'Not there yet': No Limit boss George Rose says Harry Garside must earn big-money domestic fights

No Limit promoter George Rose says Harry Garside is not concerned about potential big money domestic match-ups as he continues his professional boxing career next Wednesday night against Charlie Bell at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion.

Garside has not fought in a professional bout in three years, instead choosing to embark on a gold medal chase at the Paris Olympics.

The 27-year-old, who won a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and bronze at the 2020 Olympics, briefly stepped away from boxing after last year's first-round unanimous decision defeat to Hungary's Richard Kovacs.

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Most were unsure if he was going to return to the professional game, since the Olympic medallist was busy building his profile in the media landscape.

Garside won the Australian lightweight title in just his second pro bout in 2022 and gave up the belt to chase an Olympic gold in Paris two years later.

Many in Australian boxing raised eyebrows about the move, mainly because he had already won a medal and the general progression from there is to earn money as a pro.

Instead, Garside chose to appear on a reality TV show, leading to mentor Johnny Lewis to part ways with the Victorian fighter.

Lewis and Garside are on good terms now but he's no longer a part of his team, with long-time trainer Jayson Long taking the reins.

There have been whispers around Australian boxing that some fighters feel aggrieved that Garside will walk straight into big money domestic fights, when he clearly said he did not want to be part of the professional side of the sport.

However, Rose said the former Australian champion and bronze medallist must earn his way to potential fights against the likes former world champion Liam Paro and world title challenger Liam Wilson.

"Harry's not trying to talk his way into big fights — he's trying to earn them," said Rose. "He's never been one for trash talk or chasing headlines. He's focused on doing things the right way, building himself back up the hard way.

"Right now, he's at the beginning of a new chapter. But if he keeps winning and stays busy, there's no reason he can't be in the mix for some huge domestic fights sooner rather than later.

"You look at guys like Liam Paro and Liam Wilson — they've already shown they belong at the top of the sport. They're flying the flag for Australian boxing on the world stage.

"A match-up with one of them down the line with the massive support Harry has would be enormous here. They're the kind of fights fans in this country love — two elite Aussies putting it all on the line.

"But Harry's not there yet. His full focus is on getting the job done against Charlie Bell next week. That's the only thing that matters right now."

During an appearance on the reality TV show in question in 2023, Garside made some stunning claims about his short time fighting as a professional.

"I hated turning professional, just people around me who wanted me because I was a potential cash cow. They didn't want my best interests."

He added: "It's so dirty and I really didn't like it.

"I hate knowing there's people around me who didn't particularly care about my wellbeing, they cared about the 10 per cent (of earnings they would get). It was really frustrating."

It's fair to say that some members of Australia's boxing community were incensed by Garside's comments and feel he should be made to go the hard way in fighting the elite level guys in the country.

He takes on Bell in his return, a coal miner from Queensland who has 60 amateur fights and six as a professional under his belt.

Fighting on the same card as Garside is Sam Goodman, who is looking to secure another shot at Japanese champion Naoya Inoue after he was ruled out of their first bout due to a cut he suffered over the eye in sparring in December.

That cruel twist fate cost Goodman $1 million and he looks to get back on track against Mexican Cesar Vaca Espinoza (19-1-1).

Inoue remained undefeated after retaining the undisputed junior featherweight title with an eighth-round technical knockout of Ramon Cardenas in his first fight outside Japan on Monday AEST.

"Naoya Inoue showed once again why he's one of the best on the planet — that knockdown in Vegas caught everyone off guard, but true champions find a way to win, and he did just that. I still believe Sam Goodman is the man to beat him," said Rose.

"He's world ranked, he's ready, and it's only a matter of time. Well be patient but working in background to make sure it happens in time.

"We've always backed him, and Sam's got that fire in him. But before that, he's got a serious test in Vaca — a guy who's shared rounds with Inoue and comes from the same fight-rich region as Canelo. Sam's gotta get through that first, and it won't be easy."