Jamel Herring could have chosen to stay retired, but that’s not in his nature.
If Herring ever leaves the sport, it will be by his own decision.
Tonight, Herring will embark on a new chapter in his career as he faces undefeated Nicholas Molina at the Edison Ballroom in New York City. This 10-round bout will headline Broadway Boxing’s card and will be streamed live on DAZN (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT).
At the weigh-in on Monday, Herring tipped the scales at 131.8 pounds, while Molina weighed in at 131.2 pounds.
Herring (23-4, 11 KOs) has fought in various locations in the United States and abroad, but this time he will be fighting closer to home. Herring grew up near Corum on Long Island, New York.
The last time Herring fought in the New York City area was in May 2018, when he knocked out Juan Pablo Sanchez in the undercard of the Vasily Lomachenko-Jorge Linares fight at Madison Square Garden.
Jerry Cazares, Herring’s manager, announced that despite Herring’s previous fight taking place at lightweight, they decided to give him another chance at 130 pounds. Cazares mentioned that Herring was a former WBO world junior lightweight titleholder. Herring’s last fight at that weight was a decision loss to Jemain Ortiz on May 21, 2020.
“Jamel has always been and always will be involved in boxing,” Cazares told The Ring on Sunday night. “He is now a color commentator and manages fighters.
“Although he lost to Ortiz, it was at the lightweight level. He is still in great shape and active. He strongly believes he can compete with and defeat anyone at 130 pounds.”
“It’s important to note that the junior lightweight division has changed since Jamel was champion. The fighters who were in that division have now moved up to lightweight, and the ones currently at 130 pounds used to be featherweights.”
Herring won the WBO world junior lightweight title in May 2019 with a victory over Masayuki Ito. He successfully defended the title three times, including a win against Carl Frampton in April 2021, before losing the title to Shakur Stevenson in October of the same year.
Cazares firmly believes that Herring can defeat any current fighter in the 130-pound division.
“Jamel can beat any top fighter,” Cazares said. “He’s willing to go to Europe to fight Joe Cordina, the IBF titleholder. He also has a potential fight against Emmanuel Navarrete. He has a lot of options moving forward.”
Herring, who is 38 years old, will be facing undefeated fighter Molina (13-0, 5 KOs) from Lowell, Massachusetts. Herring will pose a significant challenge for Molina, a 24-year-old opponent who last defeated journeyman Aldimar Silva by unanimous decision on July 14.
Tonight’s card, promoted by Lou DiBella, coincides with Veterans Day. A portion of the ticket sales will go towards supporting military charities.
Herring served in the U.S. Marine Corps and completed two tours of duty in Iraq during the Gulf War. While Herring is proud of his service, he also wanted to do more.
“Jamel takes great pride in being a Marine. This event means a lot to him as it relates to supporting military families.
“He’s also excited to get back in the ring in front of his family and friends. I’m sure we’ll see a great performance from Jamel tonight, and I’m eager to see what he does next.” .”
Francisco A. Salazar has been writing for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. You can contact him at: [email protected]
