Carl Frampton On Title Challenge With Herring- “I’ll Retire If I Lose”

The build up in the Middle East and beyond continues for Saturday night’s WBO Super Featherweight title bout between champ Jamel Herring and former two division champ/challenger, Carl Frampton. And, at Thursday afternoon’s pre-fight final press conference, the man known as “The Jackal” made clear that he’s done, if Herring defeats him.

? @JamelHerring v @RealCFrampton

Full Press Conference is about to start (9am UK time / 12pm Dubai time)

?Here is the link to watch https://t.co/wuAZpXGL6J@d4gboxing #Dubai #April3 #Legacy#HerringFrampton

— IFL TV (@IFLTV) April 1, 2021

“I will retire if I lose this fight, because I want to be involved in big fights. After the (Josh) Warrington fight I made a promise to my wife and kids that I believed I could win a world title again….that’s what I wanted to do. That’s I believed I could achieve,” the 34 year old Frampton said.

“If I lose to Jamel Herring, I don’t want to have to go ‘around the houses’ to get into a position to fight another champion, again. Be in this game for three years waiting on a fight. 

To be honest, I can’t speak for Jamel, but I think whoever loses this fight retires. We aren’t the youngest guys in the world, anymore.”

It remains to be seen what Herring would do, if he’s beaten on Saturday night, and there is apparently a rematch clause available to the loser, as well.

The long delayed title fight was supposed to have happened late last year, but was moved to late February and to originally be held without fans, in a London TV studio. However, two weeks before the rescheduled bout, Frampton, 28-2, claimed to have a hand injury (which he repeated on Thursday), but boxing insider Dan Rafael reported that actually, it was that there were money issues due the lack of crowd that were delaying the bout.

And, further to got with the money problems, Top Rank Boxing had made clear to Herring that there was no TV agreement to show the fight live in the U.S. Obviously, a disaster for him from a publicity and future earnings standpoint.

The fight was then rescheduled, again, for the UAE and Frampton’s hand is apparently better.

Meantime, the 35 year old former two tour of duty Marine Herring is 22-2, and has had his own health adversity. This after having contracted and then, overcome Covid 19 in August. That delayed his WBO title defense in Las Vegas with little known journeyman Jonathan Oquendo for several weeks.

But, Herring eventually won a sloppy DQ, as Oquendo was more interested in mauling and fouling him.

As for Frampton, the former two division world champ who is moving up to 130 lb.,  he’s (28-2, 16 KOs) and has held the Unified Junior Featherweight and Featherweight World Championships. Frampton last fought in the middle of August in an easy win over late replacement Darren Traynor at the BT Sport Television Studios in London. He also fought two thrilling bouts with former world champ, Leo Santa Cruz.

It’s a very intriguing fight for two veterans on neutral desert soil. And, the loser could very well be done.

Then again, it’s boxing and if the fight is really good or great one, there’ll be lots of money and interest in a rematch, too.