Tevin Farmer promises smashing second half of career

His isn’t the sort of record to leap out at you, in a good way, not in this section of the sports department. Too often, too much attention is paid to record, instead of actual skill, and quality of opposition.

In boxing, promoters rely very heavily on hyping a coming attraction by pointing to a shiny record.

Lou DiBella hasn’t had that luxury with Tevin Farmer, the 26-4-1 hitter who holds the IBF 130-pound crown.

On Saturday, October 20, Farmer will defend his strap on a show which screens on DAZN. He’s a considerable favorite to use his far above average skills and technique to down James Tennyson, a 22-2 Irishman.

As with many tangos in the boxing realm these days, the Farmer-Tennyson bout is a bit under radar. The topmost dogs, and the loudest barkers, get the ink and the next tier of guys fight for scraps, to an extent. As you all know, this week was dominated by Canelo, and his mega-bucks deal with DAZN, then Floyd Mayweather grabbed another segment of buzz, with his teasing that he might fight another UFC guy, Khabib Nurmagomedov. Then Oscar and Floyd jousted. Meanwhile, some of the actual FIGHTS we will be tuning in to get that much less press.

So, to rectify that…

The 28-year-old Farmer spoke in the Friday fighter meeting, with DAZN fight callers, and did a good job summing up so much of who he is. The guy had six amateur fights, started boxing at 19, and thus, was learning on the job.

So, the professional since 2011 amassed a 7-4-1 record in his first 12 bouts. His record pretty much indicated “journeyman.” But labels sometimes are misleading, as with Farmer.

He told DAZN crew that guys with 150 amateur fights get that seasoning, and then many “cherry-pick” their first 12 or so fights.

“I can’t knock those guys out because I didn’t have the amateur background to learn how to knock those guys out. I had to start off hard. So, I think with my career, the second part of my life, my career, I’ma start smashing everything.”

He noted that really no one has been backing him up, and he’s backing people up, and he considers himself a boxer-puncher, but we are going to see more of the “puncher” moving forward.

My three cents: Tennyson would be a good one to start with. It would help get Farmer more buzz, to be brutally honest; skills pay bills, but KOs pay them off quicker. Farmer has just five stoppages to this point, and the Irishman has been stopped by a 2-64-5 guy. Tennyson’s powerful right hand which has bothered foes to this point will have a harder time finding Farmer and likely wouldn’t bother a chin of his grade. He squares up and Farmer will be able to dissect him, I’m thinking. Farmers’ hand speed, and the smoothness of his shots will be surprising and hurtful to Tennyson; he hasn’t been in with anyone near Farmer in skill set. Watch for Farmer to do some hurtful body work, and maybe finish the Irishman to the torso. Then, here’s hoping 2019 is even more of a breakthrough for the PA fighter. A beef with Gervonta Davis has bubbled up in social media, and it only makes sense to take that to a ring.