Angel Barrientes grew up fast to become a junior featherweight contender.
Barrientes will enter his second 10-round bout on Saturday against Isaac Rojas Garcia at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. Barrientes turned professional in 2019, at the age of 17. In his fourth professional bout, he suffered an upset knockout loss to Travon Lawson. Since then, the now-23-year-old Barrientes has gone on an 11-fight winning streak that has him ranked at No. 9 in the WBA rankings.
“It’s been a grind, honestly,” Barrientes told BoxingScene. “Turning pro young, you grow up fast in this sport. … I’ve had to mature early, but it’s made me stronger – not just as a fighter, but as a man.”
Barrientes trains under his father, Rich Barrientes, in Las Vegas, and is hopeful that big fights are on the horizon. His next test to get to that spot comes against the 22-year-old Garcia, 18-0-1 (12 KOs).
Garcia, from Tijuana, Mexico, has fought exclusively in his home country as a professional. This will mark his first fight in the United States, as he enters on a four-fight knockout streak.
“The goal is to get the victory by any means necessary,” Angel Barrientes said. “I’m not just looking for a win, I want to separate myself and show I’m ready for the next level.”
In Barrientes’ previous fight, he stopped Julio De Jesus Romero in July. The bout marked a new chapter in Barrientes’ young career. He is moving into a contender role, with aspirations of a title shot. Although he has faced two unbeaten fighters – Jesus Preciado Hernandez was in his second pro fight and Linus Lambert turned pro against Barrientes – neither were remotely as established as Garcia. Despite lacking a notable win, Garcia has a record that, at the very least, should be respected for the time spent in the sport and the confidence of an unbeaten fighter.
“This camp was different because this is a step-up fight,” Barrientes said. “It was war every single day in the gym. The sparring was tough, the conditioning was tough, everything was meant to prepare me for a real fight.”
The Garcia fight should be a turning point for Barrientes, one way or another. He went through his teenage years and early 20s as a developing pro boxer. The hopes are that this matchup will allow him to begin showcasing the talent that had so many eager to watch him after his brilliant amateur career.
“I’m already ranked in the top 10 in the WBA, but a win will catapult me up the rankings, for sure,” Barrientes said. “Beating an undefeated fighter in a 10-round fight shows I’m ready to compete with the best. But for me, it’s just the beginning. I’m not stopping here.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
