World champion open to Carl Frampton defence

WBO super featherweight champion Jamel Herring [20(10)-2(1)] is open to putting his title on the line against Carl Frampton [26(15)-2(0)] in 2020.

The American defends his title against mandatory challenger Lamont Roach [19-0-1] at Chuckchansi Park in Fresno, California on November 9, but claims he has been told ‘The Jackal’ is an viable option is he emerges unscathed.

The Top Rank fighter seems to prefer a unification clash with WBC belt holder Miguel Berchelt and has Oscar Valdez aspirations now that undefeated former featherweight champ has moved up a division.

However, it appears Bob Arum and co want the American to defend against the Belfast fighter, possibly as that would open the door to a big Frampton Valdez fight at super feather- and Semper Fi is more than open to that as an option.

“Right now I have to just focus on Lamont Roach. Even if we don’t get Berchelt or a champion afterwards from what I am hearing, Carl Frampton is somebody that actually wants to step up to the plate,” Herring stated when speaking to Boxingscene.

“I like Carl. He’s a a two-division champion. I have nothing against him. I respect Carl because when he called me out he didn’t do it in a disrespectful manner. He didn’t try to put me down to build himself like I felt with the whole Berchelt situation. Where he called me boring and he tried to say that his numbers do better than mines.”

A fight with Herring would not only provide Frampton with the chance to regain world champ status, it would also offer him the opportunity to become Ireland’s first ever three weight world champion – and thus give him a ‘greatest of all time’ boost.

33-year-old New Yorker, Herring wasn’t on ‘The Jakal’ radar up and until a few weeks ago, but now looks a serious world title option for the Belfast fighter.

Prior to suffering the freak hand injury that ruled him out of a Summer Philadelphia hosted clash with Emmanuel Dominguez, Bob Arum had suggested the quickest way for the 32-year-old to regain world champion status would be to move up in weight.

Frampton followed suit when speaking to ESPN recently suggesting he was au fait with Arum’s plan.

“Bob Arum has said that the fastest route for me to win a world title is to move to super featherweight. And a fight with Jamel Herring is something that appeals to me too, another WBO champion,” said ‘The Jackal’.

The 32-year-old looks set to make his Top Rank debut and put behind him a torrid 2019 when he returns to the ring on November 30.

The former two weight world champ looks set to face Luis Orlando Del Valle in Las Vegas.