Class in session: Jamel Herring wins and Carl Frampton retires - and both do it with exceptional class and sportsmanship

It was hard to root against either of these guys as two of boxing’s classiest, and likeable, fighters squared off on Saturday in a WBO super featherweight world title fight. But, in the end, it was a matter of styles.

American Jamel Herring needed to sharp shoot from the outside and Ireland’s Carl Frampton needed to get inside and punish the body before he looked to go upstairs. In the end, in a career best performance, WBO super featherweight champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring (23-2, 11 KO’s) dropped and stopped Carl “The Jackal” Frampton (28-2, 16 KO’s) in round 6 Saturday night at the Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai in Dubai, UAE.

Herring floored Frampton with a straight left in round five and then continued the assault in round 6.  Herring then had Frampton on the canvas again from a perfectly placed uppercut in the round. He then stalked a hurt Frampton and poured on the punishment until Frampton’s corner stopped the fight.

In reality, while the 5’ 5” Frampton was as gutsy and game as always, he seemed to get old on this night and really struggled to find an answer for the 5’ 10” Herring, who had a noticeable size advantage in the ring. While Herring was making the 3rd defense of the title he won back in May of 2019, Frampton was looking to make Irish boxing history and bring home his 3rd world title in as many weight classes.

Herring didn’t have his best night in his last outing in September, suffering a cut and winning on a DQ. But, on this night, he again suffered a cut, but the injury only seemed to spur him on as he showed laser focus on his fight plan to work off a jab, punish to the body and land counters on a frustrated Frampton. 

While Frampton had moments of success in the 3rd and 4th rounds, the fight was mostly controlled by Herring who trains under Brian MacIntrye’s Omaha based team, the same coaching crew behind P4P star Terence “Bud” Crawford.  

After the fight, the 34-year-old Frampton announced his retirement and can leave the ring with his head held high. The popular Irishman captured 4 world titles in 2 weight classes and leaves the ring with 28 wins in 31 fights and a resume that boasts victories over stars like Scott Quigg, Leo Santa Cruz and Nonito Donaire.

Herring, who is promoted by Las Vegas’ Top Rank Boxing, is looking for a unification fight with fellow Top Rank super featherweight star, WBC champ, Oscar Valdez who looked outstanding in his last fight in dispatching Miguel Berchelt in a highlight reel KO.

After the fight, the respect shown towards each other from a happy, but respectful, Herring and an equally classy, albeit devastated, Frampton, was great to see.

“Zero excuses”, said Frampton, holding back tears. “I had a great camp, I just lost to the better man tonight. I struggled to get inside, he was sharp shooting from a distance, a perfect game plan, I was coming into this fight to win it, but I just got beaten by the better man”, said Frampton through tears.

“I’m just honored to share the ring with him”, said Herring. “He’s a two-division world champion, he’s done great in the sport of boxing and like I say it was an honour, just go home safe to your family, God bless you in whatever you do from here on out, God bless you”, said the classy and respectful champion.

In the social media dominated, constant selfie, self-aggrandizing sports culture we live in, it is nice to see that two warriors can wage battle under a canopy of class and respect.