Jamel Herring makes statement with round 6 TKO of Carl Frampton

Jamel Herring and Carl Frampton were fighting to prove that age hasn’t slowed them down, but Herring proved to still have the goods. 

Junior lightweight boxers Jamel Herring and Carl Frampton wanted to show that despite being older, that they were still elite fighters in the division.

Herring (23-2, 11 KOs) separated himself from Frampton with a precise performance that earned him a round 6 TKO victory.

Herring vs. Frampton was staged on April 3 from Caesars Palace in Dubai, with each traveling a great distance. Herring came from the U.S. while Frampton made his way from Northern Ireland, both with a lot riding on this fight.

Frampton (28-3, 16 KOs) is a two-division champion but has never earned a belt as a junior lightweight. Before losing to Herring, Frampton’s last defeat came in 2018 against Josh Warrington.

Herring came into his contest with Frampton as the reigning WBO champion, but some criticized his performance in his previous bout against Jonathan Oquendo in September. Herring won the fight by disqualification after intentional headbutts stopped the bout. Herring suffered a cut that obscured his vision.

Frampton is 34 years old, and Herring is 35. Both are aged for boxers but felt they had more to offer, but a loss for either would have likely ended their position atop of the division. Herring proved to be the better boxer with a superb performance.

Jamel Herring looked fantastic against Carl Frampton to retain his WBO title via round 6 TKO.

Herring controlled the first three rounds. At 5-foot-10  with a reach of 72 inches, Herring possessed a 5-inch height and 7-inch reach advantage over Frampton. His jab from the southpaw position and straight left to Frampton’s body made them easy rounds to score.

Frampton came alive in round 4. He started to land with his left hook, and a trickle of blood streamed from Herring’s right eye. Frampton closed the distance and started to dictate the action in the ring.

Frampton looked good for the start of round 5. He picked up from where he had left off, but he left himself open, and Herring dropped him with a straight left hand to the face. Frampton got up and eventually regained his composure, but Herring grabbed the momentum.

In round 6, Herring timed a perfect left uppercut that thudded against Frampton’s jaw. Frampton went limp as he fell back to the canvas. He miraculously made it to his feet and tried to continue fighting, but his legs were gone, and he was eating too many of Herring’s punches. Frampton’s corner wisely stopped the fight giving Herring the technical knockout victory.

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During the post-fight interview in the ring, Frampton announced his retirement. The loss to Herring marks the end of Frampton’s 12-year professional career and his only stoppage defeat.

Herring fights on. He’s the elder statesman of the division but looked sharp, beating Frampton. He has options in the future. He could fight young phenom Shakur Stevenson next or KO artist Oscar Valdez. He also has the size to move up to lightweight if he wishes. Many believe the latter to be the probable choice.