Report- Jamel Herring to headline in July
As we begin to learn more about the proposed Top Rank Boxing fight cards that will roll out starting in June, apparently one of the main event battles will feature popular ex-U.S. Marine, Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring, likely in a title fight come July.
Boxing Insider Mike Coppinger of The Athletic reported on Tuesday night the Herring will face contender, Jonathan Oquendo and likely, for Herring’s WBO Junior Lightweight Championship on July 2nd:
Missed the date: July 2, which was previously reported https://t.co/dbCa1yKrsQ
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) May 27, 2020
Coppinger also reported the fight will likely take place in Las Vegas, just as the first few shows are slated to be in the desert, when Top Rank begins on June 9th with fight cards.
As our Marquis Johns wrote on Memorial Day, the one-year anniversary of Herring capturing the belt by decision over Japan’s Masayuki Ito, the champ has been raring to go with his next title fight. Herring told Marquis in their conversation that he was interested in fights with former and current champions at 130 lbs.,
“I know Abner Mares has done a lot in the sport of boxing,” Herring said. “Give me the (Carl) Frampton fight or the Mares fight next. Obviously, a unification bout will trump both those fights.”
The 21 – 2 Herring was in line to fight Ireland’s Frampton in Belfast in June before the Covid-19 pandemic shut down all of sports back in March. He was last in the ring winning in November, when he scored a 12-round decision over Lamont Roach for his first title defense.
A win over Oquendo would obviously solidify a fight with a bigger name, probably before the year is over.
Top Rank has already announced that its first card back on June 9th will feature unbeaten WBO Featherweight champ Shakur Stevenson in action. However, it will be a non-title fight with Stevenson, instead fighting one weight class higher, also at 130 lbs.
Top Rank intends to fight two and perhaps, even three fight cards, per week starting the second week in June to catch up on a back log of fighters to see action.
A veteran broadcaster of over 25 years, T.J. has been a fight fan longer than that! He’s the host of the “Big Fight Weekend” podcast and will go “toe to toe” with anyone who thinks that Marvin Hagler beat Sugar Ray Leonard or that Tyson, Lennox Lewis or Deontay Wilder could have beaten Ali!
