Tevin Farmer Wants Revenge on Jojo Diaz
On June 9, WBO world featherweight champion “Fearless” Shakur Stevenson (14-0, 8 KO’s) put a bright spotlight on the 130lbs division. Stevenson did this by systematically picking apart Felix “La Sombra” Caraballo (13-2-2, 9 KO’s), who was clearly out of his depth, over six rounds.
At home watching the festivities was former IBF world super featherweight champion Tevin “The American Idol” Farmer (30-5-1, 6 KO’s).
Yet, rather than viewing Stevenson as a potential opponent, Farmer simply is happy for his success as a fighter. After praising Fearless, The American Idol quickly let it be known that he’d rather take care of some unfinished business, as he told AB Boxing News.
“Shakur is a beast though, I like Shakur a lot!”
HUMBLED AND FOCUSED
On January 30, Farmer lost his IBF title by unanimous decision to Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz (31-1, 15 KO’s) in an entertaining and somewhat gruesome bout. Ever since this loss, Farmer has been haunted by what he feels was a massively lackluster performance on his behalf.
While he is happy that Diaz was able to have his day in the sun, The American Idol is convinced that he will obtain the retribution that he is looking for.
More than having a bad night in the office, Tevin Farmer is steadfast in his retelling of the fateful night that he was not one hundred percent in the ring. Obviously, it’s no secret that defeated fighters offer this rationale more often than fishermen get wet at work. So it’s no surprise to hear it here.
“Jo Jo still has to beat me again. [He beat me] at my worst, at my worst, at my worst, it was still a fight at my worst. I’m coming better, you know? I gave a lot of credit to him, he took advantage of a ‘D’ fighter that night and he came with his ‘A’ game. I still won five rounds at my worst, so true champions come back.
“I was fucked up that fight, but only time will tell. It’s going to be a time when I express to my fans, before me and Jo Jo fight again, what was wrong and what went wrong and stuff like that.
“But it’s no excuse because it was my job to be right, so this time around I will be right and I get that belt back! That’s why I’m not tripping, I been here before bro, at my worst bro.”
FIRST BELT, THEN ELEVATION
Yet, whether reality or fiction, Farmer is going to pursue his chance to prove his case in the ring. Once his honor has been restored, and title reclaimed, Farmer would like to stick around for a fight or two, then boogie on up to the lightweight division.
Putting first things first, however, Farmer must prove and not simply insinuate, that he is truly the IBF super featherweight top dog.
“Let me get my belt back first and then after that, after the belt we can figure out what’s next. But I think I am going to go to 135 because I feel like I am a better fighter at 135. All my fights at 135 were dominating fights.”
By: Bakari Simpson
