Jamel Herring Announces his Retirement from Boxing
At the Resorts World Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada, Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring (23-4, 11 KOs) was looking to get back on the winning track against unbeaten yet unheralded Jamaine Ortiz (16-0-1, 8 KOs). The one time WBO junior lightweight champion had aspirations of moving up and making waves in the lightweight division. Instead, he was outboxed, outworked, and decisively defeated by a unanimous decision. There’s no other way to describe this defeat than as an upset.
What made Herring’s loss so startling was how he looked throughout. After getting off to a decent start in the early rounds, he faded badly over the second half of the contest. He was slow, and the combinations were not flowing. By the end of the fight, he was timid and in survival mode. This was far from the fighter who made three defenses of the junior lightweight title from 2019 to 2021.
Fighting on ESPN, Herring explained to Mark Kriegel afterward that he wasn’t himself and that Ortiz was quicker on the trigger. When asked if this is the end, he said he would have to talk with his team. Well, it seems that Herring has since made his decision. After leaving the ring, the 36-year-old went to social media and made the following statements.
In truth, this decision to call it a day and hang up the gloves is the right one. Even though he turned pro at the relatively late age of 27, the wear and tear of a nearly ten-year professional career has caught up to him physically. Time waits for no one.
But Herring has a bright future ahead. He released his biography, “The Fighting Marine: The Jamel Herring Story” in January 2022. It was well-received by many boxing fans and pundits. The fighting Marine has also made the rounds on the mic, doing ringside commentary for several fight cards over the years.
It is said that a fighter can get old in one night. That certainly seems to be the case against Ortiz. Herring is one of the classiest and most respected fighters in the sport. We at 3Kings Boxing salute his accomplishments in the ring and wish him success in his future endeavors.
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By: Michael Wilson Jr.
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