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Jono Carroll confident of dethroning “quitter” Tevin Farmer


If winners never quit and quitters never win then it’s clear who will emerge from the ring with IBF super featherweight title around his waist tonight according to Jono Carroll [16(3)-0-1].

The Dubliner faces Tevin Farmer [28(6)-4(2)-1] at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia and backs himself to cause a huge shock.

‘King Kong’, who has revelled in fight week and rejoiced in the massive platform he has been given, says he takes huge confidence in the fact he knows the man he challenges for the IBF super featherweight title has “quit” in him.

The challenger, who was keen to point out that the champion looked frail on the scales yesterday,  claims he is the mentally and physically stronger of the two and knows he will never quit.

The 26-year-old points out his rival can’t argue the same because he ‘quit’ in a fight against Jose Pedraza back in 2012 back when ‘The American Idol’ was an away corner fighter with a chequered record.

“In the gym there is a sign that says ‘quitters never win and winners never quit’ and I am always skipping reading that and I have seen Tevin Farmer quit before,” Carroll explained.

“He quit in a fight with [Jose] Pedraza. So for me I know there is quit in him it doesn’t matter whether your skills are developed or what not, that just makes you better at getting out of the way.”

“When times get tough I believe I am head and shoulders above anybody mentally. Physically he has good movement and skills, but when it gets tough in there let’s see how he is.”

Carroll seems to adopting the same pre-fight tactic that helped secured him a career-changing win over Declan Geraghty back in 2014.

The southpaw has been getting under the skin of the home favourite, but claims his actions are natural reaction and nothing pre-planned.

Carroll laughed that “I am always getting under peoples’ skin!”

“I don’t even know why, I am the nicest person outside of boxing, but when I am here I like to get under peoples’ skin.”

“I never plan anything. What ever comes to the top of my head I say it because people can see if it’s genuine or not. I am proper real I just say what comes to my head.”

If Carroll is to win the title he will have to do so in the lion;s den. Farmer brings world championships boxing back to his city for the first time in 16 years and looks to have garnered big support.

However, the Irish star claims, not only wouldn’t he have it any other way, he always knew this was going to be the way.

Carroll explained how “I said I was going to this along time a go and I said I wanted an American champion, because you haven’t made it unless you made it in America so I was hoping it was going to be an American.”

“I am delighted. It panned out the way I said it would. I have been preparing for an occasion like this since I was 16. Water off a duck’s back, easy work!”

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Jonny Stapleton

Irish-boxing.com contributor for 15 years and editor for the past decade. Have been covering boxing for over 16 years and writing about sports for a living for over 20 years. Former Assistant Sports editor for the Gazette News Paper Group and former Tallaght Voice Sports Editor. Have had work published in publications around the world when working as a freelance journalist. Also co-founder of Junior Sports Media and Leinster Rugby PRO of the Year winner. email: editoririshboxing@gmail.com

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