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Jamel Herring is not yet done with the sport.
The former WBO junior lightweight titlist has opted to end his brief retirement for one more run at a major title. Herring plans to return to the ring in late September and will once again campaign in the 130-pound division.
The exact date, location and opponent have yet to be confirmed as this goes to publication. One potential hosting site is the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. Herring—a decorated U.S. Marine, Iraqi war veteran and captian of the 2012 U.S. Olympic boxing team—was part of the commentary team for an April 2021 boxing event at that location, which marked the final show of the Ring City USA series on the now defunct NBC Sports Network.
Herring (23-4, 11KOs)—a 37-year-old southpaw originally from Coram, New York—previously announced his retirement immediately after a ten-round, unanimous decision defeat to Jamaine Ortiz in their lightweight fight last May 21 in Las Vegas. It was his second straight loss, following a tenth-round stoppage to Shakur Stevenson in October 2021 to end his WBO 130-pound title reign after more than two years. Herring won the title in a May 2019 unanimous decision over Masayuki Ito, two days before Memorial Day and on a night when he was escorted to the ring by an entire Marines squad. His first title defense came in November 2019 on the Saturday preceding Veterans Day, when he outpointed Lamont Roach over twelve rounds in Fresno, California.
Two more successful defenses followed for Herring, most notably a sixth-round knockout of former two-division champion Carl Frampton in April 2021. The feat remains his last victory to date, though a win in September could lead to a fight that serves as the motivation for his comeback.
“If all goes as planned, Joe Cordina could be next,” Herring told BoxingScene.com of a desired showdown versus the unbeaten IBF junior lightweight titlist.
Herring revealed that he will now train with Wayne McCullough, a 1992 Olympic Silver medalist and former WBC bantamweight champion who lives in Las Vegas.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox