Jamel Herring Looks to Climb Over Jordan Gill in the Rankings
The goal for former WBO junior lightweight champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring (24-4, 12 KOs) is clear – he wants to become a two-time world champion. He hopes to put himself in position for another title shot with a potential match against world-ranked 130-pound Jordan “The Thrill” Gill (28-2-1, 9 KOs).
Herring retired from boxing following a loss to Jamaine Ortiz in May 2022. But in July 2023, Herring had a change of heart and announced a comeback. He returned to the ring in September 2023 with a first-round stoppage over Nicholas Molina.
During an exclusive interview with 3Kings Boxing, Semper Fi explained that a series of injuries was the cause of his initial retirement. Now healthy and healed following shoulder surgery, the 38-year-old feels one hundred percent. He’s excited about what could lie ahead.
THERE ARE LEVELS TO THIS
Semper Fi thinks the current landscape of the junior lightweight division is there for the taking. When asked about who he would like to fight next, the Marine said the following:
“I ran into (Gill’s promoter) Eddie Hearn because he’s making a lot of noise in the division overseas. I’ve called Jordan (Gill) out a few times. I’ve made it known that I want to fight Jordan Gill to get back in the mix.”
Gill is currently ranked twelfth by the WBA at 130. He’s coming off his career-best win – a seventh-round stoppage over former world title challenger Michael Conlan in September 2023.
Semper Fi is a fighter with more than adequate boxing skills. With his experience, excellent right jab, and ring IQ, Herring views Gill as someone he can outbox and defeat. It’s a feasible matchup that could take place either in the United States or in Gill’s home country of England on a Hearn-promoted Matchroom Boxing event.
Herring’s ultimate goal is to get a shot at reigning WBA world champion Lamont Roach – a fighter Herring defeated in November 2019. The Marine believes a win over Gill gets him a world ranking and moves him one step closer to a second fight with Roach.
The former world champion understands the grind will not be easy. In his mind, his next step back to the top of the junior lightweight starts with a fight against Jordan Gill.
