“I talked to the IBF 2 days ago and they got thousands and thousands of emails and calls from fans. For fans to back you like that, that says a lot because fans don’t really do that. I feel the love, man. I feel like I have grown in the sport and I feel like the uncrowned champion. I actually feel like right now I’m probably one of the most talked about fighters in boxing,” stated super featherweight contender Tevin Farmer, who talked about his controversial loss, his future plans, and much more. Check it out!
PC: Man, it sucked seeing you not capture your first world title in that manner. You seem to be in high spirits as always, but that had to be a heartbreaker for you?
TF: Hell yeah, man. Breathtaking and heartbreaking. It was everything mixed in one.
PC: When they started to read the scores, did you get that funny feeling then?
TF: I already knew what was up when he said it was a split decision.
PC: It was taking a long time to tally up those scores and that usually means something isn’t right.
TF: Yeah, any time they take a long time with the scores, somebody getting fucked over.
PC: What did you think of your performance? What type of fight did you think you fought?
TF: Overall, I dominated him. Was it the regular Tevin Farmer? No. Coming off of two major injuries, torn bicep and being shot in the hand, 8-month layoff, was it the regular Tevin Farmer? No, it wasn’t, but did I dominate the fight? Absolutely!
PC: Given all of those things you just named that you had to overcome, how did you feel in there?
TF: I knew I wasn’t myself, but I knew I was doing enough to beat that guy. I felt as though I beat him every round. I dominated the fight. I dictated the pace. If you look towards the later rounds, that’s when I really started dominating because I started walking forward. People say that I boxed too much, but if you look at it from round 5 to round 12, I pressed the action.
PC: Your corner gave great advice in between rounds, you boxed a great match, the stage was set for you to capture that title, and then the rug was pulled from underneath your feet. What was your initial emotion like when you realized Kenichi Ogawa was going to receive the decision?
TF: It was breathtaking. I didn’t realize it until...in my head, I’m like, “Split decision; this is suspect.” But, I’m like, “They going to still give it to me though.” Then when they said it was for Ogawa, ugh...my facial expression showed how I felt.
PC: I know what you had to endure to get to that point and to have it taken away like that had to suck.
TF: Yeah! If I lost the fight, then I just lost the fight, but to come off of the two injuries that I came off of and still perform like that, only to have it taken away did suck. I think I did a hell of a job.
PC: It just seems like nothing in your career will come easy. You always overcome and you’re always positive, but is it getting more difficult to be positive given certain situations that have taken place in your career?
TF: No, it’s not because it’s who I am as a person. I never portrayed to be that. I never portrayed to be a positive person. If I was pretending, it would be hard to keep pretending, but when it comes naturally to me, it just comes natural. Nothing that comes natural is hard.
PC: When you size up the division, are you aiming at other guys or is it all about getting that rematch with Ogawa?
TF: Right now, it’s all about the rematch. I need to get that belt. If they said, we’re going to do a tournament and give you the belt, I would say, “No!” I want to fight him in a rematch. I would really dominate him. That was my first fight back, so, lets do it again.
PC: You felt like you dominated him the first time. What could you do differently to assure this wouldn’t happen to you again?
TF: Nothing! Remember, I came off of two injuries and a long layoff, so that was a dominating performance from a 40% Tevin; that wasn’t a dominating performance from a 100% Tevin.
PC: That being said, do you need time off to get completely healed up and perform the way you feel you need to in order to win that title?
TF: Nah. The way my hand felt in that fight actually held up better than I thought it would. So my next fight, my hand will be 100%.
PC: If you can get a rematch, when would you like to get back in there with him?
TF: ASAP! I’m trying to run it right back. If they could do it at the end of February or March, I’m down.
PC: Do you feel like you got his best and there is nothing he could do differently, but yet, like you stated, he only got 40% of what you’re capable of?
TF: Ah man, he only got 40% of me and I dominated him; 100% and he won’t touch me.
PC: Your bread and butter is your defense. How did you feel defensively in there?
TF: I felt okay. It wasn’t the best Tevin Farmer, but I did enough. If you look at the CompuBox stats, he didn’t really land. I was touching him at will. I was stabbing him in the stomach, pot- shotted him, I moved forward in some rounds, boxed when I wanted; I dictated the whole fight. I was supposed to be back in the gym, but it’s about being smart now and sometimes your body needs a rest. I’ll be back in the gym after New Year’s and I’ll be ready.
PC: I hope you can run it back with him. It was sad to see that happen to you, but I know you and I know you will be back. Is there anything else you want to add before I let you go?
TF: Thank you, man. People are saying they would have lost it and one part of me felt that way and it will make you want to do it, but at the end of the day, this is just a sport and I have a life after that. You still gotta carry yourself in the right way because you still got people looking at you. The sport is only temporary. You got other business people that may want to invest in you on other routes outside of the sport, so you always gotta keep yourself grounded and on the straight path. But I do want to thank all of my supporters and fans because they pressed the issue. I talked to the IBF 2 days ago and they got thousands and thousands of emails and calls from fans. For fans to back you like that, that says a lot because fans don’t really do that. I feel the love, man. I feel like I have grown in the sport and I feel like the uncrowned champion. I actually feel like right now I’m probably one of the most talked about fighters in boxing. I may not be a pound-for-pound fighter or nothing like that, but
I want to make a comment on my friend Joel Diaz the trainer too before I go. That’s my friend and we have a good relationship, but he also made a comment that I disagree with about how I can’t be boxing while fighting on a Mexican card. I just think that was a horrible assessment and perception coming from a great guy and a great trainer like himself. From what he said, I just think that was horrible. You shouldn’t have to switch your style of fighting depending on what card you’re fighting on. So, if I’m fighting on a Mexican card and the judges see people brawl and bang their brains out, I have to go brawl and bang my brains out because I’m on a Mexican card? So the judges scored me losing because the rest of the guys on the card was banging and I wasn’t? That’s horrible! I mean, that’s definitely not a good assessment. If that was the case, then those judges shouldn’t be judging. That’s a bias there and if you’re biased to one style, then you shouldn’t be a judge. This is the hit and not get hit game.
PC: I agree, and I like Joel as well, but Badou Jack has been on some Floyd Mayweather cards and his style couldn’t be further away from what Floyd does and that shouldn’t influence any judge on any given day, what proceeds a fight or what is anticipated after a fight, on any bill.
TF: Right! That’s nothing about bashing Joel Diaz because he is my friend, but I had to speak up on that. I definitely don’t think that was a good perception of breaking the fight down. He could’ve came with something else, ya know. So after the previous fight was over or whatever, they were anticipating in the fight after mine or whatever, that shouldn’t have any influence on how the 12 3-minute rounds I fought was judged. If them judges think like that, they could go judge an MMA fight.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]