James Tennyson confident of World Title glory after building back from defeats

Five years and a day after being knocked out by journeyman Pavels Senkovs, Belfast’s James Tennyson will challenge for a world title.

The hard-punching super featherweight challenges IBF champion Tevin Farmer – himself a model for not letting early-career defeats define you – at the TD Garden in Boston on Saturday October 20th.

The fight plays out as the chief support to Billy Joe Saunders’s WBO middleweight title defence versus Demetrius Andrade on a big DAZN-Sky Sports bill.

Tennyson [22(18)-2(2)] intends for the night to be the culmination of a mazy route to the top which has also featured a British title defeat by Ryan Walsh followed by a run of wins that has marked him out as one of the most unmissable fighters in Irish boxing.

‘The Assassin’ outlined how “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.”

Tennyson enjoyed a substantial size advantage over Farmer when the pair came face-to-face in Boston for press duties over the weekend, and the Poleglass 25-year-old will be the much heavier and more powerful man on the night.

Southpaw Farmer [25(6)-4(2)-1] will be looking to rely on his speed and skill in what looks to be a classic clash of styles, much like Tennyson’s sensational upset European and Commonwealth title win over Martin J Ward last time out.

Coming off that career-best win, the MHD-managed hammer fist is full of confidence and noted how “I feel that I’m ready for my shot and that I’ll take the world title back to Belfast.”

“It’s amazing to be here involved in such a massive night of boxing with such huge fights lined up.”

“Fighting for the IBF world title here in Boston is amazing — Boston is a great place. But it’s going to become a whole lot better when I come over here and become champion of the world!”