Tevin Farmer Is Primed For A Big Year Beginning Saturday Night At The Liacouras Center
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) —Tevin Farmer is 26, hasn't lost a fight in five years and currently may be the best fighter in the city right now, considering future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins is retired and former welterweight champion Danny Garcia is recovering from his first professional loss, and Jason Sosa just got rocked three weeks ago by Vasyl Lomachenko.
Farmer, a world-class 130-pounder, is looking to start his 2017 with an impressive performance and local fight fans will get the chance to see him live Saturday night when he takes on Arturo Santos Reyes (19-7, 5 KOs) at the Liacouras Center, for Farmer's NABF super featherweight belt.
The fight, promoted by Wilberto Ruiz and Manny Rivera's Hard Hitting Promotions (@hardhitpromo), headlines a special day in Philadelphia, with the NFL Draft winding up at the Art Museum, and for fight fans throughout the area, who will be treated earlier on Saturday with the Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko world heavyweight title fight live from Wembley Stadium at 4:15 PM ET on Showtime.
"I'm working on training hard right now to win this fight," said Farmer, a southpaw. "Everything has been good for me, getting ready for Saturday and trying to make weight. My goal is to get three or four more fights in this year, starting with this one. I don't know too much about (Reyes). I don't even think I know his name. I have concern myself with what I need to do to win.
"My goal is a title shot. I know guys that hold belts right now at 130 are afraid of me. There are guys out there making excuses and I have to keep working hard to make it happen. I want to win a title. I've been among the best for a long time. Whoever is front of me I'll fight them."
Farmer (24-4-1, 5 KOs) is on a 17-fight winning streak. Reyes, 31, is a tough veteran who has lost four of his last five but has never been knocked out in his 26-fight career.
Hard Hitting Promotions is building a nice fanbase in the Philadelphia area. They first broke on to the scene last year, becoming the first promotion to hold a fight at the SugarHouse Casino.
"Our mission is the same mission as the Urban League, which the promotion benefits, aiding underprivileged kids," Rivera said. "Anytime you have a world-class fighter on a card like Farmer, especially in Philadelphia, it definitely draws interest, and I'm a little biased here, because I am from Philadelphia. We've received a good reception and we're hoping to build a little more."
An ideal future fight would be between Farmer (@Tevinfarmer22) and Jason Sosa, who share the same trainer, Chino Rivas. Sosa is recovering from a ninth-round TKO to Lomachenko and will probably be on hand Saturday night. Both fighters are rugged, aren't afraid to take on anyone, and they're both in the 130-pound class. The obstacles standing in the way is the fear Hall of Fame promoter J Russell Peltz, who promotes Sosa, may have in taking on a big risk like Farmer in Sosa's first comeback fight. A bigger roadblock is Sosa and Farmer are very close friends, actually more like brothers than friends.
But a Sosa-Farmer fight would sell out any venue in the Philly area, save for the Wells Fargo Center, and best friends have fought each other before.
For more information on the Farmer-Reyes fight, fans can go to www.HardHittingPromotions.com, and for ticket information ulpfightingforphilly.org. Doors open at 5:30 PM on Saturday night at The Liacouras Center. Tickets can be purchased at the door.
