Ryan Garner and Salvador Jimenez clash for the vacant European super-featherweight title
Brit boxer Ryan Garner (16-0, 8KO) and Spaniard Salvador Jimenez (14-0-1, 6KO) will clash for the vacant European super-featherweight title on Saturday, March 1, 2025, in a Queensberry Promotions main event in Bournemouth, title ‘Collision on the Coast’.
The EBU super-featherweight championship up for grabs is over half a century old and has previously been held by Alex Arthur.
Both these boxers are unbeaten and the event features the comeback of ‘The Juggernaut’ Joe Joyce, broadcast live on TNT Sports.
Tale of the tape:
Ryan Garner
WBC International super-featherweight champion
Age: 27
Bouts: 16
Rounds: 77
KO Ratio: 50%
Height: 5’ 6”
Stance: Orthodox
Alias: The Piranha
From: Southampton, England
Salvador Jimenez
European Union super-featherweight champion
Age: 29
Bouts: 15
Rounds: 88
KO Ratio: 42.86%
Height: 5’ 5½”
Stance: Orthodox
Alias: Salvi
From: Valladolid, Spain
Ryan Garner – The Piranha gets ready to sink his teeth into this challenge
Still a young at 27, Ryan Garner’s professional boxing career has suffered several setbacks. He first turned pro in 2016, almost nine years ago, but found himself twice being out of the ring for over a year, missing the entirety of 2019 and only having one single fight in 2020 and 2022.
However, since becoming a family man with children to provide for, he has found a new level of motivation and picked up momentum to manage to fight four times in 14 months during 2023 and 2024. This Saturday’s major title shot is his first outing in seven months.
Garner was on top form last year, proving the hype surrounding him is real when he decisioned domestic rivals Liam Dillon and Archie Sharp. Both UD’s were widely scored to Ryan and established him as the top super-featherweight in the UK on BoxRec’s rankings and also reached No.15 in the WBC world ratings.
Salvador Jimenez – Can Salvi earn promotion from EU to EBU champion?
29-year-old Spaniard Jimenez is unbeaten in 15 fights so far, one less than Garner’s record, but he does have a draw on his record.
When Jimenez met fellow unbeaten countryman Juanfe Gomez in 2023 for the same EBU belt he challenges Garner for, the pair couldn’t be split after 12 close rounds. Two scorecards were returned even at 114-114, the other was 116-112 in favour of Jimenez. But despite one ringside official scoring for Salvi, it wasn’t conclusive enough to give him the ring or the belt. So, he goes again.
Former Spanish champion, Jimenez won the lesser European Union title two years ago in April 2023, which led to his promotion to contest the EBU belt in his next bout, which may have ended in a stalemate but added valuable experience to his resume. The EBU and its European Union belt sit at the centre of that continental ladder, and our guide to European casinos for UK players explains which sites accept British customers.
In 2024, Salvi won both his fights by stoppage, in rounds five and two, respectively. He was last in action only four months ago, so this second crack at the crown comes at a perfect time for him.
Ryan Garner vs Salvador Jimenez: The key factors
Archie Sharp looked like he laughed at Ryan Garner more than once when making him miss in the opening rounds of their July 2024 fight, possibly believing he was a level above and in for an easy night, but the former WBO #1 from Welling was soon biting down on his gumshield, looking harassed under the constant pressure of the aggressive ‘Piranha’.
Hampshire’s Garner loves to throw hooks, sometimes leaping into them with a jump, and he keeps the pressure up high, never allowing his opponents any respite, exploiting his big engine to maximum effect. His in-fighting style of boxing allows him to trap opponents on the ropes frequently, where he unleashes in scurried flurries.
Jimenez has never fought outside of his resident Spain, so this will be the first time travelling for a fight, and he’s coming over to a cold climate with a frosty reception. Fan-favourite Garner is very heavily supported, so fighting in a venue that’s only 30 miles from home will guarantee a very noisy partisan crowd.
The visiting fighter has been dropped before, in the first round of his Spanish title defence against a challenger who’d only won nine from 17. It was a right hook that knocked him over, which is a punch that Garner throws bountifully.
Betting Odds
2/9 Garner
9/2 Jimenez
25/1 Draw
Prediction for Ryan Garner vs Salvador Jimenez
Ryan Garner is a rising star, but it’s a little early to tell if he is a world-beater just yet. Winning the European title in style could provide a better measuring stick as to how far this kid could go.
The Brit is a clear favourite to win at the bookies, which is a suggestion I completely agree with. It could end in points or stoppage in equal probabilities, but I am going to stick my neck out and call it a Ryan Garner win by knockout.