After spending years playing politics, Archie Sharp has decided it is time to control his own destiny. 

Sharp, 25-0 (9 KOs), made himself one of British boxing’s most interesting prospects when he stopped Declan Geraghty back in 2019. He began to play the rankings game and steadily climbed his way towards the top of the WBO super-featherweight rankings by collecting minor belts. It worked. In November 2021 he was elevated to the number-one position with the governing body but rather than taking his career to new heights, the tactic stunted his growth. 

Unwilling to risk his position by facing any one of a number of quality British opponents and without the sway to force high-profile fighters like Shakur Stevenson, Oscar Valdez or Emmanuel Navarrete into the ring, Sharp’s progress stalled. A lack of quality opposition and long periods of inactivity while he lingered around for a shot that never arrived undoubtedly dulled his edge. 

He appears to have recognised as much. On Saturday, Sharp, 29, finally has a real fight on his hands. He will confront the talented and unbeaten Ryan Garner, 15-0 (8 KOs), at London’s O2 Arena.

“It’s a great fight – it’s a fight that I’ve needed for a long time,” Sharp told Queensberry Promotions. “He’s another unbeaten fighter – he’s got the belt and he’s the champion so this is what’s needed. I think it’s great for the sport of boxing. We’re both putting our unbeaten records on the line.”

At one point, Garner was also in real danger of letting a promising career come to little. He has been a professional fighter for eight years but has only been living as one for the past three. The losing his focus. His epiphany came while he was labouring on a building site, when the realisation that he was allowing his talent – and a potentially lucrative way of supporting his family – to drift finally dawned on him. He has since been in excellent form, and he has finally begun to show just why so many people believe he could still become a factor on the world stage. He scored a career-best victory over the tough Liam Dillon in May, and he is in the form and condition of his life.

Sharp twice had to pick himself up off the floor in the opening round of his fraught eight-round decision victory over the little-known Argentinean Reuquen Arce, but he insists that the threat Garner poses has woken him up. 

“When Ryan Garner’s name was mentioned, people were like, ‘Why do you want to take this fight?’” he said. “He’s another unbeaten kid. We were talking of Oscar Valdez; Shakur Stevenson; Navarrete. They’re the names that we were in company with. Obviously, for the last couple of years and how my career’s planned out with the inactivity, you saw in the last fight what happens when I take my eye off the ball. This is a brilliant fight with a good kid and there’s a lot to gain for myself. It’s something Archie Sharp needs. I haven’t had this buzz in boxing since – you could argue – about 2018 when I boxed Lyon Woodstock.”

Sharp has had the added inspiration of the all-time great, Roy Jones Jr, casting his eye over his preparations and lending words of advice. 

“With Roy, it’s been a level I’ve never experienced and he’s obviously one of the greatest to ever lace the gloves,” he said. “To have his expertise on what we need I think obviously gains an advantage for our side but I’m truly blessed to have such a legend guiding me.”