9/5 ESPN+: "3rd times the charm" Jamel Herring vs Jonathan Oquendo (WBO Super Featherweight Title)

[patscorpio]

Herring-Oquendo, Nelson-Ware Set Down For September 5, ESPN+
By Random Hits

Published On Thu Aug 13, 2020, 05:09 PM EST

WBO junior lightweight world champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring hopes the wait is finally over. Herring, a decorated U.S. Marine veteran from Coram, N.Y., will make his second world title defense Saturday, Sept. 5 against Puerto Rican challenger Jonathan Oquendo at the MGM Grand Conference Center. Herring and Oquendo were scheduled to fight July 2, then July 14, but Herring twice tested positive for COVID-19.

In the 10-round super middleweight co-feature, it’s a battle of the Midwest as Omaha’s unbeaten Steven “So Cold” Nelson takes on Toledo’s DeAndre Ware.

Herring-Oquendo and Nelson-Ware will stream live on ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET, with undercard action to stream on ESPN+ beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.

“Jamel has had a run of bad luck, but his fortunes will change for the better inside the ‘Bubble’ on September 5,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Oquendo is a crafty veteran who understands this may be his last shot at a world title, and I expect him to give ‘The Fighting Marine’ one heck of a fight.”

Herring said, “This postponement is a blessing in disguise because I feel 10 times better than I did three weeks ago. I’m grateful to have another opportunity to get back in the ring. I’ve fully recovered from COVID-19 and I’m more than ready for anything Jonathan Oquendo brings on September 5. Our team has a great game plan and we are eager to carry it out.”

Oquendo said, “I am very happy with finally getting this opportunity to challenge Herring for his world title, as the fight has been canceled twice because of COVID-19. At one point, I thought that maybe the fight was not going to happen, but thanks to God, we are now ready for September 5.

“We are going to win. We are in a very positive mindset. We are going to leave everything in the ring. It’s now or never. It would be a great accomplishment to become world champion at 37. That’s what we are going to do."

Herring (21-2, 10 KOs) returns following the longest layoff of his career, nearly 10 months since he outpointed the previously unbeaten Lamont Roach Jr. at an outdoor ballpark in Fresno, Calif. Soon after his most recent positive COVID-19 test, he received a clean bill of health and resumed training camp in Omaha, Neb. Oquendo (31-6, 19 KOs) rebounded from a March 2019 decision defeat to Roach to shut out Charles Huerta last September. He is 5-1 since a December 2015 defeat to Jesus Cuellar for the WBA featherweight world title.

Nelson (16-0, 13 KOs), who trains alongside Herring and pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford in Omaha, recently moved down from light heavyweight and is ranked No. 8 by the WBO at super middleweight. He last fought in January, knocking out then-unbeaten prospect Cem Kilic on ESPN. A talented artist who designs his fight night attire— he entered the ring as The Grinch with a Santa hat against Kilic — Nelson hopes to notch his fourth knockout in a row. Ware (13-2-2, 8 KOs), a Toledo firefighter when he’s not fighting in the ring, is two fights removed from a February 2019 decision win over the previously unbeaten Ronald Ellis.

Nelson said, “I’ve been training and staying ready in Omaha with my team. Now it’s time to clock in for overtime. No audience? I don’t need cheers to do my job. I’m focused on the task at hand, which is to defeat DeAndre Ware.”

 

[patscorpio]

Jared Anderson Returns on Herring-Oquendo Card
By Random Hits

Published On Thu Aug 27, 2020, 03:04 PM EST

Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson, the 6-foot-4, 240-pound heavyweight destroyer from Toledo, Ohio, returns for his third “Bubble” appearance Saturday, Sept. 5 at the MGM Grand Conference Center.

Anderson will take on nine-year pro and noted spoiler Rodney Hernandez in a bout scheduled for eight or six rounds on the undercard of an action-packed doubleheader featuring Jamel Herring’s WBO junior lightweight world title defense against Jonathan Oquendo and unbeaten super middleweight Steven Nelson against DeAndre Ware in a 10-rounder.

Anderson-Hernandez and additional undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ starting at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 PT.

Anderson said, “I’ve made my home in the ‘Bubble’ this summer, and I’ve enjoyed coming to Las Vegas and putting on a heavyweight show for the fans. I don’t know too much about Rodney Hernandez, but I know he’s been in there with a lot of top guys and usually goes rounds.

“I can’t wait for this one. Top Rank keeps lining these guys up, and I’m knocking them out.”

The 20-year-old Anderson (5-0, 5 KOs) has opened eyes with four first-round knockouts in five outings since making his professional debut last October. He spent the early part of 2020 in camp with Tyson Fury as the lineal heavyweight champion readied to battle Deontay Wilder. When boxing returned, Anderson knocked out Johnnie Langston in three rounds in June and stopped Hector Perez in one round the following month. Hernandez (13-9-2, 4 KOs) has four wins over previously undefeated prospects, including a first-round stoppage over Onoriode Ehwarieme, who was 17-0 at the time.

In other undercard action:

San Antonio native Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (11-0, 7 KOs), a light flyweight prospect promoted by Teiken Promotions, will take on Puerto Rican veteran Janiel Rivera (18-6-3, 11 KOs) in an eight-rounder. Rodriguez has won three straight by knockout, including an eighth-round stoppage Feb. 29 on the Mikey Garcia-Jessie Vargas undercard.

