By Tim McCloskey
The biggest Irish boxing event in Philadelphia history will take place on St. Patrick’s Day weekend at Temple University’s Liacouras Center.
Led by British promoter of the year Eddie Hearn, Irish boxing stars Jono Carroll and Katie Taylor will co-headline each fight for world titles; and undefeated former Olympian John Joe Nevin will showcase on the undercard. The event is set for March 15 and will be streamed worldwide on DAZN.
Undefeated bearded-southpaw, Dubliner Jono “King Kong” Carroll will face Philadelphia’s Tevin Farmer for the IBF World Super Featherweight Title. The 26-year-old Inter-Continental Champ trains out of Celtic Warrior Gym in Blanchardstown, and this will be his first fight in the United States. He is the betting underdog, but he has little regard for the skills of the world champ, repeatedly calling him “fake,” “annoying” and a “pea-head” with “serious holes in his armor.”
He doesn’t hold himself like a champion…He’s just a little muppet.
— Jono “King Kong” Carroll
“He doesn’t hold himself like a champion,” Carroll told Sky Sports. “He’s just a little muppet. He doesn’t get under my skin, he’s just so immature, is he really that type of person? I don’t know. I wear my heart on my sleeve, so if he says annoying things, I say it how it is.
“He’s trying to be like Adrian Broner,” said Carroll. “But he’s not half as good.”
“I’ll do what I want with Tevin Farmer,” he added.
Farmer (28-4-1), a North Philly native, became IBF World Super Featherweight title holder after defeating Australian Billy “The Kid” Dib in Sydney in 2018. He has since twice defended the belt, including a 4th round knockout of Irish and Commonwealth champion James Tennyson of Belfast at the Boston Garden last October.
“He’s a basic American fighter,” Jono told Boxing News TV. “He’s no Floyd Mayweather, but he tries to box like Floyd Mayweather. He turns his back a lot. He has serious flaws. There are so many holes there and gaps that I can expose. As I said before, I don’t believe he has a heart so when it gets to the trenches and we go to war…he’s going to look to the referee to get him out of there. I don’t believe he will go 12 rounds with me.”
Farmer and Carroll almost immediately churned up the war of words in the comments section on social media after Carroll unofficially announced the fight back in December, and Farmer replied that Carroll should be thanking him for offering him the title shot. The two had been verbally sparring for months when Farmer tweeted that Carroll “had been talking crazy, so I’m gonna make it happen.”
Carroll replied: Haha your a little clown. Me, you, and the man on the moon know that’s a lie. You don’t run . Eddie says who we fight. He’s the one paying the bills. And me against you is the only thing that makes sense with the day that’s in it. So keep your mouth shut you little clown
Tevin Farmer: You don’t know $#*&. I’m the champ. I choose when I want to fight. If I say I don’t want to fight in March I don’t have to. Eddie is my boy. He asks me when do I want to fight. I told him in March and I wanna fight you. When you are a champ you can do things like that. You get told what to do. Like I said. THANK ME !!
Jono Carroll: Mate, I have had it in a contract that I would have one fight and then a world title fight, this was before you champion. I was getting the winner regardless. But I’m glad you think Eddie has your back. He would rather have me as champion because I have all the Irish behind me. I will sell out huge arenas in Ireland, England and America. You can’t even sell out your home town that’s why you need the Irish to come support. You ain’t a real champion.
As great the Farmer-Tevin bout promises to be, the more historic occasion might be the co-main event between Katie Taylor (12-0) and Rose “The Queen” Volante (12-0) of Brazil.
Taylor, of Bray, County Wicklow, is a modern sporting icon. She is ranked the best female pound-for-pound boxer in the world. She was the flag bearer for Ireland at the 2012 London Olympics where she won gold. In her career, she has won every title available as amateur or pro, and with a win — she will claim the WBA, IBF and WBO titles. Only two Irish boxers have ever unified their respective divisions, Carl Frampton and Ryan Burnett. Taylor is the subject of the RTE documentary Katie, which chronicles her life inside and outside the sport. The trailer is available on YouTube.
Promoter Eddie Hearn tweeted: “I’m over the moon to confirm contracts are signed for @KatieTaylor to unify against WBO champ Rose Volante on our big paddy’s day weekend show in Philly in March. Full card announced soon — the road to undisputed is on”
Undefeated John Joe Nevin (11-0) will also be featured on the undercard. The super-feather weight from Mullingar is no stranger to fight fans in the Delaware Valley as he has previously trained at Bozy’s Dungeon in the Harrowgate section of Kensington, and fought Alex Rynn of Canada at the Parx Casino in March of last year. His opponent has not yet been named.
John Joe and Katie exchanged tweets when the fights were announced:
John Joe Nevin: The best pound for pound female in boxing is the queen of boxing @KatieTaylor well done you are a credit to boxing
Katie Taylor: Thanks John Joe, looking forward to seeing you in Philly!!
John Joe Nevin: Ya I can’t wait be great to see you again and also on the same show it’s going to be a great night for the Irish in Philadelphia.