Bournemouth, England will host pro boxing on Saturday July 26th when Ryan "The Piranha" Garner returns to the Bournemouth International Centre to defend the European junior lightweight championship against British and Commonwealth champion Reece "Bomber" Bellotti. Garner, age 27, enjoyed a successful and packed-out maiden appearance at the BIC at the beginning of March when he overwhelmed previously unbeaten Salvador Jimenez. Now, Garner gets the chance to add the treasured Lonsdale (British title) belt to his collection. A shootout is expected with Bellotti, age 34, on a six-fight winning streak since taking on former WBA 122-pound champion Ray Ford in 2021.
Bellotti (20-5 with 15 KOs) from Watford, England, rebuilt from the foundations by securing the Southern Area title against Dean Dodge before securing the Commonwealth title against then-unbeaten Aqib Fiaz via stoppage. He then won the British title in early 2024 via unanimous decision against a former Garner opponent in Liam Dillon. Since then, Bellotti has made successful defenses against Levi Giles and Michael Gomez Jr.
Southampton favourite Garner (17-0 with 8 KOs), is establishing a big following on the South Coast with the support of his local football team, where he is an ambassador for the Saints Foundation and makes regular pitch side appearances. His career trajectory took an upward turn with a third-round stoppage of Juan Jesus Antunez in the summer of 2023, making a successful defense against the forthcoming European junior welterweight title challenger Dillon.
The undefeated and highly ranked WBO contender Archie Sharp was outflanked by Garner in July of last year, which set Garner up for his European triumph a short drive from his Southampton home.”
“This is the fight to make in the [130-pound] division,” said promoter Frank Warren. “A real cracker that will deliver the goods in a big way. I was delighted with how our first promotion in Bournemouth turned out in March, with a sellout crowd at an absolutely terrific venue at the BIC. It couldn’t have worked out any better and I am very happy to be making a return visit in July.
“For Ryan, this is the sort of fight he needs to bring him up to, ultimately, world title contention, which is where we see his journey heading. We know Reece is a quality fighter with a strong following himself and, most importantly, both men bring entertainment value for the fans.
“July 26th is most definitely a date to circle in your diaries and it is a fight not to be missed.”
Matchroom Fight Pass tickets and AO Arena presale tickets go on sale at 10.00am on Tuesday May 20 and General Sale tickets go on sale at 10.00am on Wednesday May 21st.
