No second retirement yet for Jamel Herring despite comeback setback

Jamel Herring retired once before, following his May 2022 loss to Jamaine Ortiz. That lasted about 17 months. He returned nearly a year ago, and while his comeback hasn’t gone as well as he’d hoped, the former junior lightweight titleholder isn’t thinking of hanging up his gloves again.

He isn’t rushing into just anything either.

“For me, it has to make sense,” Herring said in an interview with FightHype. “I’m just sitting back. So whatever comes up, comes up. I’m not in it for just the cash grab or anything like that. I’m fine where I’m at in life. For me, it’s more like adding more to legacy, more than just like picking up a paycheck.”

Herring, a Marine veteran who served in Iraq, turned pro after competing in the 2012 Olympics, where he was dispatched in his first bout of the tournament. He was among a talented class from the United States boxing team, but a pair of setbacks in the paid ranks seemed to indicate that Herring had reached his ceiling. He was stopped in the 10th round by Denis Shafikov in July 2016 and, two fights later, lost a unanimous decision to Ladarius Miller in August 2017.

But Herring dropped down from lightweight to junior lightweight. He changed promoters. He changed trainers.

Things changed for the better.

In May 2019, an improved Herring won a world title with a unanimous decision over Masayuki Ito. He made three successful defenses, outpointing Lamont Roach Jr., defeating Jonathan Oquendo Jr. by disqualification, and sending Carl Frampton into retirement following a sixth-round TKO.

But then Herring was dominated and stopped by Shakur Stevenson in October 2021. He moved back up to 135 and lost to Ortiz.

Herring’s first bout back was in November 2023, when he took out the 13-0 Nicholas Molina in one round. In April, he flew to Australia and lost a split decision to the 15-3 Jackson Jon England. Herring believes the decision should have gone his way.

He is 24-5 (12 KOs). And he is proud of what he has accomplished after turning pro alongside the likes of fellow 2012 Olympians Errol Spence, Jose Ramirez, Marcus Browne, Joseph Diaz Jr., Rau’shee Warren and Claressa Shields.

“I was the least expected to do anything off that roster,” Herring said. “I wasn’t really known in the amateur scene at that time either.”

He’s content with what he’s done, but he’s not done.

“I always feel like there’s always room for more,” Herring said. “But I think I overachieved with what many thought I could do to begin with.”

David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2 and @UnitedBoxingPod. He is the co-host of the United Boxing Podcast. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.