The excitement for Jamel Herring vs Carl Frampton is starting to build. Next month, the pair will trade blows in London and the former’s WBO super featherweight title is on the line.
The showdown, which is now expected to take place in late March after Frampton sustained a minor hand injury, will be Herring’s third defence of the WBO belt, but for ‘The Jackal’ it will be a monumental occasion. It is a chance for the Belfast boxer to become the first fighter from the island of Ireland to win a world title at three different weight divisions, whilst he could also join a group of just a select few Britons who have achieved the rare feat.
The Carl Frampton odds in the next fight are firmly in the Northern Irishman’s favour, and his massive fanbase will share his confidence ahead of the bout. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at how the pair stack up against each other.
Age
Frampton boasts a narrow advantage over Herring when it comes to age. The former two-weight world champion is 33 years old, whilst the American is two years older at 35. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the latter has more experience…
Experience
‘The Jackal’ is certainly more experienced than Herring, in terms of both the number and magnitude of bouts. With a record of 28-2, this will be Frampton’s 31st outing and he’s no stranger to title bouts, having unified the super-bantamweight division before moving up weight classes and defeating Léo Santa Cruz to win the WBA featherweight title. However, after losing the rematch to the Mexican and a further defeat to Josh Warrington for the IBF featherweight title, The Jackal has now lost his last two title fights in a row, so he will be hoping to put things right against Herring.
Whilst the American holds the WBO title, this will undoubtedly be the biggest fight of his career thus far. With a record of 22-2, the former US marine, who will be fighting outside of the United States for the first time, has slightly less experience in the ring professionally. However, his CV is also lacking in household names, and a challenger the size of Frampton could prove to be a step too far for Herring.
Physical
What Herring lacks in experience, he gains in physicality. At 5’10”, the American boasts a supreme height advantage over Frampton, who is a mere 5’5”. On top of that, the 35-year-old also has a whopping eight inches more in reach than his challenger. So, if he can keep The Jackal at arm’s length, he could jab his way to victory on the scorecards, as he did against Japan’s Masayuki Ito to win the title in Florida two years ago.
Our prediction
Frampton may have lost his last two shots at a world title. However, Santa Cruz and Warrington posed much more of a threat to the Belfast boxer than Herring. The American is yet to face a challenge as big as Frampton and that is a red flag ahead of fight night. We’re sure The Jackal has dealt with any issues surrounding their physical differences in sparring, and his experience in fights like this should see him over the line. So, with both fighters going the distance in most of their recent bouts, we’re backing Frampton to win on points.
Tale of the Tape
Jamel Herring vs Carl Frampton
- Age: 35 vs 33
- Fights: 24 vs 30
- Wins: 22 vs 28
- Loses: 2 vs 2
- KOs: 10 vs 16
- Height: 5’10” vs 5’5”
- Reach: 70” vs 62”
- Belts: WBO super featherweight vs N/A
- Stance: Southpaw vs Orthodox
- Nicknames: ‘Semper Fi’ vs ‘The Jackal’