Garnett has a record of nine wins, three by knockouts, and one loss, since entering the professional ring in 1998 in the USA, after a glittering amateur career in Guyana.

The boxer fought under Golden Arrowhead from 1993, winning a gold medal in the Carifta championship for junior pugilists, staged in Guyana, along with the Caribbean Senior championship.

After then, he was three times Caribbean senior champion in his division, also winning the National Open welterweight title four times. He was selected to go to the 1996 Pre-Olympic Box-off in Argentina but enough money was not available for him to make the trip. He migrated to the USA the following year.

Chronicle Sport met the boxer during a visit to the world famous Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn, New York City, last month.

Garnett entered the professional ring as a junior middleweight. Said he: “I felt strong in the junior middleweight division.”

But he lost his debut bout as a professional, coming up against Charles Clarke in Baltimore in 1990. It was a split decision against him, although he dropped Clarke in the second round in the four-round match-up.

“In the return match, I stopped him in five at the same venue,” Garnett said.

Now Garnett will be meeting a man who has 16 victories along with one loss and one draw. It is the main supporting bout of the Michael Moorer/Otis Tisdale main bout.

Garnett should be ready. He just grabbed the New York state title, defeating Andre Sirkon on December 11 in Times Square, New York City, for the belt.

The 28-year-old New York champion is being prepared by former world title contender Lennox Blackmore at Gleason’s Gym. Blackmore is reputed to be the first Guyanese to be in the corner of a boxer to win a world championship title.

Garnett has two ten-rounders under his belt, the first being against Hero Carter in Maryland, two years ago.