L.F. – The Meri learns like you that R’ yochonon’s real limud is from the svara. Of course the top tosfos learns that the possuk is the ikkur and the svara just confirms that the possuk is not an asmachta.
IN SUM YOU HAVE FOUR TERUTZIM: TOSFOS, THE rITVA, THE ACHIEZER AND meiri.