I was able to land an interview with Jamel Herring before his big fight at US Bank Arena in Cincinnati that will be televised on Showtime October 3rd. Herring is 13-0 with 8 KOs. He is a New York native that currently resides in Cincinnati. Herring is in Al Haymon’s stable and is rising the light welterweight division with each fight. For those that aren’t hip to the man nicknamed “Semper Fi” get your youtube on and check him out, matter of fact make sure to check him out October 3rd on Showtime or if you are in the area head down to US Bank Arena.
JS = Jesse Smith
JH = Jamel Herring
JS = When did you serve in the Marines? And did you box while you were serving?
JH = I started serving in the Marine Corps, October 2003, a few months after graduation high school and I was still 17 at the time. I boxed before the I enlisted but I picked it back up around 2006 while still in the service.
JS = What age did you start taking boxing seriously?
JH = That’s a good question. I honestly didn’t take it serious until I qualified for the Olympic Trials in 2011, what’s crazy is I was 25 years old around the time the trials came around. See I was still debating if I’d just stay in the Marine Corps and make it a career or really start taking my boxing career to the next level. One thing happened after another and here we are as you see.
JS = Which boxers past or present do you compare your style to?
JH = Man… Too many to even mention! Lately I’ve been watching a lot of Pernell Whitaker footage because I love the way he use to use his footwork and defense. Generally though I watch a lot of fighters from past to present like, Oscar De La Hoya, you gotta love that hook he had in his prime, Sugar Ray Robinson is pretty much on everyone’s list including mine, he had speed, agility, and power with both hands. Juan Manuel Marquez is another favorite, Shane Mosley, Bernard Hopkins I admire and respect mainly due to the way he lives outside of boxing and taking care of his body. Salvador Sanchez, Diego Corrales, Lamont Peterson, and of course I have to throw in both Mayweather and Pacquiao who will go down as greats of this era.
JS = How did you link up with Coach Mike Stafford and Adrien Broner?
JH = I linked up with those two around 2011 after I won the Olympic Trials. I worked with Mike during my time on the 2011 USA team preparing for the AIBA World Championships that year and from there we just connected, not to mention Adrien was helping me with sparring in that same training camp.
JS = With more exposure building with each fight, is there any fighter you are targeting in the next year or so?
JH = You know I’ve never been the one to name drop or call out fighters. Sometimes you call out a certain individual and two things may happen. One, they may feel as if you’re just begging for attention and you need them more then they need you, or two, they might just duck and avoid you all together, so I don’t bother with targeting anyone. I allow my team to handle that but make no mistake, I wouldn’t mind fighting any of those guys in the top spot for a world champion in the near future.
JS = How excited are you to be able to fight on Showtime October 3rd?
JH = It’s an honor to fight on a major network like a Showtime. Crazy thing is I was supposed to fight on Showtime at least 3 times now but something always happened where things didn’t go my way but this time around I feel as things will go my way and I’ll finally get that opportunity to showcase my talent so I’m very excited about October 3rd.
JS = When you aren’t boxing what is Jamel doing for fun?
JH = When I’m not boxing I’m enjoying my time with those who matter the most, like close friends and family. Boxing and training takes up so much time, especially when boxing is all year around, so when I’m away from the gym I try to spend as much time with my family and friends.
Good luck to Jamel on October 3rd, make sure you follow him on Twitter @jamelherring
