Southampton’s Ryan Garner will return home to fight in his beloved city for the first time in over eight years when he takes on Michael Magnesi for the WBC interim super featherweight title on June 20.
Garner (19-0, 10 KOs) comes back to Southampton to realize a career long dream of performing at Southampton Football Club’s 32,000-seater stadium. The 28-year-old nicknamed ‘The Piranha’ has gone onto to claim British, Commonwealth and European titles under the watch of Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, fighting primarily in London.
Not far from a decade ago, Garner’s potential was a hot topic in the city and surrounding areas. As a 3-0 and 4-0 prospect making his way in the paid ranks, Garner was able to fill the house in small-hall style events in Southampton’s Novotel and Guildhall. Being from Southampton, I was present during those early years of his career, watching him impress with rapid hands to stop journeymen Antonio Horvatic and Johnson Tellez. Despite his rise, Garner insists he’s just a “normal bloke” from Southampton ahead of headlining St Mary’s first ever boxing match.
“It’s a bit of a pinch me moment,” Garner said at St Mary’s, proudly sat in a red and white Southampton football shirt. “My gym is only around the corner [from here]. When I’m walking here on gameday and the fans are stopping me for photos and that, it’s a bit mental mate. People stopping me for photos, little old me, Ryan Garner from Southampton. Just your average mush from Southampton, do you know what I mean? With everyone supporting me, it is a bit surreal.”
Over the last two years Garner’s opposition has severely increased in quality, with Queensberry opting to build the Southampton sensation through the WBC rankings. Victories against Liam Dillon, Archie Sharp and Reece Bellotti have seen the rest of the UK start to take some serious notice of Garner, leading to the his upcoming bout which will see him walk out in front of 32,000 people at his local football club. A win will put him directly in line to face WBC world champion O’Shaquie Foster, who defends his belt against Ray Ford on May 30.
“I’m just a normal bloke,” Garner added. “They see me as one of their own, that’s why they will always support me, and they want to see me do well. They see me as one of their own, and they like to see the city do well. They support the club and they support the people from their city. I’m not just doing it for me, I’m doing it for Southampton as a whole. Hopefully we can make history, and hopefully we can come back here again.”
Magnesi (26-2, 13 KOs) comes to Southampton from Lazio, Italy, as the WBC’s number one ranked contender at 130 pounds. The 31-year-old comes off three straight victories in his homeland.
