Fellow American Stevenson, 28, smiled, nodded his head and clapped as Garcia added: “I want to be a great champion, I’m not scared.

“I fought Devin Haney. I’ll fight you, Shakur Stevenson. I’ll fight anybody.”

Garcia was then told Stevenson had said he was “levels above” him right now, to which he replied: “You’ve got to have some type of punching power to get me off you, because it’ll just be a different style – and I’m not going to hit him light.”

Garcia was given a one-year ban for failing a drugs test in 2024 after beating Haney, with the victory overturned and the fight recorded as a ‘no contest’.

The win for Garcia was his first since a shock points loss to Rolando Romero last year and improves his record to 25 victories and two defeats.

Barrios was upgraded from interim to full WBC champion in June 2024 and had made two previous successful defences via draws, retaining his title with a majority draw against a then 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao last summer.