said. "I just had to let it heal a little bit. I had a lot of injuries with my right, so had to master my left hook. My right hand was working really good today until the sixth or seventh round."

A pair of right hands rocked Barrios, 30, again in the fifth round, though he managed to weather the storm. The California native consistently made Barrios pay for his defensive deficiencies and when the now-former beltholder tried harder to turn the tide, he was caught with blistering counter shots for his troubles.

Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) could be heard complaining about a right hand injury in-between rounds and began tiring later on, though Barrios' inability to bank effective work early meant he wasn't able to take advantage.

Their contest largely fell into a pattern. Garcia remained on the backfoot but landed the cleaner, more effective shots while Barrios (29-3-2, 18 KOs) struggled to sustain any success or mount a second-half rally. 

Garcia outlanded Barrios 185 to 106 in total punches and 103 to 43 in power shots, according to CompuBox.

This victory came with his father, Henry Garcia, who returned as his head trainer for the first time since 2018.

"It's like it was written in a story," Garcia said. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

Now, with the title in Garcia's grasp, there's no shortage of appetizing matchups. A bout against Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) or Haney (33-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC) has the makings of a summer blockbuster. Even Conor Benn, the WBC's top-ranked welterweight contender, marks a significant bout. Either way, after a tumultuous three-year spell, Garcia is firmly back in the driver seat on the heels of a career-best performance.