Garner vs Magnesi – Live results, round-by-round coverage
Move over, World Cup: Garner vs. Magnesi is here.
For one glorious day, the football cathedral of St. Mary’s Stadium morphs into a boxing arena as Southampton’s Ryan Garner takes on Michael Magnesi from Italy. At stake: the WBC interim super featherweight championship of the world.
The Englishman Garner, a former youth player for the local football academy, will have homecourt advantage. Can he rise to the occasion against a grizzled veteran who has won 11 title fights in his career?
Keep refreshing this page for live updates and round-by-round coverage of the Garner vs. Magnesi main event.
Final Thoughts
Will O’Shaquie Foster, the holder of the full WBC super featherweight crown, move up in weight and vacate his belt? If that’s the case, “The Piranha” may shed the interim tag and become the world champion at 130 pounds.
In his post-fight interview, Garner said, “Southampton is the place to be!” Hard to argue with that.
This was an awesome slugfest to behold. Both fighters came in guns blazing, which is all that fight fans like us can ever ask for. More of this hard-hitting, relentless action, please!
That’s a wrap for ALL-STAR’s live coverage of Garner vs. Magnesi. In just a few hours, we’ll bring you round-by-round analysis once again as we witness the return of pound-for-pound great Oscar Collazo!
And the Winner Is…
Ryan Garner has been crowned the WBC Interim Super Featherweight Champion as he defeats Michael Magnesi via unanimous decision. The crowd at St. Mary’s Stadium is beside themselves with glee.
Garner vs. Magnesi: Round 12
Garner’s corner is giving him one final pep talk: “You waited your whole life for this. Don’t give it away now!” Garner is heeding his corner’s advice by being more cautious than he’s been in previous rounds. It’s the final round, and Garner is still stringing together beautiful combinations. Magnesi is one tough dude, and no one should convince him otherwise. There’s no need for Garner to go for a KO now, and that’s smart. The crowd erupts as the final bell rings and Garner leaps in excitement. That’s 10-9 for Garner, and everyone knows what’s coming next.
Garner vs. Magnesi: Round 11
The crowd is singing “Why, why, Delilah?” I have to visit Southampton before I turn 50. Looks like both fighters are saving themselves for Round 12. And just as I type that, Garner unloads a right cross that connects with Magnesi’s jaw. Now he’s going back to the strategy of working the body when Magnesi draws extremely close. 10-9 for Garner in this penultimate round.
Garner vs. Magnesi: Round 10
The numbers show that Garner has a significant advantage in power punches landed. Good right hand from Magnesi halfway through the round. His offense, though, is coming in spurts at this point. Now it’s Garner who looks a bit winded. That dominant showing in the previous round sapped him of some energy. Magnesi with a jab to help him stay in this fight. I’ll give that 10-9 to Magnesi.
Garner vs. Magnesi: Round 9
Garner’s corner is telling him to keep his distance. They must have heard Warren. Eight seconds into the round, the referee is huddling them up again, either to give instructions or, I dunno, to give a pep talk. That right cross from Garner is landing again. Some more clean shots from the Englishman, and Magnesi is in TROUBLE. Will Garner go for the killshot? That right cross is exactly why Garner is telling him to back up a bit. Magnesi lands a right hook late in the round, but that’s a drop in the bucket. Garner gets that 10-8 for me.
Garner vs. Magnesi: Round 8
In a ringside interview, promoter Frank Warren likened this bout to fighting in a phonebooth. Great analogy. Both fighters are now tapping into their reserve tank, but Garner looks like he has extra fuel. Most uneventful round of the fight thus far. Garner is still clearly the aggressor, so he wins this round 10-9.
Garner vs. Magnesi: Round 7
Magnesi looks a bit more sluggish now, and he looked defenseless against an early combination from Garner. Beautiful right cross from Garner, who’s still crips with his flurry of punches. Magnesi’s offense is declining as this fight rages on. That’s 10-9 for Garner, folks.
Garner vs. Magnesi: Round 6
Garner’s corner is telling him that Magnesi is tired. That observation is spot-on. Magnesi is connecting with the body early on, but Garner does look like the fresher of the two. The referee has stopped the clock and issued instructions to the fighters, but I can’t quite make out what he’s saying. Fight resumes, and these two are engaging once again. Now, Garner has Magnesi up against the corner. In these close quarters, Garner is getting the better of Magnesi, landing blows while dodging the Italian’s counters. That’s 10-9 for Garner, his easiest 10-9 thus far.
