The 28-year-old junior lightweight from Southampton has collected a host of titles over the past two years. In July, he stopped the respected Reece Bellotti in a fight for the British, Commonwealth and European belts.

And earlier this year, he cracked The Ring’s top 10 at 130 pounds.

Garner (18-0, 9 KOs) has always had the natural talent to stand alongside the best junior lightweight fighters in the world, but seeing it written in black and white made his ascent more real.

“I didn't believe it when I saw it,” Garner told The Ring. “It was just out of pure luck. Someone put something on Instagram saying they were in the top 10, so I thought I’d have a look to see if I'm in the rankings, the top 20 or whatever. I went on there, and I’m number 10 with The Ring. Surreal. I was well chuffed. Literally, when I saw it, my face lit up.

“It just goes to show that all the hard work's paying off. Even though I ain't fought since July, I've been sticking at it, training hard and just waiting for my opportunity. Now, it looks like it's going to come around.”

Garner will box on the undercard of Jazza Dickens’ WBA junior lightweight title defense against Anthony Cacace on March 14. One of boxing’s open secrets is that Garner is being lined up to challenge the winner at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium this summer.

Garner knows that he is within touching distance of a life-changing opportunity, but he has walked too long a path to take his eye off the ball now.

He turned professional as a prodigiously talented 18-year-old and cruised through the early part of his career. He went off the boil in his early 20s, but remained unbeaten, and has been outstanding since deciding to rededicate himself to the sport.

He has improved with every step up in competition and has started to repay the faith his supporters always held in him. He has been driven by the determination to improve life for him and his young family, but he now sees the opportunity to create history.

“It's all going in the right direction. It's all looking good,” he said. "Hopefully, after this, I get a massive one and financially set my family up, but I want to win the world title. I could be the first man from Southampton to do it.

“I’m already the British, Commonwealth and European champion. I want to become a world champion and then go into bigger, better fights and earn more money as well.”