Jamel Herring delivered Carl Frampton into retirement with a sixth-round TKO at another defense of his WBO world junior lightweight title Saturday.
Herring fought into a career-best win as he thwarted Frampton's effort to become the first boxer from Ireland to win world titles in 3 weight divisions. Afterward, an emotional Frampton announced his retirement.
Herring, 35, shrugged off a nasty cut on his right eyelid to produce a polished performance because he controlled the space contrary to his shorter opponent, that was halted after hitting the canvas in the sixth and fifth rounds.
Herring (23-2, 11 KOs) celebrated his achievement without the presence of fans due to coronavirus constraints at Caesars Palace Dubai in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
A 2012 Olympian originally from Long Island, New York, but now based in Cincinnati, Herring deserved to hear cheers for his achievement, the most recent chapter of a late-blossoming career.
"I wish to find another name," Herring said. "I know Oscar Valdez has voiced interest . Most men and women know I have plans in shifting [in weight], but if that fight is available, let's do it."
But while Herring looks forward to bigger fights, Frampton (28-3, 16 KOs) is hanging up the gloves after having a third expert defeat in a division with opponents who are too big for him. Frampton, 34, finishes after winning world titles at junior featherweight and featherweight, that will be enough for some to consider him the best boxer in Irish background, irrespective of whether he turned into a three-weight world winner against Herring.
"I am deeply upset," said Frampton, who stated he wanted to dedicate the struggle to his older amateur coach, Billy McKee, who died lately. "I said before the battle I would retire if I lost this fight and that is precisely what I shall do. ... I wish to dedicate my life to my family today. Boxing was good to me. It has also been bad to me. The past few years have been the best of my career."
If there were any doubts around Frampton's pursuit to generate history, they were based on Herring's physical advantages. They turned out to be valid concerns as Frampton failed to impose himself against the greatest rival of his profession.
Herring is 5 inches taller than Frampton and contains a 7-inch reach advantage.
"I lost to the better person," Frampton said. "I fought to get inside him. ... It is zero explanations. I had an wonderful camp"
Frampton questioned how nicely Herring made weight for their struggle, but the American looked a good deal sharper than he did in his previous outing against Jonathan Oquendo in September, when Herring won after Oquendo was disqualified due to an illegal head-butt.
"It had been an emotional roller coaster just to get here," Herring said. "My last excursion was not the ideal. Individuals called me every name in the book, people doubted me but even with the cut I was not going to stop."
In the opening round Saturday, Herring comprised Frampton behind his long jab and landed a fantastic left. In the next round, Herring continued to dictate the fight as Frampton struggled to get within the American's jab.
Frampton was knocked back on his heels with a straight left early in the second as Herring commanded the early rounds by commanding the distance.
Frampton was when the fight was fought at close range, as it was at the fourth, and he unloaded hooks with Herring from the ropes. The attack opened a cut by Herring's right eye to the second consecutive fight, and he ended the round with blood flowing down his face.
Frampton had never fought anyone as large as Herring and by the fifth round he had been looking more confident.
However, Frampton was stopped abruptly in his tracks after walking to a left hand and was deposited on his backside for a count.
Frampton appeared vulnerable for some time, but Herring did not triumph before the sixth round, when he nailed his challenger with a left uppercut for another count.
Herring went for the end with more than a minute left in the round and threw a set of hooks that left Frampton on shaky legs, prompting his corner to throw in the towel and the struggle to be stopped.
"It is tough to find any winner of the game go out like this," Herring said. "I am honored to share the ring with him."
Herring later took to Twitter to salute Frampton.
