While Ryan Garner’s stock is rising, the trapdoor is set to open on his soccer team as they face an exit from the Premier League.
The Southampton FC fan’s future, however, still very much involves – he hopes – his beloved club, and more specifically their 32,000-capacity stadium, St Mary’s.
The likeable Garner was buoyed by significant victories in 2024 over Liam Dillon and Archie Sharp that have taken him to the brink of a championship fight.
He is 16-0 (8 KOs), and the 27 year old is ranked 15th by the IBF and WBC.
The father of two girls, Harper – who is almost two – and three-month-old Harmony tops the bill in Bournemouth, England on Saturday, at the Bournemouth International Centre, not too far from his home city of Southampton, where he hopes to once day headline a big show.
On Saturday he tackles the unbeaten Spaniard Salvador Jimenez, 29, for the vacant European junior-lightweight title in what he believes will be both his toughest test and the springboard to his dreams.
“This is a stepping stone, I’m literally this close – it’s in touching distance, I’ve just got to get through this,” he told BoxingScene from an executive box at St Mary’s. “I’m under no illusions this is going to be the hardest fight of my career, but get through this, [promoter] Frank [Warren]’s delivering already.
“He’s already brought me a show down on the south coast which I’m thankful for. He’s done his part, I’ve got to do mine and then get the win, and hopefully he will bring me here for a world title.”
Of course, it has already been proven that there is an appetite for boxing on the south coast. Bournemouth’s former WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith and emerging junior middleweight Lee Cutler have significant followings, but Southampton does not have a large indoor venue. It’s the stadium or nothing.
Bournemouth has the BIC, which can hold around 3,000, and is a short journey down the M27 from Southampton.
“It’s 45 minutes [away], it’s down the road but it’s not Southampton,” said Garner, who believes he can replicate Billam-Smith’s support in his own city. “I’ve got to take the opportunity that I can and still smash the tickets because it’s closer than London. I’ve done a lot of tickets.
“I think with him doing it, hopefully I can emulate it down here. But Southampton’s never had anything to shout about really, boxing-wise; there’s never been any big-time boxing here. We’ve had a few at the Guildhall, little shows, stuff like that, but hopefully I can be the spearhead and bring big-time boxing to Southampton.”
In fact, arguably the most notable moment in Southampton’s limited boxing history came in 1989 when local hardman Steve McCarthy was boxing Tony Wilson and, while her boy was under fire, Wilson’s mom climbed into the ring, took off her high heel and tried to get McCarthy off of her son. She whacked McCarthy and drew blood, but also got Wilson disqualified.
Garner, regardless, is not the only fighter from Southampton drawing interest.
“There’s never really been a crop of fighters from Southampton all at once, there’s been a good fighter here, a good fighter there, but at the moment we’ve got me, [Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion] Lewis [Edmondson], [Ben Davison-trained prospect] Royston [Barney-Smith], there’s a crop of fighters, and that’s where it’s come from – when you have all those fighters on the bill, it lifts everybody up,” Garner said.
But it’s Garner who is leading the way coming off of a big 2024, and his results in 10-round wins over Dillon and Sharp have given him belief and momentum.
“Last year, the whole year,” he said, when asked what has given him the confidence he increasingly possesses that he can go on to achieve more. “Obviously beating Liam Dillon, then beating Archie Sharp, I knew the Archie Sharp fight, that was my banana skin, that was my coming-out party, I knew if I got through that one, financially it would set me up… belts… it opens up massive doors to big, big fights.”
And while his future is promising should he become the first to defeat Jimenez, there is little chance of it transforming the fortunes of his team on the pitch.
Southampton have sunk like a stone and could be on course to earn the lowest-ever points total in a Premier League season, as they are beaten convincingly every week. If it was boxing, the referee would have stopped them and pulled them out of the league weeks ago.
“It’s a shame but, listen, at least last year when we were in the Championship [the league below] you know, you would go to a game and you’re buzzing because you’re more or less going to win,” he said. “You could lose, but it’s not likely. At the moment, you’re doubting it before it’s even happened. It is what it is. I went loads last year; this year it’s been a bit hard. I’ve got two kids now, two under two, so it’s a bit hard work, especially where I’m training all the time. I’m missing out on the kids all the time, and then to do training and then go off to the game, it’s a bit out of order.”
But the dream remains the same. Whatever the league position of Southampton and whatever division they play in, Garner wants to walk out on to that manicured green turf and salute his hometown crowd.
“I am Southampton born and bred,” he said. “This would be the pinnacle of my career, here at St Mary’s, do you know what I mean? I could die a happy man.”
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