By Francisco Salazar
Tevin Farmer goes by the nickname “American Idol.”
He could have gone through multiple nicknames throughout his career, which has had its peaks and valleys.
Boxing is very good to Farmer, who has not tasted defeat in over four years. With his most recent success in boxing, he hopes to one day be called, “Champ.”
Farmer continues on that quest tonight when he faces Dardan Zenunaj in a 10 round bout at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Penn.
Farmer (23-4-1, 5 KOs) most notable bout of 2016 was an impressive 10 round unanimous decision victory over lightweight contender Ivan Redkach on July 30. In his last bout on October 14, Farmer defeated Orlando Rizo by decision over eight rounds.
He faces a foe in Zenunaj, who is of Albanian descent and currently resides in the boxing hotbed of Oxnard, Calif. He lost to Jose Salinas in his last bout on September 1, but stopped Bryant Cruz after the seventh round on December 11.
“He’s good and he’s game,” Farmer told Boxingscene.com earlier this week. “I can’t take him lightly because he’s going to bring his best when he steps in the ring with me. I have to make this fight as easy as possible, whether it’s to box him or try and take him out.”
Farmer is unbeaten in his last 16 bouts. He is no longer looked at as an opponent looking for a payday. Instead, Farmer is a contender, ranked number three by the WBC and number seven by the IBF.
He is trained by Raul ‘Chino’ Rivas, who also trains WBA 130-pound titleholder Jason Sosa. Both spar often during training camp.
“’Chino’ has made me a better fighter,” said Farmer, who is promoted by Lou DiBella. “Sparring with Jason is great. We both push each other in the gym. We train hard. Jason is a world champ and now I’m on my way.”
Farmer has garnered more attention because of his recent success. He is well-known in the Philadelphia area, particularly the west side of the city.
But he has become more well-known abroad.
“I met boxing fans when I fought in Indio (on August 8 of last year). I had a lot of boxing fans who wanted to meet me when Jason fought in Monaco (on November 12). It felt great because it goes to show that my hard work is respected by all those fans.”
Farmer has come a long way as a fighter. He is on the cusp of possibly fighting for a world title belt in 2017, so long as he continues winning.
“My motivation is become a world champion. I’m grateful my family and friends will get to watch me (tonight). I don’t take anything for granted.”
“I believe I can compete against anyone at 130 pounds and beat them as well.”
Francisco A. Salazar has written for Boxingscene.com since September of 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (Calif.) Star newspaper, RingTV, and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing
