Predicting Farmer but backing Tennyson – Carl Frampton’s Boston World Title Analysis

If Carl Frampton was forced to choose, ‘The Jackal’ would pick Tevin Farmer to win this Saturday night.

However, Frampton is hoping, and believes, that his fellow Belfast boxer James Tennyson [22(18)-2(2)] can pull off the shock and take the IBF super featherweight title.

A 3/1 underdog, Tennyson takes on Philly southpaw Farmer at the TD Garden in Boston on a Matchroom USA show.

Farmer’s first defence of the red belt he won versus Billy Dib in Australia during the Summer, the match-up pits a diminutive slickster against the physically huge power puncher from Poleglass.

Frampton thinks it will be a win for the boxer versus the puncher, going by the old adage, but the former two-weight champion would not be surprised if Tennyson is crowned Ireland’s fourth reigning world champion on Saturday night.

Writing in his weekly column for the Sunday Life, Frampton outlined how “Farmer’s smooth boxing will mean Tennyson is going to lose a lot of rounds and I would expect the American to win on points but if Tennyson lands one of his hammer blows then it could all change – and I really hope it does, I’d love to see him bring the title back to Belfast.”

“There’s no doubt that it is a big ask for Tennyson.”

“Tennyson is going into the fight as the underdog and that’s understandable because Farmer is a very slick boxer and someone who I love watching because of his skills. But, Tennyson has nothing to lose and that makes him very dangerous.

Frampton will be ringside at the home of the Boston Celtics and Bruins on Saturday night, cheering on VIP Gym team-mate Tommy Coyle who takes on local fighter Ryan Kielzweski.

While there he will be able to support Katie Taylor, who defends her WBA and IBF lightweight titles versus Cindy Serrano, Sean McComb, Niall Kennedy, and Tennyson.

It’s not just blind supporting of his fellow Irish fighters, either, as Frampton is a former amateur team-mate of Taylor, a managerial stablemate of McComb, and he is more than familiar with ‘The Assassin’.

The pair have shared the ring in sparring numerous times. Indeed Tennyson almost caused Frampton’s super bantamweight unification versus Scott Quigg to be postponed when he cut the Tiger’s Bay boxer in the closing seconds of his final spar.

The punching power of Tennyson has impressed Frampton and he believes this is key in Boston.

The 31-year-old, who challenges Josh Warrington for the IBF belt at the weight below on December 22nd, recalled how “I’ve done some sparring with Tennyson and I can honestly say that he is one of the hardest punchers that I’ve ever been in with in and around super-featherweight and he also has a good skills set.”

“He proved that he deserves his chance and if that power lands on Farmer he could be in real trouble.”