The Jamel Herring vs. Jamaine Ortiz match will see the former WBO super featherweight titleholder Jamel Herring return on Saturday, May 21. The match is going to happen at the Resorts World Event Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Now the real test starts for both the boxers. In Herring, Ortiz is getting a former Olympian who started his career at another weight class before getting great success at super-featherweight. This included a great knockout win against Juan Pablo Sanchez, another victory against Masayuki for the championship belt, and other title defenses against Carl Frampton, Jonathan Oquendo, and Lamont Roach Jr. He lost the championship title against Shakur Stevenson in the previous year. Now he is looking to enlist his name among the elites of the lightweight division by defeating his rival in the Jamel Herring vs. Jamaine Ortiz match.
Jamel Herring is shifting weight to go against his upcoming rival from Worcester. The last time anyone saw Jamel boxing professionally in the ring was against the presently unified featherweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson half a year ago. The faster and younger Stevenson managed to defeat Herring. After that loss, Herring has not stepped back into the boxing ring for another time. The time away from the ring has been great because he was able to give his body some rest and spend time with his family in Ohio. He always finds some way to keep himself active and busy on social media. He also released his book a few months ago. Before this match, he did some commentating and acting work alongside Crystina Poncher from Top Rank for the rest of the time before this match. Although he was involved in all of these activities, he was interested in returning to the ring again. The boxer wanted to get a new trainer and decided to work with Manny Robles in California.
Herring said, “It’s funny, me and Manny (Robles) worked together over 10 years ago. He helped me get ready for the Olympics when I went to L.A with USA Boxing. He trained me for the pre-qualifiers in Brazil and that summer for the Olympic Games. Before I went to Bomac (Brian McIntyre), I actually called him first to train me back in 2017, but things happened, and I went with Bomac. When I needed to get a new trainer, I thought, ‘why not see if Manny is available’? When I spoke to him about it, he was on board right away. I’m used to putting my body through hell because I have that Marine Corps mentality. With Bomac, we were doing something every day during the week. Training with Manny, we just do enough. We will spar first and do the second workout in the evening to get the best out of me when sparring. It’s more about rest and not straining your body. It’s great here, but I do miss my Omaha family. I didn’t come in there (Robles’ Gym) like I was the star."
"I love being around the young fighters coming up in the amateur system, the prospects, and other pros. It’s a great atmosphere with no egos, and everyone shows each other proper respect. Being in Southern California, there is sparring all over, and especially since they know you are a former champion, there’s great work. My best friend, Stephen Brown, who is why I joined the Marine Corps, was a year older than me, and when he came home from boot camp, he encouraged me to enlist. May 25th is my daughter’s birthday, who passed away, and it’s around the same time I won the title back in 2019. This time frame is a big deal for me. That’s why I go so hard and continue to represent. It’s bigger than me.”
Ortiz has touched the point in his professional boxing career where each upcoming match is going to be his toughest match ever. There is no more space for other tune-ups for the boxers. There will be no more cakewalks or easy rivals for him. He will also not have the chance to go for fights just for its sake. He has realized that he played into the hands of his previous rival last year by getting into a slugfest with someone who has a hard-hitting right hand. Ortiz made the right adjustments in his next match. He left his rival battered and frustrated with his great footwork and hand speed. He is another class from his previous rivals of Ortiz. But his mindset remains the same as theirs. He will also look to defend, box, move, and stay out of overall danger. At the beginning of his professional boxing career, Ortiz had a lot going outside the boxing ring. He used to work as an apprentice for a carpenter. Recently, he has also gotten involved in selling real estate.
With each passing match, he turns into a full-time boxer who breathes, sleeps, and eats the sport. The boxer has bought some others into his group to look after his daily affairs. This has helped him to focus a lot on his boxing. He is in his prime years right now. He knows that he is only some victories away from a great chance in the most popular weight class in boxing. Ortiz said, “Every fight is tougher than the last one. That’s what’s expected. At the end of the day, I want to prove I’m the best. The only way to do that is to continue taking on challenges, even some you may not be ready for or some you don’t anticipate. But if the people behind you believe you’re ready, you have to go for it. And I’m ready. I’m not scared of any challenge. I tried to adjust some of my mistakes from the [Adorno] fight. I took my time and spent more time boxing. I’m not just a guy who comes in there and throws many punches. I’m trying to get hit less so I can be back in the ring quicker. You have to think about being smarter. Since I turned pro, my goal has been to entertain the fans. There are ways to do that, either through social media or by fighting a fan-friendly style."
"I don’t have a lot of crazy knockouts, but I feel like I have an entertaining style. I’m getting away from that concept and trying to preserve my body a little more and be more conscious. You don’t have to fight every second of every round. He’s a tough dude – very mentally strong, and being a Marine, you already know he’s coming in shape. He’s disciplined. This is not going to be easy, but I believe I have a better skill set. Him being a former world champ and getting older and me coming up the ladder, this is the perfect fight for me. It was a no-brainer. A win puts me in the discussion. That’s what I’m hoping for. You’ve just gotta keep your head down, keep working, and focus on the plan. I’ve always been an opportunist, and you’ve got to be ready when that opportunity presents itself. I could make more money working a normal job, but I’ve made the sacrifices I need to make for the time being for moments like this."
Jamel Herring vs. Jamaine Ortiz 10 Rounds Lightweight Match Statistics
|
Jamel Herring |
Jamaine Ortiz |
|
|
Country |
USA |
USA |
|
Age |
36 years |
26 years |
|
Pro |
9 years |
6 years |
|
Height |
5′ 10″ (178 cm) |
5′ 8″ (173 cm) |
|
Reach |
70″ (178 cm) |
69″ (175 cm) |
|
Division |
super featherweight |
lightweight |
|
Stance |
southpaw |
orthodox |
|
Titles |
- |
- |
|
Record |
23 - 3 - 0 |
15 - 0 - 1 |
|
KOs |
47% |
53% |
|
Inactive |
210 days |
92 days |
|
Division |
Fighter #1 |
Fighter #2 |
Notes |
|
middleweight (160 lbs) |
Zhanibek Alimkhanuly |
Danny Dignum |
For WBO Interim World tit. |
|
lightweight (135 lbs) |
Jamel Herring |
Jamaine Ortiz |