There Could Be One More Big Night At Windsor Park For Carl Frampton If He Can Beat Jamel Herring On Saturday; As Arum Eyes Frampton-Oscar Valdez/Shakur Stevenson Fights
Herring vs Frampton will stream live on ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT – Undercard action will stream live on ESPN+ at 2 p.m. ET
Irish warrior Carl Frampton has more than enough motivation going into Saturday’s fight with defending WBO 130 pound champ Jamell Herring, as he will make boxing history if he wins. Yet there will be even more potential gold on the line in the upcoming fight. If Frampton can become Ireland’s first-ever three-weight world champion, “The Jackal” will then have in front of him the chance to fight either Oscar Valdez or Shakur Stevenson in what could be his swansong. And the fight would take place at Windsor Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland – this really the dream venue for Frampton. Bob Arum spoke with Sunday Life Sport and the Top Rank boss said he would love to match a victorious Frampton with either recently crowned WBC super-featherweight champ Valdez, or with Shakur Stevenson, who is the current WBO mandatory challenger at 130 pounds.
If Frampton really could go out with one of these two massive fights, what a finale to his ring career it absolutely would be. Valdez, 29-0(23) looked sensational in knocking out Miguel Berchelt to rip the WBC title, the tenth round KO he scored in February being genuinely chilling. For some fans, Valdez is the next great Mexican warrior. Stevenson, 15-0(8) has already held the WBO belt down at 126 pounds and he wants the belt at the higher weight next. Stevenson, for some fans the next “face of boxing,” has said a few times he would be willing to travel to the UK for a big fight. But first things first, and Frampton has to beat Herring on Saturday in their fight in Dubai.
Frampton is 34 years of age now and he may not have too much left. That said, the former champ at 122 and 126 pounds is extremely motivated and hungry going into Saturday’s challenge of the slick and classy Herring. Frampton, 28-2(16) has even said that if he does not get the win on Saturday he will retire from the sport. Herring, 22-2(10) is actually a year older than Frampton at 35, yet the man from New York is fresh. Herring fully intends to keep a firm hold of his belt, which he will be defending for the third time. There is no word on whether or not Arum is planning on offering a victorious Herring a Valdez fight or a Stevenson fight (although the latter may happen anyway, seeing how Stevenson is the WBO mandatory).
Saturday’s fight, already postponed more than once, has not had anywhere as much hype as some of the other big world title fights that are either nailed down or are planned for this year, but a good many people feel we may get a great fight on Saturday. Frampton has thrilled us before, with his excellent fights with Leo Santa Cruz and Josh Warrington, while southpaw Herring is a very talented and gifted boxer. Together, with their different styles, Herring and Frampton might just give us something quite special.
And now, Frampton has the potential dream come true of a massive world title fight at Windsor Park as a career finale to look forward to. What a final year of a boxing career Frampton really could have. But again, Herring has other ideas. Who wins on Saturday in Dubai? This writer’s pick is for Frampton to edge Herring on points in a most engrossing fight.