MUCH like it did before his last outing, the carrot of a world title fight at St Mary’s Stadium continues to dangle ahead of Ryan Garner’s clash with Reece Bellotti.
The pair will square off at the Bournemouth International Centre on July 26, headlining a Queensberry Promotions card on the South Coast of England.
More than its geographical appeal, though, their domestic dustup promises to captivate the fans with an instant classic, serving up a compelling blend of technical prowess and ferocity.
European super-featherweight champion Garner, 17-0 (8 KOs), comes off a shutout points victory over Salvador Jimenez, utilising his superior skill set to dominate each of the 12 rounds.
Prior to that, ‘The Piranha’ made his mark on the domestic scene, comprehensively outpointing sturdy operators Liam Dillon and Archie Sharp.
But with the coveted Lonsdale Belt eluding him during that time, the 27-year-old now looks to fill that space on his mantlepiece when he takes on Bellotti, 20-5 (15 KOs).
The British and Commonwealth champion, meanwhile, is hoping to extend his Indian summer after finding himself on a scintillating six-fight unbeaten run.
With a win over Dillon, too, as well as equally impressive performances against the likes of Michael Gomez Jr and Aqib Fiaz, Bellotti has certainly earned his shot at the European strap.
But once again, the 34-year-old will be forced to occupy the away corner, while Garner, on the other hand, looks forward to producing another glittering display in front of his home fans.
“I think I’m a bit cuter, and have a bit more of a boxing brain than [Bellotti] does,” Garner told Boxing News.
“But who knows? On the night, that could all go out of the window and we could have a tear-up [instead].
“But I think it’s just meant to be. I’m meant to win this [next fight] and then fight at St Mary’s [Stadium] one day.
“There’s already been talks between Queensberry and [Southampton Football Club], so I think it could potentially happen in June of next year.”
Garner has dreamed of headlining a show at the home of his beloved football club for quite some time, but only now does it appear likely that his ultimate ambition could materialise.
Should he get past Bellotti, the Southampton man is then poised to leverage his WBC ranking, gearing towards a world title shot for the summer of 2026.
“I’m ranked number seven with the WBC, which is O’Shaquie Foster’s [belt],” Garner highlighted. “But then you hear that [Anthony] Cacace wants to fight him in Belfast.
“Titles change hands all the time, but I’ll fight anyone. I want to make as much money as I can to provide for my family.
“I’m a prize fighter at the end of the day, and boxing is a short career – I’m not getting any younger.
“So I just want to make as much money as I can and, along the way, pick up as many titles as I can. I can become a Southampton legend.”
