By John Evans

 

For most people, a birthday means a day of relaxation and maybe, if you’re lucky, a few surprises or treats. You need only speak to new Central Area lightweight champion Kieran Farrell for a matter of minutes though to realise that he doesn’t think along the same lines as the majority of people.

 

On June 22, Farrell stopped the tough – and previously unbeaten – Joe Elfidh with a body shot after a torrid five round battle to earn his first professional title. Three days later, the now 22-year-old former flyweight celebrated his special day by happily pushing wheelbarrows of tarmac around the North West before rushing home to see his prized new belt. As birthday weekends go, the Heywood born slugger – who has since been crowned Coldwell Boxing’s inaugural fighter of the year – would have struggled to think of a better one.

 

“When I hit him, it felt like there was nothing gonna stop my hand from doing what it was doing,” said Farrell, 13-0 (3), when speaking to BoxingScene. “It went right through him. I’d spent the day watching the Brandon Rios and Miguel Acosta fight and knew that that’s how the fight was gonna go. I didn’t think I’d find a finish that early but when I hit him with that left to the body, I knew he wasn’t getting up. I think the referee only got to about six and I was on the other side of the ring celebrating.”

 

Farrell can be forgiven for letting his emotions get the better of him. He is the type of fighter who doesn’t just box for a living, he lives and breathes the sport and the victory over Elfidh was the culmination of months of frustration, hard work and sacrifice.

A string of postponements led to a split from boyhood hero Ricky Hatton’s promotional company and trainer Bobby Rimmer and a union with Coldwell Promotions and Belfast based trainer John Breen. The decisions are paying dividends. “Vicious” has looked excellent in the two fights since he began travelling across the Irish Sea to train under the experienced Breen and former light welterweight champion Eamonn Magee, and Dave Coldwell has provided ample opportunity for him to display the improvements to his game.

 

“I’ve said John Breen is the missing piece in my career but I think it’s the full combination of John, Eamonn Magee and training over in the centre of Belfast,” said Farrell. “It’s like training in Mexico City! They have three gas heaters on and you’re losing up to six pounds of sweat a day. I made the weight easily this time and could even eat on the day of the weigh in.”

 

While Farrell’s enthusiasm for his current routine is obvious (how else can you explain what must be the first direct comparison between Belfast and Mexico City on record?) and the benefits of training under such a highly respected coach are obvious, surely the travelling must create it’s own set of problems? Farrell spends intense periods over training in Belfast before heading back to Manchester to tick over before his fights. How does he feel he is coping with the constant changes of scenery?

 

“Travelling motivates me even more. When I’m over there, I know I’m there to train hard,” he reasoned. “John won’t just train anybody, he believes in me and I’m his little project. I train extra hard when I’m over there and when I come home I think, ‘I don’t wanna let anybody in Belfast down’, so I train even harder over here. It’s like a vicious circle.”

 

With Farrell having limited time available to him in Belfast, every moment is precious. From listening to a rundown of his daily routine, it sounds like not a single one of those moments is wasted.

 

“I’ll warm up and if there’s sparring around I’ll do four to six rounds at a high pace with John and Eamonn shouting in constantly. It’s like chicken fighting! We’re properly trying to sort each other out. It’s basically an unlicensed fight with head guards and big gloves,” he said with a laugh.

“If there’s no sparring, John will take me on the pads for six to eight rounds. Then I put my sweat suit on and I shadow box, John and Eamonn will sit and watch every move I make. They’re dead precise and pick every little bit of a hole in me. After that I skip and then they take me on the bench for sit-ups. It’s like somebody’s got an axe and they’re chomping at your stomach.

 

“There are loads of people to spar with. Amateurs, good little pro’s and people like young Eamonn Magee. He’s a fast, sharp, powerful welterweight. They’d all love to be the first to put ‘Vicious’ on his arse! They’re all friendly lads but I don’t know them from Adam and we’re all there for our own personal goals. Mine’s to become world champion.

 

“It’s quiet over there – I miss my mum and brother doing my head in. I’m always on the phone to them, but I know why I’m there. I see Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao going into training camps, and I’m doing that too. I’m living the dream.”

 

Whilst Farrell’s career is gaining momentum as he revolves around the Breen/Magee axis, it would grind to a halt were it not for the driving force of Dave Coldwell. The Sheffield based promoter saw something worth investing in and has given Farrell every opportunity to prove him right.

 

“Dave’s more than lived up to the promises he made me,” he said. “I can’t grumble at having six two-minute rounds on the Carl Froch v Lucian Bute card in Nottingham [Farrell beat Jason Nesbitt on points] as it’s probably the biggest card we’ll have in Britain all year and I was just happy to be part of that event.

“Then Dave rang me asking if I’d like to fight Joe Elfidh for the Central Area title. I thought I was an avoided fighter, but it sounds like Joe’s had a hard time finding suitable opponents too, so credit to us both for fighting. I’m in this sport to be a world champion and I think some people in the boxing world sat up and took notice of me fighting somebody at 7-0. I know some people like Frankie Gavin thought Joe had the beating of me but I’m not an eight stone flyweight anymore. I can fight.”

 

Farrell certainly can fight and perhaps just as importantly, he likes to fight. Fiercely ambitious and still in love with the game, the aggressive lightweight seems determined to do everything in his power to reach his targets. One thing’s for sure, he won’t end his career wondering ‘What if’?

 

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