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World Title fight for Jono Carroll FINALLY CONFIRMED


At long last, Jono Carroll‘s world title challenge has been confirmed.

The Dublin super featherweight will take on IBF champion Tevin Farmer [28(6)-4(2)-1] at the Liacouras Centre in Philadelphia on Friday March 15th

Carroll [16(3)-0-1] will take on the champion in his home city in the headliner of a Matchroom bill that will be shown live on DAZN in America and on Sky Sports on this side of the Atlantic.

The long-mooted card was finally officially announced tonight.

The card will also feature WBA-IBF light champion Katie Taylor’s already-confirmed unification with Brazilian WBO beltholder Rose Volante as well as an appearance from John Joe Nevin – with other Irish fighters also possibly set for slots on the bill.

26-year-old Carroll drew with Guillaume Frenois in a final eliminator last month in Sheffield which looked as though it may have temporarily stalled his plans for a grudge match with the champion whom he has exchanged plenty of social media barbs.

With Frenois ranked higher on the IBF 130lbs ladder, the Frenchman conceivably had first refusal on the mandatory fight with Farmer – however, his team and Carroll’s promoter Eddie Hearn would come to an agreement which allowed both fighters a guaranteed shot at the belt.

The southpaw pair have been sniping at each other online pretty much since ‘The American Idol’ won the title and the charismatic Carroll will certainly make waves during the build-up.

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28-year-old Farmer, since defeating Aussie veteran Billy Dib last August to claim the belt, has been an extremely active champion, stopping Belfast’s James Tennyson in October and Costa Rican Francisco Fonseca last month.

Frenois had presented a big jump in levels for Carroll and Farmer represents another leap. Carroll will no doubt be a heavy underdog but he and his team argue that styles make fights and that the slick champion is perfect for ‘King Kong’.

The fight card in the City of Brotherly Love will also feature a lightweight clash between Henry Lundy and Avery Sparrow, a middleweight bout between Gabe Rosado and Maciej Sulecki, Kazakh welterweight Daniyar Yeleussinov, and more fights to be announced.

The show will kick off a major St Patrick’s Weekend for Irish boxing on the U.S. East Coast, with Spike O’Sullivan boxing on a Murphys show in Boston on the Saturday which also features a welterweight clash between Noely Murphy and John Joyce, while Belfast feather Mick Conlan will return to Madison Square Garden in New York versus Ruben Hernandez on the Sunday.

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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