“The Piranha” was just 17 when he first sat down to discuss his hopes and dreams as a professional with promoter Frank Warren. It would be the start of a rollercoaster journey for the pair.

As soon as Garner turned 18, he signed a contract with Warren and the pair have stuck together ever since. There have been ups and down, but one constant throughout was their shared commitment to staging a fight at St Mary’s Stadium in Garner’s hometown of Southampton, England.

There has never been boxing at the home of Southampton FC, but Garner, who is on the march toward becoming the city’s first world champion, has the requisite pull to change all that this weekend.

The Ring’s No. 8-rated junior lightweight will top this Queensberry card Saturday night in his clash against Michael Magnesi, who is the WBC’s No. 1 contender to its world champion, O’Shaquie Foster.

It will be Garner’s first fight in Southampton since he stopped Johnson Tellez (9-32-5) in the third of their scheduled four rounds at the city’s Novotel in March 2017. That win moved him to 4-0 (4 KOs) and Garner, now 19-0 (10 KOs), is still yet to put a foot wrong.

Italy’s Magnesi (26-2, 13 KOs), a relentless pressure fighter, will be looking to change all that in the middle of Southampton’s pitch in what will be his first visit to the UK since he suffered the maiden defeat of his career against Anthony Cacace in September 2022.

The picks are in from The Ring’s Mike Coppinger and Max Kellerman. Think you can beat them? Predict winners for prizes.

Ryan Garner: “I’ve got to pinch myself sometimes because I feel like a normal bloke still. So, to have the opportunity to fight here is massive. It’s a real dream come true for me and I will make the most of it. It’s mental. It has brought the whole city together and people I don’t even know are interested in this event – it’s on everybody’s minds. For me, just an average mush, it all feels a bit surreal.”

Michael Magnesi: “I had never heard of Southampton before this fight, but now [that] I have been there it seems like a nice place and the people seem very welcoming. This is a big occasion for Ryan Garner, but this is his job and his profession, so I don’t expect him to be distracted by these things. I cannot rely on that. I will be just concentrating on what I need to do.”

Garner, the hometown hero, is a big favorite, with some oddsmakers making him as short as 2/9 (-450) to win the fight, although an inside-distance win is priced at around 13/8 (+163). Magnesi is available as long as 5/1 (+500) for those who fancy an upset. The draw, which would be a first for both men, is 22/1 (+2200).

There is a Brad Derby at middleweight, as Brad Pauls takes on Bradley Goldsmith over 10 rounds. Pauls shocked heavy favorite Shakiel Thompson in Manchester just three months ago and knows that a victory over Goldsmith in Southampton, the city where he studied at university, will keep him in the running for an unlikely world title shot. Elsewhere, two members of Britain’s bustling light heavyweight scene clash, with Lewis Edmondson, in his first fight since losing to Daniel Lapin 11 months ago, facing Lyndon Arthur.

St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton

The whole show will be streamed live on DAZN, starting at 7 p.m. BST.