Garner vs. Magnesi: Round 5
The commentators are calling this a “Fight of the Year” candidate, and I’m not sure if that’s hyperbole or legit. Good right cross from Garner rocks Magnesi. The Piranha lands another right cross. Credit to Magnesi for having a strong chin/jaw/head as well. As far as ring control is concerned, Garner has dictated the pace and curtailed Magnesi’s angles for a good chunk of this fight. Garner’s combinations are now starting to overpower Magnesi’s offense. That’s 10-9 for Garner.
Garner vs. Magnesi: Round 4
Garner has been ending his rounds strongly, but for me, Magnesi had the edge in that previous round. They’re engaging in the middle of the ring this time. Whoever had the reach advantage heading into this fight, doesn’t have that advantage any more. Garner with the body shots, but Magnesi is countering with that left. Garner has Magnesi against the ropes again, and he’s showcasing some nice counterpunching right now. Garner wins this 10-9.
Garner vs. Magnesi: Round 3
Did that left hand towards the end of Round 2 rock Garner? Looks like Southampton’s child has a sturdy chin, as he continues to engage Magnesi. The numbers show that Magnesi is landing his jabs at a better rate. Both fighters trading blows in the back end of this round to the delight of the crowd. It looks like Magnesi is landing more connections, though. Garner is throwing that uppercut again. And he’s landing body shots to end the round. I’ll have to give that 10-9 to Magnesi.
Garner vs. Magnesi: Round 2
These two fighters don’t care about distance; close-quarter combat is the name of the game early on. Garner keeps working the body, then lands an uppercut on Magnesi. Both fighters are highly active, but Garner’s punches are so well-placed. Crazy how he finds those angles and unleashes punches with such speed. Garner has Magnesi against the ropes again to end the round. Nice left from Magnesi in the dying seconds. That’ll be 10-9 for Garner again.
Garner vs. Magnesi: Round 1
Garner’s dream of fighting at St. Mary’s Stadium has finally come true, as his hometown supporters wildly cheer him on. But Magnesi is absolutely locked in, so let’s see where this goes. Both fighters are throwing powerful swings to start things off. Magnesi catches Garner with an uppercut, then a jab moments later. Garner is having more success landing body shots than connecting with Magnesi’s chin. Big left from Garner knocks Magnesi back! That left from Garner is connecting nicely in the last minute. Magnesi continues to work that uppercut, while Garner is still working that body. Garner has Magnesi against the ropes to end the round. That’s a really close round, but I’ll have to give it 10-9 to Garner.
The Ringwalks Are Here
Moments before the ringwalks began, the fans at St. Mary’s Stadium were belting “Sweet Caroline.” This crowd is on fire.
Lukewarm reaction for Magnesi, which is basically what you’d expect from this partisan audience. As Garner came out, the crowd serenaded him with “Oh When the Saints Go Marching In.” It’s on.
Garner vs. Magnesi: Undercard results
Leading up to the Garner vs. Magnesi main event, here’s what has transpired at St. Mary’s Stadium:
IBF International Middleweight Title
Bradley Goldsmith def. Brad Pauls via unanimous decision (New champion)
Light Heavyweight
Lewis Edmondson def. Lyndon Arthur via unanimous decision
Heavyweight
Adam Olaniyan def. Viktar Chvarkou via TKO (Round 2)
Super Middleweight
Taylor Bevan def. Ryszard Lewicki via majority decision
A Taste of Southampton
In the third fight on the undercard, Southampton’s Lewis Edmodson took on Lyndon “The King” Arthur.
Great football atmosphere early on in this fight, as the hometown crowd sang “Oh When the Saints Go Marching In.” It’s a loving tribute to Southampton F.C., also known as “The Saints.”
Imagine how rowdy these fans will get when Garner makes his ringwalk for the main event. (Edmondson, by the way, won by unanimous decision.)
Garner vs. Magnesi: What Happened at the Weigh-In?
Both fighters successfully made weight for this interim world title bout. As per Boxing Scene, Garner came in at 129.1 pounds while Magnesi registered at 129.3 pounds.
“I feel like a little Ricky Hatton. This is something special. This is what dreams are made of,” Garner told DAZN.
Garner vs. Magnesi: Tale of the Tape
Magnesi, 31, has fought seven more professional fights than the 28-year-old Garner. They’re roughly the same height, and they both fight orthodox style.
Depending on which sources you look up, Magnesi’s reach is anywhere between 65 and 69 inches. Meanwhile, there’s no major outlet that verifies Garner’s reach. Is no one taking a tape measure to this guy’s arms?
