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Dublin's Carroll and champion Farmer trade barbs at spicy Philly press conference
DUBLIN’S JONO CARROLL and IBF World super-featherweight champion Tevin Farmer were in vocal form as they clashed at Tuesday’s press conference in Philadelphia ahead of their world-title showdown at the city’s Liacouras Center on St Patrick’s weekend.
Katie Taylor also spoke briefly at the Matchroom USA presser as she looked ahead to her world-title unification clash with Rose Volante on the same 15 March bill, but the Brazilian was not in attendance.
Hometown hero Farmer [28-4-1], American boxing’s fairytale story, promised to inflict upon Carroll [16-0-1] a brutal first defeat. He also vowed to take the Dubliner for a cheesesteak afterwards, implying that Carroll would lose a portion of his purse due to a proposed bet between the pair.
Finglas native Carroll, meanwhile, went back and forth with the sizeable contingent of Farmer supporters in attendance while vowing only to relieve the champion of his belt in six weeks’ time.
The pair later squared off and had to be separated as their heads came together.
Before introducing Carroll to the baying crowd, promoter Eddie Hearn said of his recent Irish recruit:
“We have a saying in England: I don’t know if we’re allowed to say it here or if it’s rude… But he’s full of spunk. What that means is he has a big, big set of cojones.
“He’s got a massive personality and he can really fight. I saw him a while ago win our Prizefighter tournament [2014], and we had him on our show in Dublin [Return of the Mack, 2014]. A fantastic talent.
“He’s now got a huge following in the UK, in Ireland, because he’s a massive personality.
“There’s going to be huge Irish support in the arena, there’s going to be huge Philly support.”
Carroll regaled that perhaps unfamiliar Philly support with his boxing backstory before adding: “Here I am today, fighting in America. This is where dreams are made. For me, this is amazing. And I want to thank everyone from Philly — even though we had a bit of beef [on Twitter]. I love this town, this is the first time I’ve ever been–”
At this point, champion Farmer interjected: “Don’t cop out now!”
Carroll replied: “Nah, I ain’t copping out, motherfucker… You’re going to get yours, don’t worry about it. You’ll get your turn to speak. Ssh, little man.
“I keep getting these fights and I keep winning these fights,” Carroll added. “Most of my fights, I’ve been an underdog. And I just keep winning and winning and winning. Even though Eddie has been poking that little doll, I’ve still been doing it!
“Sheeeeeeit,” Carroll added with a laugh, channeling The Wire character Clay Davis. One member of the chuckling crowd, a Farmer supporter, then shouted at the Irishman: “Easy work!”
“Easy work?” replied the grinning Carroll. “Yeah, right, son! Easy work — yeah, right! Listen, Tevin knows he’s in for a battle, youse all know he’s in for a battle.
Enter champion Farmer, crowd audibly on his side, and he wasted no time in launching a three-pronged verbal assault on his challenger.
Turning back to Carroll, he began: “Bro, that’s not a Philly beard, first of all. You gotta grow the sides.
“Second, you only got this fight because I chose you. You were supposed to win that mandatory [eliminator for the title], you didn’t win — you got a draw. You was talking shit, and I said, ‘Eddie, bring him here.’ That’s number two.
“Number three: I’m tired of beating [Irishmen]… I just beat your cousin! James Tennyson, I stopped him. I’m tired of beating y’all. You have to come and bring your best. You gotta win!”
Carroll jibed back off-mic but was scarcely going to deter the hometown man, who continued to tear into him.
“I’m gonna beat your ass,” Farmer said. “I’m gonna beat you the fuck up…bad. I promise to God.
“Remember you tweeted me, telling me I’m cocky?”
Carroll replied: “You don’t think you’re cocky?”
“No, I don’t think I’m cocky,” Farmer said. “But I’ll be cocky today! I’ll post up a picture, you know the picture. 20 grand says you can beat me, right?
“After I beat your ass, I’m going to take you for a cheesesteak!”
Even if Rose Volante had been in the building, it’s unlikely that the Portuguese speaker and Katie Taylor would have engaged in similar fare.
The Irishwoman was invited to the mic by promoter Hearn, who said of 15 March’s co-headliner:
“If you have the opportunity to watch the film Katie, you must do it. It’s on iTunes, it’s on every major platform to download right now. This is an incredible story of a true fighter.
“This young lady was responsible for women’s boxing being in the Olympic Games; she had to go and showcase her skills to convince a committee that they should allow women’s boxing in the Olympic Games.
Taylor was typically curt, telling the audience and cameras: “I never really have a lot to say but it’s great to be here in Philadelphia, such a great fighting city and I can’t wait for 15 March to have the chance to unify the division again and go one step closer to becoming the undisputed champion, which has always been my ultimate goal.
“Thank you so much to DAZN and Eddie Hearn and Matchroom for making these fights happen.
Carroll and Taylor’s respective world-title bouts will be broadcast on Sky Sports in Ireland and the UK as well as DAZN in the States. London Olympic silver medalist John Joe Nevin will also feature on the bill.
Join us to preview the Six Nations with Simon Zebo, Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey on Thursday @7pm in Liberty Hall Theatre Dublin.
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