In a six-round battle of unbeaten welterweights, Christopher Gonzalez (7-0-1, 1 KO) will face D’Andre Smith (8-0, 5 KOs). Gonzalez, a ticket-seller in his hometown of Tucson, Ariz., has won four in a row since the lone draw on his ledger.

Colombian puncher Ruben Cervera (12-2, 10 KOs), who defeated Clay “3rd Degree” Burns via decision July 14 inside the “Bubble,” will fight New Orleans native Rennard Oliver (7-2-3, 0 KOs) in a six-rounder at junior lightweight.

Edward “Kid” Vazquez (7-0, 1 ND, 1 KO), from Fort Worth, Texas, will make his “Bubble" debut against Adan “Temo” Ochoa (11-1, 4 KOs) in a six-round junior lightweight tilt.

Philadelphia native Rashiem Jefferson (1-0), a former U.S. amateur star, will return to the ring against Jose Martinez (2-1, 1 KO) in a four-rounder at featherweight.

 

[patscorpio]

Jamel Herring-Jonathan Oquendo Weigh-In Results From Las Vegas
By Keith Idec

Published On Fri Sep 4, 2020, 04:46 PM EST

The day of this Jamel Herring-Jonathan Oquendo weigh-in was a lot less eventful than the last one.

Herring and Oquendo, whose fight has been postponed twice, made weight Friday afternoon in Las Vegas for their 12-round, 130-pound title fight Saturday night. As long as Herring and Oquendo pass their final COVID-19 tests, which were administered after the weigh-in, they’ll finally fight for Herring’s WBO junior lightweight title at MGM Grand Conference Center.

Cincinnati’s Herring officially weighed 129.5 pounds for a fight ESPN+ will stream as the main event of an eight-bout card. Puerto Rico’s Oquendo was 129.6 pounds when he stepped on the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s scale.

Herring-Oquendo was postponed from July 2 to July 14 when it was revealed June 23 that Herring had tested positive for COVID-19. Their fight was delayed a second time July 13, the day Herring and Oquendo were supposed to weigh-in, because Herring failed another COVID-19 test.

The 34-year-old Herring (21-2, 10 KOs), who served two tours of duty in Iraq as a U.S. Marine, is regularly listed as a 16-1 favorite to defeat the 37-year-old Oquendo (31-6, 19 KOs). Oquendo is the WBO’s 12th-ranked contender for Herring’s title.

Moments earlier Friday, Steven Nelson and DeAndre Ware were on weight for their 10-round super middleweight match Saturday night.

Nelson, 32, came in at 167.6 pounds. Ware, who is also 32, officially weighed 168 pounds.

The battle between Nelson (16-0, 13 KOs), of Omaha, Nebraska, and Ware (13-2-2, 8 KOs), of Toledo, Ohio, will start shortly after 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

The weights for the six remaining bouts on the Herring-Oquendo undercard are listed below. The show will start on ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m.

Jesse Rodriguez (11-0, 7 KOs), San Antonio, 109.2 pounds vs. Janiel Rivera (18-6-3, 11 KOs), Catano, Puerto Rico, 109.3 pounds, 8 rounds, flyweights.

Jared Anderson (5-0, 5 KOs), Toledo, Ohio, 247.2 pounds vs. Rodney Hernandez (13-9-2, 4 KOs), Modesto, California, 255.2 pounds, 6 rounds, heavyweights.

D’Andre Smith (8-0, 5 KOs), Decatur, Georgia, 147.4 pounds vs. Benjamin Whitaker (13-4, 3 KOs), San Antonio, 149.8 pounds, 6 rounds, junior middleweights.

Ruben Cervera (12-2, 10 KOs), Santa Marta, Colombia, 130.3 pounds vs. Rennard Oliver (7-2-3, 0 KOs), New Orleans, 130.5 pounds, 6 rounds, junior lightweights.

Edward Vazquez (7-0, 1 KO), Fort Worth, Texas, 127.3 pounds vs. Adan Ochoa (11-1, 4 KOs), Los Angeles, 127.1 pounds, 6 rounds, junior lightweights.

Rashiem Jefferson (1-0, 0 KOs), Philadelphia, 125 pounds vs. Jose Martinez (2-1, 1 KOs), Los Angeles, 125.1 pounds, 4 rounds, featherweights.

 

[patscorpio]

i wonder why they put this card on espn+

 

[Electric Ladyland]

damn nice KO

 

[Conscious Pilot]

Light skin Homey got sparked

 

[Bigblackted4]

Boy was sleep sleep got up and forgot he was in a fight seconds earlier

 

[Bigblackted4]

i wonder why they put this card on espn+

Probably didn’t have time slot available

 

[Electric Ladyland]

nice rd from Whitaker

6rd fight so i dont mind the pace

 

[patscorpio]

damn these welters are getting bigger

 

[patscorpio]

6rd fight so i dont mind the pace

 

[patscorpio]

 

[Electric Ladyland]

Whitaker gotta watch that left hook

 

[Electric Ladyland]

its not 6 rounds?

im not listening to commentary

 

[Electric Ladyland]

Whitaker hurt him this round

jabs landing all night long