JAMEL Herring says he will shut out the crowd and do what he to do to keep a hold of his WBO super-featherweight belt when he travels to Belfast to defend it against Carl Frampton in May.
The New Yorker was ringside at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night to watch an action-packed bill headlined by his good friend Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford and also featuring Michael Conlan’s landslide points win against Vladimir Nikitin.
A veteran of two tours of Iraq who afterwards suffered from Post Dramatic Stress Disorder, former US Marine Herring is unlikely to be put off by the partisan atmosphere in the SSE Arena, the probable venue for the fight although it is understood that Windsor Park is also a possible venue.
“Oh yeah, yeah, it’s going to happen,” Herring told The Irish News at ringside in The Garden on Saturday night.
“Right now we’re just waiting for him to get better, he’s got some injuries with his hands but I believe the fight will happen in the springtime.
“I love the atmosphere over there and if the fans want it over there then I’ll go over there.
“I don’t think it’s risky and I believe that, in terms of the judging, it’ll be fair. If anything I am going into a tremendous atmosphere but once the bell rings I’ll tune everything out and do what I have to do.
“Oh yeah, I’m confident I can beat him. That’s why I’m taking the fight over there. It doesn’t matter where the fight goes, I believe in myself and my ability and I’ll get the ‘W’ (win) either way.”
He came face to face with Frampton for the first time in Las Vegas after the Jackal’s comeback win over Tyler McCreary at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Standing around 5’8”, he is considerably taller than Frampton but he says his stature won’t win the fight for him.
“I’m bigger than him but I can’t rely on my size because Carl has good fundamentals, he is a good champion and I respect him for what he has done,” he said.
“He has fought bigger guys but I am just excited to have a big fight of this magnitude and that’s what motivates me.”
Frampton will have surgery on broken bones in both hands sustained against McCreary on Friday but hopes to be fully recovered in time to face Herring in May.
"I've got an operation on December 20," Frampton explained.
"Both hands are getting operated on at the same time. I don't how it is going to work, doing certain things. It is what it is. Hopefully I will be around May time."
Obviously he will be out of action until then and Herring doesn’t intend to fight again until he faces the Jackal in his Belfast stronghold.
“I’ll sit and wait for him to get better and then go from there,” said Herring.
“He’s a two-division world champion for a reason.
“I thought he did great in Vegas, especially with him injuring his hands – he did a hell of a job. I look forward to it and seeing what he did just motivates me and I hope he is 100 per cent well when the time comes.”
CAOIMHIN Agyarko moved to 6-0 with his fourth win this year against tough Bulgarian Danail Stoyanov at Bethnal Green on Saturday night.
“Good performance, stopping a tough guy who’s never been stopped,” said the former Holy Trinity star.
“Learning and improving with every fight.”
Meanwhile, Steven Ward was left “gutted” after suffering the first defeat of his professional career at the quarter-final stage of the ‘Golden Contract’ competition in England on Saturday night.
“Got caught early on and couldn't recover," said Ward on Sunday after he was knocked out in the first round by Latvian Ricards Bolotniks in Brentwood.
Ward also lost his hard-won WBO European light-heavyweight belt to heavy-handed Bolotniks who sent him to the canvas three times before referee Phil Edwards waved it off.
At the Ulster Hall in June, Ward defeated Englishman Liam Conroy to win the WBO European light-heavyweight title and the two were in line to meet again in the Golden Contract series but Bolotniks ripped up that script.
The Latvian (16-5-1), who Ward picked in the draw, sent him down with a left hook and then pinned him on the ropes and put him down for a second time.
After bravely getting up off the canvas, a shaken Ward was floored for a third time before referee Edwards stepped in.
FOUR-weight world champion king Mikey Garcia (39-1) will return to action on February 29, exclusively live on DAZN, as the California favorite looks to regain his world champion status and continue his glittering career at the elite level.
Garcia, who boxed on the Carl Frampton versus Leo Santa Cruz undercards in New York and Las Vegas, will step back into the ring early in 2020 for the first time since moving up two-weights in March to face welterweight ruler Errol Spence in a bid to win world honors at a fifth weight, and Garcia is on the hunt for more world title clashes and big name showdowns to add further scalps to a stellar resume that boasts wins over the likes of Adrien Broner, Roman Martinez and Orlando Salido – and Garcia believes that the best is yet to come.
“I am happy to announce my return to the ring for February 29,” said Garcia.
“I am eager to make my return and grow my legacy. I look forward to working with Matchroom Boxing USA and DAZN and I want to thank all my fans for the continued support. Fight details will be announced soon and I can’t wait to be back in the ring.”
Hearn added: “I’ve been talking to Mikey for over a year now and I’m so happy to welcome him to the team.
“He is a standout star and I’m looking forward to working with him on big fights moving forward.
“He will return to the ring on February 29 and we will be announcing the opponent and venue shortly. The talent within Matchroom Boxing and on DAZN is unprecedented – we look forward to an epic 2020.”
