TOM FARELLย 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, 3KOโs, 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 โTwo Tanksโ throws his way in the build-up and on the night.
Farrell told Boxing News: โI was away when Steve Wood pushed this fight my way and Iโm made up that itโs 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.
โHeโs only got where he is thanks to his big mouth, so credit where itโs due I suppose. He even admits heโs only in it for the money and doesnโt really care about the sport, so I just leave him to it and focus on myself. I donโt actually mind him and find him quite funny at times.
โBut most of the time, I donโt pay any attention to him, as he is always contradicting himself. Heโs been on some big bills, but he was made to look completely stupid last time out, so heโs putting on the humble act, which no one is buying, as heโs burned so many bridges and it wonโt be long before he starts running his mouth again. Heโs not in my head, so I wonโt get involved.โ
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 isnโt 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: โYou canโt 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 wasnโt what he was in the past, as it wouldnโt 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. Heโs tricky and carries a punch, but heโs very beatable.
โBut, heโs 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 canโt see happening because quite simply, he’s not even that good.
โIโm not looking past him at all. There is nothing more motivating than an opportunity like this, so you canโt look any further than whatโs in front of you, something heโs been guilty of in the past. Iโm 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.
โIโm grateful for all the support and Iโm looking to going out there and winning well. This is the big chance that Iโve been waiting for and heโs 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 Iโve got that extra boost to take me up another level.โ