Belfast's James Tennyson gets world title chance against Tevin Farmer
IBF Super-Featherweight ruler meets Irishman on Oct 20
Tevin Farmer will defend his IBF World Super-Featherweight title against James Tennyson at the TD Garden in Boston on October 20, live on DAZN.
Farmer landed the title with a landslide points win in Billy Dib’s Australian backyard in August, gaining redemption in the process after missing out on the crown in a controversial split decision loss against Kenichi Ogawa in Las Vegas in December.
The Philadelphian ace puts the belt on the line for the first time against Tennyson in Boston on a stacked bill, with the dangerous Irish puncher fresh from ripping the European title from Martin J. Ward with a stunning stoppage win from off the canvas in London in May.
Tennyson’s first World title tilt could derail Farmer’s plans to meet the other champions in the 126lbs division – with WBA king Gervonta Davis top of his wishlist after penning a co-promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing USA and DiBella Entertainment – and Farmer knows he must be on top of his game to keep his belt and move onto the unification bouts he desires.
“I've worked really hard to get to this point and now we're going to get these big fights – but I have to take care of business with James Tennyson first,” said Farmer. “James is a proud, tenacious and worthy challenger for my belt.
“I know James is going to be hungry to take my title, but there's no way I'm going to let it go – I want to prove that I am the king in this division. I don't need to fight the other champions – I want to fight them, no talk, I want to handle my business and I want these guys to meet me, I want Gervonta.
“Knowing that I am fighting three times in a year is great – I'm going to be busy and that's awesome, that's what all fighters want – I'm so thankful to Lou, Eddie and DAZN for this.”
“I feel that I'm ready for my shot and that I'll take the world title back to Belfast,” said Tennyson.
“A lot of fighters, when they take a loss in their career they think it's at an end when they've gone undefeated and been at the top but my career shows that a loss isn't the end.
“I've progressed, I've moved on and I'm ranked number one with the WBA, European and Commonwealth champion. You just have to keep pushing forward, keep digging deep. Anybody can come from a loss and come back and push right back up to the top of the ladder.”
Farmer’s clash with Tennyson is part of a huge bill in Boston with three world title bouts on the slate.
England’s Billy Joe Saunders defends his WBO World Middleweight title against Rhode Island’s Demetrius Andrade and Katie Taylor puts her WBA and IBF World Lightweight straps on the line against Cindy Serrano.