Garside will fight fellow southpaw and world number two Jonas Jonas of Namibia, a man he has never fought but has seen compete often, including at the last two Commonwealth Games. 

In Glasgow, Jonas took the silver, then four years later, on the Gold Coast he went one better grabbing gold. Both of those medals were won at light-welterweight.  

Jonas has worked hard to get himself comfortably to the 63-kilo lightweight limit. That’s the weight at which Garside took his 2018 Commonwealth Games Gold. After that breakthrough win, the youngster tried to give his medal to long time trainer Brian Levier. 

“I’ll turn it into a gold tooth,” quipped Levier, who once fought national icon and world champion Johnny Famechon. The attempt to give away his most prized possession says much about Garside.  

The victor today at the Kokugikan stadium will be just one win from an Olympic medal in Tokyo. 

“I know I can beat anyone, they are just like me, they are not superhuman and I’m going to give it all I’ve got,” Garside said. 

Garside is an intriguing and charismatic character, since his Commonwealth Games gold he has gone to great lengths to improve as both a person and a fighter. 

What’s followed is everything from karaoke to ballet, with Garside recently posting:

“You wanna know what a good feeling is? The feeling of being able to look myself in the mirror knowing I have done everything in my power to be ready for this moment. I have tortured myself at times, I have given up poor habits, I have challenged myself physically and more importantly internally to be the best I can be. It’s a good feeling behind closed doors away from all the noise, just me looking into a mirror nowhere to hide from myself knowing I have done all I needed to. I know I’m capable of this and so much more.”  

Garside is set to compete in the round of 16 on Day 8 of the Tokyo Games, Saturday 31st July. 

Jon Harker