SOUTHAMPTON, England – “I just know me,” said Ryan Garner, looking over the manicured turf of St Mary’s Stadium, home of his beloved soccer club.
“I’m a big believer in destiny. I believe I’m destined to…” Garner pauses and surveys his surroundings once more. “Well, I’ve said it before, the fight’s happening now. I’ve said it before, it even got announced. I’m destined to fight at St Mary’s. I’m destined to win a world title here at St Mary’s and become the first ever world champion for Southampton. I’ve said it before, I’m destined to fight here. It’s happening. Now I’m destined to become the first ever world champion. So I just know it’s going to happen, mate.”
On Saturday, Garner will step back out onto the grass at his favorite place, only a few hundred yards from the gym where he trains each day, and he will walk down the long aisle to face Italian veteran Michael Magnesi for the WBC’s interim super featherweight title.
The unbeaten Southampton man is not alone in feeling destiny awaits. Trainer Wayne Batten also believes it has already been written.
“The route’s normally British, European, then world,” said Garner, who won the European title against Salvador Jimenez, who he’s been sparring with for Magnesi. “So I won the Salvador fight convincingly so it just goes to show what level I’m at. I’m past that level now. Then it’s on to world. You don’t want to get ahead of yourself, but obviously this is a dream.
“My dream was to fight here. But every fighter, British fighter, they do want to fight in America. You see like Ricky Hatton used to go when he went to Las Vegas, took all them fans over there. That’s another dream I want to do. The main focus was St Mary’s. So now I’m ticking that box. Then I want to go on to fight there and fight. Take a look at Ricky Hatton, he was taking 30,000 Brits over there. Hopefully I can do the same.”
Garner was optimistic that some 20,000 fans would come, but after his soccer club was involved in a scandal, spying on rival teams, they were ejected from the Championship play-offs and it has killed some of the buzz around the club.
Had the Saints roared on, won the play-offs and been headed back to the Premier League, the mood in and around the club would have been very different.
Instead, numerous inquests have had to be held and the club’s developed a siege mentality. Unfortunately for the 19-0 (10 KOs) Garner, the bad taste has lingered.
He is all too aware, however, that he has his handful inside the ropes with Magnesi.
“It’s going to be a bit of a war, I think. Michael Magnesi, he’s fit, he comes forward, he’s in your face all night long,” Garner stated.
“So it’s going to be a hard night’s work, but I’m confident in my abilities. I know what I’m made of and I know I can give out. So I believe I’m going to get through this one and then see what doors open. I’m not going to get ahead of myself. We’ll see what happens after I get through this one.”
The sliding doors appear to be opening for Garner once more, but there have been times when it appeared they might have slammed shut. Garner has come off the rails a few times and made a few bad choices in his 28 years and, asked when the St Mary’s dream might have seemed further away than ever, he took a little time over his answer.
“I don’t know,” he said, thoughtfully. “Years ago, when I made a few mistakes, obviously, got suspended for a little while, crashed my car and stuff like that. Yeah, maybe then. I was half going to walk away from boxing. Before I got with my misses, I was thinking, I can’t be bothered with this no more. I’ve done it since I was ten years old. It takes over your life, it’s very hard. Obviously, I’ve got off my misses now. She got pregnant, now we’ve got two kids. But before, I said to her, I think we’d just started seeing each other, I said, ‘I don’t want to box no more. It’s a lot of hard work, it’s a lot of dedication, a lot of sacrifice, isn’t it?’ “Obviously, luckily, I did change my mind and I stuck it out or else I wouldn’t be here today.
“She’s my fiancée now, so if it wasn’t for my missus, if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today now. I was just going down the wrong path, not really enjoying boxing any more, just wanting to quit, if I’m honest, but when we got together, she kind of said I should just stick it out, get with it. Luckily I did because, really, it got me in this position today and it could change me and not just my life, her life, my kids’ lives, so it could give us a good life.”
It is not just his partner, however, but his long-time coach, Wayne Batten, who has been steadfast by his side. He, too, has manifested what is to come on Saturday night.
“If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today,” Garner admitted “He’s been not just a mentor, he’s been like a father-figure, he’s guided me. He stuck up for me when most would have just walked away, do you know what I mean? He’s stuck with me. A lot of other coaches maybe would have walked away years ago, just let me crack on, but he stuck with me because he knew what I had in my ability and also the person I am, do you know what I mean? I’m a nice person, I like to think. And he’s just stuck with me and thankfully he’s getting his flowers now as well as me. He deserves it.”
Saturday, Garner insists, won’t be anything new for him. He’s dreamed it hundreds of times. Now he gets to live it. What will be the highlight? The ringwalk and the realisation it’s come true, or having his hand raised? “Both,” he smiled. “Walking out, having all the fans, soaking it all up, the atmosphere and then obviously getting the win.”
