This time last year, Jack Rafferty’s life looked very different.

Unsigned, relatively unknown and very dangerous, the 29 year-old from Shaw had just begun training for a vacant British super lightweight title fight with the unbeaten Henry Turner.

Aware that a loss would put him in a very difficult position, Rafferty kept his composure during some tricky early rounds and eventually stopped the multi-time amateur champion in the ninth round.

Things have moved quickly since.

This weekend, Rafferty (26-0, 17 KOs) headlines a major event for the first time when he fights the heavy-handed Mark Chamberlain (17-1, 12 KOs). DAZN will broadcast the eye-catching fight from Planet Ice in Altrincham.

“This is the one,” Rafferty told The Ring. “This is the one to show real boxing eyes the real Jack Rafferty.”

Beating Turner earned Rafferty a promotional deal with Queensberry and he has capitalised. Stoppage wins over Reece MacMillan and Corey O’Regan have extended the longest unbeaten run in British boxing and moved him into a headlining role.

The hard work of the past twelve months has given Rafferty the perfect platform and he knows that an impressive showing against the dangerous Chamberlain on Saturday night will take things to a whole new level.

“I'm excited to defend my titles. I’m excited to show what I've done and put the cherry on top of headlining my first show. What a year. It's madness, but I'm never satisfied with my work,” he said.

“There's always another level to achieve. I'm going to achieve another level on August 23, then I'm going for the next level after that.

“I’m not saying I've not had proper opponents but I’ve got a real champion who's been a champion before at lightweight. He’s stepping up to super lightweight and trying to take my titles. It's a first headlining show for me and I'm looking to put a performance on.”

Since he burst onto television screens against Turner, Rafferty has proven to be an all-action, fan-friendly television fighter.

MacMillan and O’Regan boxed well and fought bravely but were unable to handle his physicality and power and came apart under his constant pressure.

Closing the distance against a tall, straight punching southpaw like Chamberlain will be no easy task and some will wonder whether Rafferty has the guile to avoid taking heavy punishment on the way in.

Rafferty’s previous opponents and sparring partners talk about his strength and power but they also acknowledge the way he gets himself into range and the clever, unseen tricks that he employs to keep himself close and prevent them from escaping.

Rafferty understands why people may still question him but he knows that he can’t afford to take unnecessary risks against an accomplished, dangerous puncher like Chamberlain. He believes the fight gives him he perfect opportunity to open people’s eyes to exactly what he is capable of.

“Yeah, they've got to [question him]. I'm still questioning myself,” he said.

“I still want to show more in that ring. You want to get better every time as you go up that ladder. You can't just be stale. It’s my second British title defence and I'm going to show something else, another piece of Jack Rafferty.

“People talk about, 'Oh, he's relentless, he's hard to keep off.' They think I come forward and I take a shot to give a few. Listen, that's not my game but if taking a few to give a few is what I need to do, it's what I need to do sometimes.

“I can box, I can move and I'm excited to show that in the ring on August 23.”

Although he has been a professional for eight years, Rafferty’s fights with MacMillan and O’Regan were learning experiences. He had to get used to dealing with the attention of boxing on big, televised arena shows and the expectation of walking to the ring as a champion.

Behind all that, he knew that as long as he trained hard and performed on the night everything should go his way in the ring.

The fight with Chamberlain carries the same type of risk-reward factor that the fight with Turner did. Rafferty knows that if he wants to carry on progressing, he can’t afford to make a mistake.

“Yeah, it's got a little extra on it than the Turner fight,” he said.

“It was amazing - the best feeling I've ever had - winning that British title against Henry Turner but I've got a point to prove, in a way. I want to beat a real champion.

“It's like, 'Oh, bloody hell, Jack's sold X amount of tickets and he's just knocked Mark Chamberlain out in this round. We'll do that again with him.'

“I want this to keep happening so, if I want that, I'm going to keep showing a better Jack Rafferty and keep performing in that ring.”

Over the past year, the pecking order in Britain’s junior welterweight division has changed.

Former undisputed champion, Josh Taylor, has retired whilst Jack Catterall recently stepped up to welterweight to fight Harlem Eubank. The WBC’s mandatory title challenger, Dalton Smith, and undefeated Adam Azim now lead the way.

For the time being, they will be solely focused on making inroads into world class rather than worrying about domestic rivals snapping at their heels but, over the past year, Rafferty has closed the distance on the high-profile pair and cemented his position just behind them in the British rankings.

If he keeps progressing, Rafferty will inevitably begin to be linked to fights with Smith and Azim but, as far as he is concerned, spending so long fighting for recognition means that every fight from hereon-in is a big occasion.

Rafferty knows where victory over Chamberlain could take him but he also appreciates the level he is now fighting at and is determined to stay there.

"Yeah, I've started to plot a path. One fight at a time, I can't overlook anyone and I'm definitely not overlooking Mark because I know what he's about, I know what he's going to bring. He doesn't want to lose, I don't want to lose. There are massive things next for the winner,” he said.

“I like carrying a show but I want to carry this show so it happens again. So people aren’t like, 'He stepped up and slipped off the mark.'

“No, I want to step up. I'm going to step up again and I want to stay there. I want to keep headlining shows and my performance on Saturday night will secure that.

“I've got to keep rising with the levels that are rising up with me. Like Frank Warren says, 'I'll give you the stage, you’ve just got to shine' and that's what I'm going to do.”