PHILADELPHIA FIGHTS
Elliot Worsell examines the task that awaits Carroll when he challenges Farmer in Philadelphia
Tevin Farmer meets Jono Carroll and Katie Taylor looks to unify
‘HE HAS SERIOUS HOLES IN HIS ARMOUR. I AM GOING TO BEAT HIM UP’
IT’S unusual to see a bitter grudge form between men from Philadelphia, USA and Dublin, Ireland, but Tevin Farmer and Jono Carroll, set to meet this Friday (March 15) at Philly’s Liacouras Center, have somehow managed it.
If their recent verbal back-andforth is anything to go by, there will be more than just Farmer’s IBF superfeatherweight title on the line when the two southpaws collide. There will be bragging rights up for grabs, too.
“He’s got a world title shot on St. Patrick’s weekend and should be thanking me,” Farmer, 28-4-1 (6), said. “He’s trying to get under my skin but it’s impossible to get under my skin. He’s making himself look bad, and he’s stepping up to a whole different level with me. I’m A-level, and he’s going to pay.”
Depending on your definition of A-level, it could be argued both Carroll and Farmer have still to reach the A-level as pros. Farmer, though, has certainly fought the better competition in his eight-year pro career. That much is undeniable.
After being robbed of a decision win against Kenichi Ogawa in 2017 [a split-decision win for Ogawa later changed to a ‘No Contest’ following Ogawa’s failed drug test], the “American Idol” picked up his current title when beating Billy Dib and then successfully defended it against James Tennyson, another Irishman, and Francisco Fonseca. All three of those fights took place in 2018, making Farmer, 28, not only an improving champion [he lost four of his first 12 pro fights] but a refreshingly active one. Suffice to say, he’s well-accustomed to doing things the hard way.
“He [Carroll] says we both come from tough backgrounds – the hood – but that boy hasn’t come from any struggle,” said Farmer. “I’m going to show him when he comes to Philly. He’s going to eat his words. He’s trying to get his buzz up, but there’s certain things you don’t say. He’s made this personal, and you don’t want to get personal with a Philly guy like me.
“This is big for me, fighting as a world champion in Philly. When does Philly hold big world championship shows? This is as big a show as there’s been here for a long time.”
For Carroll, this IBF title shot represents a mustgrab opportunity but one that is both undeserved and probably arriving too soon. It was only in December, after all, the exciting 26-year-old was held to a draw by veteran Frenchman Guillaume Frenois in an eliminator.
“I’ll do what I want with Tevin,” Carroll, 16-0-1 (3), said. “He’s a tiny little child, and I’m not afraid of him. I see a fakeness
in him when I see him interviewed. I see a fake person. I reckon he’s arrogant.
“Tevin is a man that wants to be liked. He plays like he’s Floyd Mayweather, but he’s not half as good as him. He has serious holes in his armour, and I am going to poke every single one of them. I’ll break him up and stop him. He’s never met a man like me in his life.”
Carroll talks a good fight and produces when it counts, too, albeit at a certain level. In 2017, he hit form with a splitdecision win over John Quigley, dropping him in round two and spoiling his undefeated record, and followed that with a thrilling ninth-round stoppage of Declan Geraghty in 2018. Both results showcased Carroll, 26, in all his glory – the good, the bad and the ugly. Famous for his full black beard, the Dubliner is eminently watchable and a handful from start to finish yet comes with a vulnerability – more to being out-boxed than knocked out – and rawness Farmer will no doubt look to exploit this weekend.
Unfortunately for the travelling Irish, Farmer might not be a puncher, but he is sharp, he is better than he has ever been, and he possesses the kind of style ideal for demonstrating why world champions should be built and not rushed. Though Carroll will give it everything, the hometown champion likely knows too much for him at this stage and retains his belt via decision. Also on the Philly card, WBA and IBF women’s lightweight champion Katie Taylor [inset] should add Rose Volante’s WBO title to her collection in a three-belt unification fight. A victory for either will take them a step closer to the undisputed title and a fight against Belgium’s WBC champion Delfine Persson. For Ireland’s Taylor, 12-0 (5), it marks her sixth defence, while Brazil’s Volante, 14-0 (8), will be making her third.
“Ever since I won my first world title as a pro my goal has been to unify the lightweight titles, so this is obviously a massive step towards that,” Taylor, 32, said.
“Volante is unbeaten, so I’m expecting a tough fight, but that’s exactly the kind of challenge I want. I think the better the opponent and the bigger the challenge the better I will perform.”
Finally, two other 10-round bouts form part of the main card at the Liacouras Center. Poland’s middleweight contender
Maciej Sulecki, 27-1 (11), takes on former world title challenger Gabriel
Rosado, 24-11-1 (14), and another former world title challenger, Hank
Lundy, 29-7-1 (14), battles up-andcoming Philly native Avery Sparrow, 9-1 (3), at lightweight. There will also be a 10-round runout for Hull’s Luke
Campbell, against an opponent still to be named, ahead of a possible world title shot later this year.