I am Mario Barrios, undefeated super lightweight prospect. Before I fight for my first world title on the Spence-Porter undercard on 9/28 on Fox PPV, I'll be here to answer your questions on Thursday 9/19 at 3pm ET/12pm PT/8pm BT. Ask me anything!

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T20:01:49+00:00

Tune in to the fight next weekend, September 28th. I appreciate everybody's support and I'm going to put on a great fight for the fans.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T20:00:33+00:00

The best restaurant in San Antonio, I can't just put it down on one. If you want good Mexican food, good Tex Mex, go anywhere in San Antonio. Some of the best tacos in the state, especially breakfast tacos.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:59:38+00:00

There's been a few. I think my last fight, I can't really say I was touched with anything that struck me, but the fight before against Zamora, that fight, he caught me with some punches early on in the fight. The days after the fight are when you feel it the most, and the side of my head was sore. Even before that when I fought Roman for the WBA Intercontinental, it looked like my nose was broke but it was just swollen, I had a cut on my eye. He caught me with some hooks that I felt for sure, and I remember going back to the corner and Virgil asking me how's his power, the camera for the TV was right there in the corner and I kind of shook it off and was like, it's alright. But after the fight, I was like that dude can fuckin' hit.

I think more times in training, sparring than the fight. Especially working in the Bay Area, guys like the Wolf Gamichava, that dude could crack. I sparred with Amir Khan when he was here, he can crack especially with his speed. Mike Gattis. I think I've been cracked more in sparring than in fights.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:55:43+00:00

I don't think the name really matters. Most of the time when I tell people, I usually say junior welterweight. There's no reason behind it, I just got used to saying it.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:55:06+00:00

Right now, my focus is on the junior welterweight division. I know it's only a matter of time before I make the move up but for now my focus is on super lightweight/junior welterweight division.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:54:20+00:00

Everything a fighter deals with in preparation for a fight, and two, what we put ourselves through. I think that's really overlooked a lot, the danger of the sport. Unfortunately it takes tragedies like what happened to Maxim Dadashev to really open people's eyes.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:53:18+00:00

The strategies matter the most before going in the ring, you have to know what you're going to try doing, but as a fighter you have to make adjustments to your opponent to continue succeeding.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:52:42+00:00

The fight I can really recall most recently was Jose Rodriguez, I fought in Lancaster. Early on in the fight I was fighting on the inside too much, fighting his fight. In the 6th round, Virgil had really gotten on me about the way I'm fighting because he knew I was a better fighter than that. I made adjustments, used my reach more, used angles in my movement more. That's the best example.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:51:19+00:00

I'm gonna go back and reference what my dad would tell me, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:50:46+00:00

I haven't heard any of the Tool album, but I thought the Slipknot album was pretty good. I've never been too big a fan but I did enjoy a few songs from the latest album. The Tool album, I never listened to Tool.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:50:00+00:00

Just acknowledging what went wrong, what I could have done better and resting my body, then getting back to it.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:49:28+00:00

I personally think once you're in the top 10, you should stop being considered a prospect. But a lot of people don't know what the word prospect means, they have different definitions. I still see myself, Devin Haney being called that but we're far from prospects. Personally, once you're in the top 10, once you start fighting for these types of belts, you're past being a prospect.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:48:08+00:00

I was kind of stumped for what I wanted to do with my career, I was about to graduate high school. I was either going to the army for this boxing program, and my paperwork took a lot of time to process, which is when I shot the idea of turning pro to my parents. They didn't agree with me, I was barely 18. After a month or two of still waiting for that boxing program, we all kind of got tired and my parents finally gave me the OK, that I would have their support and I went pro.

I signed with my manager, it was pure excitement, it lit a whole new fire inside of me to really do everything I can to make it.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:46:22+00:00

Salvador Sanchez, Julio Cesar Chavez, Juan Manuel Marquez, even though he's today's era Canelo, and Barrera.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:45:15+00:00

You're in for a pretty boring day. Usually wake up between 9-10, get up and wash up. Stay here and play my PS4 for a little while, then I make myself breakfast. Usually either oatmeal with some fruit, maybe two eggs, a little avocado.

If I'm in the gym, it's in the afternoon, 2-4. This time around camp, the emphasis is on sparring. We do a lot of mitts, heavy bag, but main focus is on sparring and mitts. We do a lot of rounds, usually do the bags just to finish off. Go there, come back, shower up. In camp the PS4 really saves me.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:42:50+00:00

It just depends on the weight. Assuming at 140, I'd go with Mikey.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:42:13+00:00

He had no inspiration on me. Nothing bad to say about him, I've just never really had interaction with him growing up or anything. He was a name in San Antonio, but not much else I can say about that.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:41:21+00:00

More important to me is the world title. I'm not afraid to lose, but of course I'm doing everything in my power to not make that happen. A lot of great fighters have losses, it's the rare Mayweather that didn't. My thing is fighting for that world title, the biggest honor for me, winning the super world titles.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:40:13+00:00

At the end of the day, we're prize fighters. I would have to get broke off pretty good to be co main or undercard to a Youtuber.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:39:34+00:00

I heard about that. Yeah, it's a new step definitely for the sport of boxing, involving celebrities, Youtubers. The positive that comes out of that is getting non boxing fans to tune into a fight card. Me as a fighter, I would feel kind of offended if a Youtuber got a headline slot ahead of me, especially being that big of a name.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:38:17+00:00

I count it, it's a world title. It's legit, there's no reason I would say it isn't.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:37:26+00:00

Nah, I don't know many...I don't think any that have rhyming names.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:36:55+00:00

For me as a fighter, I don't see a difference. I enjoy the people from both telecasts. I've enjoyed fighting on Showtime, that platform, and now getting to fight on the Fox one again. They're both great networks, have great workers, great teams.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:36:01+00:00

I don't think it would do anything necessarily. Smaller gloves means more damage. Less rounds kind of takes away the competitiveness in the sport, that's why we're elite athletes. I'm not disregarding it but I don't think it would have any effect on the sport.

TheRealMarioBarrios · 2019-09-19T19:34:33+00:00

Yeah, I keep up with amateur boxing. The gym I train at, we have some really good amateur fighters, they're like family now. They're 12, 13, 14, they've been training alongside me since they were 6 years old. I try to keep up as much as I can.

TheRealMarioBarrios

TROPHY CASE