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TEVIN FARMER EAGER TO FACE FORTUNA, PEDRAZA, AND MARTINEZ: "NO ONE IS READY TO STEP IN THE RING WITH ME"

By Percy Crawford | February 08, 2016
TEVIN FARMER EAGER TO FACE FORTUNA, PEDRAZA, AND MARTINEZ:

"It seems like no one is ready to step in the ring with me. It's not just coming from me; it's coming from my promoter himself and he is a big time promoter, so if he says it, then I know it's true...the outcomes show that I work hard, so I guess I gotta go in there and look like a bum for somebody to step up...I break the rules in boxing, I do what I want, and that's what makes me so good and confident because I'm out there being able to do what I want," stated super featherweight Tevin Farmer, who talked about his future plans and much more. Check it out!

PC: You had a big year last year; 3 fights, all 3 victories, and you capped the year off with a knockout win. It's a new year. What's up with you?

TF: Ah man, you know, I'm just ready to take on the top guys out there right now, you know. It seems like no one is ready to step in the ring with me. It's not just coming from me; it's coming from my promoter himself and he is a big time promoter, so if he says it, then I know it's true.

PC: You are a slick fighter, you're a southpaw, and recently you have shown good power. That's not a recipe for fighters to knock your door down to fight you my man.

TF: (Laughing) Right, right, right! I can't help that, man. We work hard, we train hard, and I'm gifted, man. I just go in the gym and put the work in and it shows in the fight every time. The outcomes show that I work hard, so I guess I gotta go in there and look like a bum for somebody to step up.

PC: Quick story about you that I remember; it was about 4 years ago and I was interviewing Naazim Richardson while he was in the gym. He said, "I have this kid, Tevin Farmer, right behind me training, I'm not going to let you talk to him right now, but you will talk to him in the future. I want him to get his team right and his career on track and then I'm going to put you on the phone with him. He didn't have a team and he's took a few losses taking short notice fights and fights that he shouldn't have been in." Here we are now, 4 years later, man. It shows you how things come full circle.

TF: Oh wow! Man, first, I wanna give a big shout out to Naazim Richardson for him speaking so highly of me like that. That's big, man. But like he said, I started off with nothing, no management or anyone behind me. I only had 16 amateur fights, so I took a couple of L's learning on the job. But once I got good management with me, which is Mark Cipparone, Club Management 57, the owner of Rocco's Collision and he's been a friend of the family for over 30 years, he got behind me, and not because he was into boxing. He was never into boxing. He wanted to help me out and come to find out he got a gift too because I was a good fighter. I moved to Jersey, got me out of the hood, put me in a home, bought me a car, and since then, it's been history.

PC: Your confidence grew at some point because you turned into a completely different fighter. Was that because things were coming together for you in the gym and it wasn't so much learning on the job?

TF: That comes with experience. I also got a new trainer. His name is Raul Rivas. His nickname is "Chino." And I also have Rashiem Jefferson; he was also a great amateur. He is one of my trainers also. We all work together and we just got it together, man. That plays a big part, but being in the ring itself and getting that experience played a major part, man, and we put the work in 365. We don't take no days off. We sparred with Lomachenko, we sparred with Danny Garcia, so things like that, when it comes to the fight, it makes it so much easier knowing that you can do what you want to do in there.

PC: When you draw comparisons to a guy like Pernell Whitaker, is that added pressure for you or do you accept the compliment and build off of that?

TF: I just look at it as a compliment because I'm like, "Damn, they compare me to this dude," and when I watch him, I've seen him fight a lot, but I really don't watch boxing like that. But once I seen him, I remember being like, "Damn, that look just like me!" It's no pressure because my shit comes natural. I don't try hard to do nothing; I just do it. Even in the gym in sparring, my trainers let me get away with a lot of shit because that's me. I break the rules in boxing, I do what I want, and that's what makes me so good and confident because I'm out there being able to do what I want.

PC: I speak to more and more fighters that say they don't really watch boxing like that and they all have different reasons. When you say you don't really watch boxing like that, why is that?

TF: For me personally, I didn't grow up into boxing, so I could care less about it. I'm just good at it, so I decided to take it serious. Anything I'm good at, I put my heart into it and I'm going to do it full time. But I wasn't the type to grow up into boxing like, "I love this. This is my life." I could've made it without boxing; that's why I don't really watch it unless there is a guy like Danny Garcia fighting from my city or just a fighter I'm interested in. I don't go home and watch tapes and all that. I will watch myself. I watch myself more than anything and I always learn from that.

PC: Like you said, challengers aren't lining up at the door to fight you, but obviously you are looking to get back in there soon. How soon would you like to go?

TF: I actually been had a timeline and a deadline of when I wanted to get back in. I fought in August and I said December, but I talked to Lou DiBella and my manager Mark Cipparone and, you know, we just going to give Lou DiBella time to make it work. I know it ain't easy to make fights with a guy like me because everybody makes up excuses. "He got 4 losses," and blah blah blah. That's bullcrap because at the end of the day, I got 13 straight victories over good opponents. I'm now ranked #14 in the WBC and to beat me would be major for anyone, I don't care who you are. There is not a guy out there that a world champion could fight right now and get more credit than them beating me. I can't see it. 

PC: You have been a difficult puzzle to solve and the fan base is growing as well.

TF: Oh yeah man, my following is crazy. Back in April, I only had 8,000 followers on Instagram. Now I'm pushing 40,000. I just try to be humble when I can, but sometimes I don't for a reason and just keep pushing man and hope for the best. I know I'm ready for anybody out there. Everybody knows it and even these world champions not going to give me a shot unless I'm their mandatory. It's Lou DiBella's job to get me to the #1 spot man and my deadline for a title shot is this year. If I'm not fighting for a title this year, I should be fighting for big money, you dig me?

PC: For sure!

TF: Hopefully I'm aiming for a title this year though because that's what I'm aiming for. The year is still young and I'm only one or two fights away from a world title. The WBC got their eye out for me, man, so I know a couple of wins and I will easily get pushed up.

PC: When you look around at the division, what do you think of the opposition out there?

TF: Man, in my division, no disrespect to nobody, but I see a cakewalk; serious to God. I see me unifying all the belts, making a lot of money, and then I'll move up to 135. There is nobody out there for me. Pedraza, Jose Pedraza beat me. That was my last loss. I took that fight on 3-4 days notice and he struggled with me. Javier Fortuna, no competition. He's durable, but no competition. Rocky Martinez, all he do is come forward. That style don't even match with me because it's tailor made. Who else is a world champion? Valdez, I'll bust his ass. I'll have to put a little bit of work in for Oscar Valdez, but I'll bust his ass. I have real good boxing skills and what people don't know is I can punch and I have learned how to sit on my shots. Like I told my trainer, my next 5 opponents, 3 of them getting knocked out, if not all 5. I'm already 1 for 1 because I started back in August when I stopped Prescott.



[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]

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