TOM FARELL has been handed the biggest opportunity of his career so far, as he will face Ohara Davies on the 30th September in his hometown of Liverpool at the Echo Arena, defending his WBA International super-lightweight against the brash Londoner.
The 27-year-old is confident of victory and believes a win over Davies will open doors for him to move up the rankings domestically, although he refuses to look past the threat that Davies will bring in September.
Farrell, whose unbeaten record currently stands at 13-0, 3KO’s, is well accustomed to the surroundings of the Echo Arena, as this will be his fourth time fighting at the venue and is also prepared for anything “Two Tanks” throws his way in the build-up and on the night.
Farrell told Boxing News: “I was away when Steve Wood pushed this fight my way and I’m made up that it’s happening. A win over Davies on a huge platform will only open doors for me and go a long way to one day making the Echo Arena my own.
“He’s only got where he is thanks to his big mouth, so credit where it’s due I suppose. He even admits he’s only in it for the money and doesn’t really care about the sport, so I just leave him to it and focus on myself. I don’t actually mind him and find him quite funny at times.
“But most of the time, I don’t pay any attention to him, as he is always contradicting himself. He’s been on some big bills, but he was made to look completely stupid last time out, so he’s putting on the humble act, which no one is buying, as he’s burned so many bridges and it won’t be long before he starts running his mouth again. He’s not in my head, so I won’t get involved.”
Davies was stopped in his last fight, following a mercurial performance by Josh Taylor in Glasgow, which saw him relieved of his WBC Silver title. But Farrell admits that he isn’t looking too much into that fight and says that all the pressure remains on the Londoner, despite it being in his backyard.
He adds that this has allowed him to not feel any added pressure and put all his efforts into devising a plan, along with his team, to get his biggest win so far. Davies is the favourite with the bookies, which Farrell says will only spur him on come fight night.
He said: “You can’t read into that last fight because Josh Taylor was levels above him. Then if you have a look at the fights before that, Derry Mathews wasn’t what he was in the past, as it wouldn’t be close if they matched when Derry was in his prime, whilst Andrea Scarpa was terrible and came to lose, yet he still managed to look awful. He’s tricky and carries a punch, but he’s very beatable.
“But, he’s the name coming into this, so all the pressure is on him. The bookies have him the favourite, so that takes a lot of the pressure off me and he has to come here and take my title, which I can’t see happening because quite simply, he’s not even that good.
“I’m not looking past him at all. There is nothing more motivating than an opportunity like this, so you can’t look any further than what’s in front of you, something he’s been guilty of in the past. I’m unbeaten and still fit from my last fight a couple of weeks ago, where I was ticking over and the phone has been going mad for tickets.
“I’m grateful for all the support and I’m looking to going out there and winning well. This is the big chance that I’ve been waiting for and he’s once again going to be in a hostile environment again and we all saw how that went before. This fight is spurring me on and I’ve got that extra boost to take me up another level.”
