BOURNEMOUTH, England – There was nothing but mutual respect when junior-lightweight champions Ryan Garner and Reece Bellotti faced off on Thursday ahead of their fight on Saturday.
They meet at the Bournemouth International Centre in Bournemouth, around 20 miles from Garner’s hometown of Southampton.
Garner is the home fighter in more ways than one, because the bill is promoted by Queensberry Promotions, and Garner has been with Frank Warren since he turned pro.
“The Piranha”, 17-0 (8 KOs), won the vacant European title here in March, when comprehensively outscoring Salvador Jimenez of Spain.
But Bellotti, who is defending the British and Commonwealth titles, is more experienced and has fought at a higher level.
What has been billed as “Pier Pressure” takes place a few hundred yards from the old pier on the Bournemouth seafront. It has been home, more recently, to former WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith, who lives nearby, and marks Garner’s second consecutive bout at the venue.
“It’s good to be headlining again so close to home,” Garner said. “It’s for all the marbles domestically. Obviously, I’ve got to get through this one if I’m going on to world level.
“Our styles will gel nicely; we both like to have a fight but that’s not the only thing I’ve got in my armoury. I believe it will be exciting.”
Garner, 27, is seven years younger than his opponent from Watford, and watched Bellotti on his way up through the ranks.
“When I was younger, [Bellotti] was fighting on these Sky Sports bills,” Garner explained. “Very good fighter. It’s the hardest fight of my career, he’s beat a lot of good fighters and he’s the reigning British and Commonwealth champion and it is one I’ll be well up for and I believe I’ll become British, Commonwealth and European champion on Saturday night.”
Of his relationship with his promoter, Garner said: “Frank’s backed me from the start and thankfully he’s putting on these shows closer to home and hopefully I can repay him.”
Garner’s dream is to box on the pitch at St Mary’s Stadium, home to his local soccer club, Southampton.
“If the best Ryan Garner shows up, I believe he beats most people,” he added.
Bellotti, however, had a similar sentiment and not only has he crashed a few parties in recent years, he’s served as a gatekeeper turning back would-be contenders to enjoy this late-career run.
“It’s going to be one of the hardest fights of my career, I’m under no illusions,” Bellotti recognized.
“I’ve always wanted that [European] belt, and I believe our styles will gel.”
Bellotti is promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom, so the bout is part of that now-friendly rivalry, but that is of no consequence to “The Bomber”.
“I want to win that fight more for me than for Matchroom,” Bellotti, 20-5 (15 KOs), said. “If I turn up the best of me, that beats the best Garner.”
Also on the bill, the Ben Davison-trained cruiserweight hope Aloys Junior, 10-1 (9 KOs), came with his typical smack talk. Speaking of his opponent Ellis Zorro, Alloys said: “He doesn’t love his family, honestly. I don’t understand why he’s taken this fight. He clearly wants to get knocked out and I don’t mind doing that to him… This man fears me, and he knows he’s dancing with death.”
Junior has been uploading highlights of his knockouts and tagging Zorro to those highlgihts on social media. “We’ve all been young – he’ll grow out of it,” snapped Zorro.
“I think the family comment was across the line and there will be consequences for that outside of boxing after the 26th. I’ve been in the wilderness, I was 17-0, lost to Jai [Opetaia], lost to Chev [Clarke] and then I was 17-2… I can’t be hit by no silly shots and I’ve got to box smart.”
Zorro ended his inactivity with a six-round win in April and accepted this fight at four weeks’ notice.
“I’m not really in a place to be turning down fights,” he added. “He’s young. We’re from the same part of London; I was like that when I was younger. I rate him as a fighter.”
Tony Curtis Jnr, a 10-1 (3 KOs) junior bantamweight trained by the great Roy Jones and dubbed “Lightning Junior”, boxes in England for the first time having made his debut in Mexico, fought in Bangkok, and then in Dubai.
“It’s a big thing – I can’t put it into words,” said Curtis Jnr, who is only 19. “I’ve been with Roy for three years, and we’ve dreamed about this.
“I’ve learned everything from Roy. I’m like a sponge and you’ve got to soak it in. I went straight up to him and asked him to teach me the left hook.”
“I see him becoming a multi-weight champion. It’s just a matter of time,” said Jones Jnr.
