Let’s rewind to this time last year, December of 2017, when Farmer seemed to clearly out box Japanese contender Kenichi Ogawa in Las Vegas on HBO to fulfill his dream of winning a world championship. His gallant efforts allowed the masses tuning in on HBO the chance to see his pure boxing skill set. However dominant it seemed Farmer was, the three judges scoring the fight at ringside gave the decision to Ogawa. However, the aforementioned effort put forth by Farmer was not lost by the fans in the arena, fans watching at home, or the HBO broadcast team.
It only seemed right that Ogawa would fail his post-fight drug test and was stripped of the title belt that he was awarded in an unjust manner. With the title still vacant, it was a no brainer heading into 2018 that Farmer would once again be in line to capture the crown. The fact that it took until August of this year for a fight between Farmer and Billy Dib to be made in Australia for the vacant belt was a bit of a surprise. Farmer, to his credit, was unfazed by the long layoff and this time put on such a clear dominating performance that the judges in Australia unanimously crowned him the new world champion. Step one complete for Farmer, who for all his talk about being a world class elite fighter over the past couple of years (including calling out Gervonta Davis on several occasions), could stake that his claim as one of the best in the division.
We are currently in an age within the sport when many of the star attractions in the sport, and for that manner many of the new champions, take plenty of time off in-between fights, especially when capturing their first championship. Farmer, to his credit, along with his new promoters Matchroom Boxing USA (whom he signed with before the Dib fight), have decided that an active Farmer is a dangerous Farmer. Just over two months after the win in Australia, Farmer was defending his title in Boston on the undercard of his promoter’s stateside debut. He easily dispatched of James Tennyson with some vicious body work stopping him, something that he is not known for, having just six stoppage wins in twenty-seven victories. Which brings us to this Saturday night at the Garden in New York.
For the second time in as many months and for the third time in four months, Farmer will be in action in a meaningful fight. For that matter, with the magnitude of this fight card, which is being headlined by boxing's biggest attraction outside of the heavyweight division, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in his New York City debut. This may not just be the biggest fight this year for Farmer, but the biggest fight of his entire career. It is certainly light years away from where Farmer, a fighter that at one point early in his career brought to the ring a record of 7-4. After a twenty-fight win streak that saw Farmer begin to master his craft, he will take on the dangerous Francesco Fonseca (22-1-1) (16), whose only professional defeat came at the hands of Gervonta Davis for the same IBF title back in August of 2017. Since that time, Fonseca has won three fights in a row, all by stoppage, although it was against limited opposition.
Farmer will be featured for the second time on the APP DAZN, however, this time with Alvarez as the key American attraction being signed to the streaming service, Farmer is in position to display his skills in front of the largest audience of his career. This is something that is not lost on Farmer.
“I’m on another level and people are starting to realize. Right now, I’m just trying to make history with every fight. December 15th, I will show everyone once again that I am one of the best in the world,” stated Farmer. Farmer isn’t the only one that is believing that his star and name in the sport is light years away from where it could wind up.
Although fans tend to like fighters that are blood and guts warriors, like Arturo Gatti, or powerful punching machines, like Mike Tyson, fighters with master skills in terms of their defensive elusiveness and ability to control the action in the ring by putting on boxing clinics have also been financially rewarding for both fighters and their promoters. Think Pernell Whitaker in the late 80’s and early 90’s as one of the pound-for-pound best in the sport. Many times, his showmanship and pure craft filled arenas and had millions tune in to his fights on premium networks and pay-per-view. With boxing's distribution landscape changed and the APP DAZN affiliated with promoters like Matchroom Boxing, a good showing by Farmer could lead to him being the headliner of future DAZN events.
“Tevin Farmer is one of the most inspirational stories in boxing. He’s won twenty fights in a row and is one of the fastest improving young stars in boxing. I’m pleased that with Eddie Hern (Matchroom Boxing) and DAZN, he is now the most active champion in the ring, said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment.
“Another day, another big night. I’m looking to do the same thing I did to Tennyson – but much faster,” claimed Farmer. One thing is for sure, if Farmer is indeed able to make yet another impressive statement with not just a win, but a dominate performance against Fonseca, it most certainly will put Farmer in the conversation for nothing but big fights in 2019, including the fight that he has been chasing after for two years now, a unification fight with WBA champion Gervonta Davis.
 |
| Photo - DiBella Entertainment |
Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!
No comments:
Post a Comment