The younger Garcia was an ascending star then – vulnerable because he made tactical mistakes, yet electrifying because his fast hands and equalizing left hook kept him in every fight. He was 22 years old, a developing draw and a promoter’s dream in that whether they loved or loathed him, the boxing public paid plenty of attention to “KingRy.”

His father’s optimism is understandable, especially since Henry Garcia has trained his son throughout this training camp for his shot at Mario Barrios’ WBC welterweight title. After all he has been through the past five years, however, it is tough to believe that the Ryan Garcia who caught Campbell with a debilitating body shot that abruptly brought their fight to an end still exists.

In many ways, that’s what his undeserved shot at Barrios’ belt is all about, showing some semblance of that Ryan Garcia following two tumultuous years in and out of the ring.

Fair or otherwise, San Antonio’s Barrios is perceived as a beatable belt-holder in the 147-pound division. Even after his decisive defeat to Rolando “Rolly” Romero in his last fight, Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs, 1 NC) is listed by most sportsbooks as more than a 2-1 favorite to beat Barrios (29-2-2, 18 KOs) in the main event of “The Ring: High Stakes” card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The Victorville, California native was a much heavier favorite, 11-1, to defeat Romero in what was supposed to set up a grudge rematch with rival Devin Haney a year after Garcia’s performance-enhancing drug scandal scrubbed the most significant win of his career from his record. Even with a lucrative rematch against Haney hanging in the balance, Garcia got dropped by the hard-hitting Romero in the second round and cautiously lost a unanimous decision May 2 in the main event of The Ring’s card at Times Square in New York.

Garcia had hand surgery following his loss to Romero, an indication that he wasn’t quite right physically that night. The 27-year-old contender has since stated that he knew he wouldn’t beat Romero because his body responded so poorly to grueling workouts during training camp.

It was a unique excuse, if nothing else, for another blemish on Garcia’s record.

When Gervonta Davis knocked him out with a body shot in the seventh round, Garcia acknowledged that he suffered a rib injury when Erdenebat Tsendbaatar landed a damaging punch during a sparring session less than month before he faced Davis in April 2023 at T-Mobile Arena. His turnaround didn’t last long because Garcia tested positive for Ostarine, a banned substance, following what was initially lauded as a superb performance against Haney, whom Garcia dropped three times on his way to a 12-round, majority-decision victory in April 2024.

The New York State Athletic Commission fined him $1.2 million and suspended him for one year, which aligned almost perfectly with his return for the Romero match.

Another nine months have passed, yet here he is, on the cusp of landing a rematch with Haney again. Haney has indicated he won’t fight Garcia a second time because he questioned Garcia’s full enrollment in stringent Voluntary Anti-Doping Association testing for the Barrios bout, which will headline a DAZN Pay-Per-View show.

Haney knows, of course, that there isn’t a more marketable, profitable fight available for either of them than their rematch. Massive sums of money tend to eliminate such concerns even for one’s own health, which, along with the WBC belt, would give Garcia leverage for what would be a welterweight title unification fight versus Haney.

The obvious problem, it seems, is that it’s impossible to know what’s left of Ryan Garcia after losses to Davis and Romero, a PED ordeal that tainted his reputation and changed the official result of the Haney fight and a long list of personal issues and transgressions that took a concerning collective toll on him mentally and physically.

Henry Garcia swears that, throughout this training camp, he has seen the vaunted version of his son that got off the canvas and knocked out Campbell with one punishing punch to his ribcage in January 2021. We’ll find out Saturday night if even some semblance of that Ryan Garcia still exists.

■ Selling out Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against an opponent Agit Kabayel and Guido Vianello knocked out within the past two years could become the truest testament yet to Tyson Fury’s sustained drawing power in the UK. Derek Chisora had 12 losses on his record when he helped Fury lure an estimated crowd of almost 60,000 to the same London venue in December 2022, but Chisora remains one of the most recognizable names in British boxing. Can’t imagine many Londoners can pronounce nor spell Arslanbek Makhmudov, who might account for a few dozen ticket sales when he fights Fury in a Ring main event Netflix will stream April 11.

■ We can only hope someone on his UFC public relations staff informed Dana White after Sunday night that “beating up babies” is not a figure of speech people use when describing something one considers extremely easy.

■ It’s only February, but it’ll be difficult for a fighter to top Umar Dzambekov’s decimation of Ahmed Elbiali for “Knockout of the Year.” The Russian southpaw smartly set up a destructive right uppercut Elbiali never saw coming and viciously knocked the Egyptian veteran flat on his back and out in the second round of Zuffa Boxing’s co-feature Sunday night in Las Vegas.

■ Speaking of Zuffa Boxing’s show, the company’s decision-makers should consider starting at least an hour earlier if Paramount+ continues to stream its cards on Sunday nights. Three consecutive knockouts inside of four rounds on the main card ended the live action before 10:30 p.m. ET, but starting the main portion of these streams at 9 p.m. ET could extend main events beyond 11:30 p.m. ET if fights go the distance. Zuffa should take better advantage of attracting viewership on nights when there is less competition from live sporting events during the NFL offseason.

■ Why are people paying much mind to John Fury’s farcical cries for attention at this point? And who, exactly, would put up meaningful money for Tyson Fury’s 60-year-old father to fight Carl Froch?