"My last few fights, I wanted to showcase that I had power and my last 2 opponents, I got them out of there quick. My last opponent in Atlantic City on May 18th was a first round knockout. This time around, I want to showcase more boxing than anything. I showed I have speed of course in the amateurs and my power is getting better, but now I want to showcase more technique and boxing, and later on get more rounds to show my talents and show that I can adjust to anything out there," stated lightweight prospect Jamel Herring, who spoke about his upcoming fight this Saturday on the undercard of Malignaggi vs. Broner. Check out what else he had to say!
PC: This Saturday, you step back in the ring against Calvin Smith at the Barclays Arena. How was this camp and how do you feel?
JH: Camp was great, man. I feel good. I know I am in shape. I was training right after my last fight anyway, so I been in shape since May 18th. I feel real good.
PC: Did you move around for this fight or did you do most of your training in Colorado Springs?
JH: My last camp was mostly conducted in DC with Lamont Peterson and Barry Hunter, but for this particular fight, this camp was mostly done in Colorado Springs. The past 3 weeks have been out here with Adrien Broner, Rob Easter Jr. and Rau'Shee Warren.
PC: Do you know a lot about Smith or is it a situation where you have to feel him out and see what he's about on the fly?
JH: You said it, because it's one of them situations where I gotta feel him out in that first round and go from there.
PC: You always talk about consistency and staying busy. This is your third fight this year. Are you happy with the progression so far and how often they are fighting you?
JH: Oh yeah, I'm real happy about the progression and the amount of times I have been fighting lately. And right after this fight, I got another fight coming up on July 5th in Fayetteville, North Carolina, so I am happy with that. I just want to stay consistent and busy as much as possible for the rest of the year.
PC: What have you been working on in the gym and what would you like to showcase in this fight?
JH: Like I said before, my last few fights, I wanted to showcase that I had power and my last 2 opponents, I got them out of there quick. My last opponent in Atlantic City on May 18th was a first round knockout. This time around, I want to showcase more boxing than anything. I showed I have speed of course in the amateurs and my power is getting better, but now I want to showcase more technique and boxing, and later on get more rounds to show my talents and show that I can adjust to anything out there.
PC: This is your first time fighting in your home state of New York as a professional. What is it like knowing you will have all of your family and friends in the building to watch you fight on Saturday night?
JH: It's a great feeling and an honor just to be in a new venue, at home, and having family coming out to see me in action. It's been a long time since I boxed at home, even in the amateurs. Most of my amateur career and when I was in the military, I was away from home. I can tell you right now the last time I can remember fighting out in Brooklyn was when I fought Danny Jacobs when we was like 15 or 16 years old. It's been a long time, man, so it's a big deal for me.
PC: You have a little one on the way. Has this changed your mindset or your approach to the sport of boxing at all?
JH: I look at it both ways. I still got the main mindset in terms of what I want to do in the sport, but when I look at having a newborn on the way, as a man, you grow more mature and try to plan better and be a little bit wiser and plan not only your career, but your life smarter. It's not all about you anymore. You got other lives to worry about and you have to take care of people. I'm just trying to grow smarter in and out of the ring.
PC: Your last two opponents didn't see the final bell. In trying to showcase more boxing ability in this fight, is that you essentially saying you want to get rounds in or can it end early for this guy as well?
JH: I don't know, man, because I don't know my opponent like that. If I get him out quick, it's a good thing, but after this, it should be my last 4-rounder anyway. I'm looking forward to getting them rounds in down the road. I will take the W any way that I can, but I just want to showcase that I can do a lot more in the ring besides putting these guys out quick.
PC: Do you feel it's just time to move on past the 4-rounders after this or is it a situation where you are training for 6 to 8 rounds and ready to make the jump?
JH: I just feel like I could have moved up for this fight. If you look at all of Al's fighters, it's the same steps for most of the guys from the Olympic team. Most of the guys got those 4 fights in at 4-rounders and then they move on to 6, so I'm just taking it one fight at a time, but I'm 100% sure that this will be the last 4-rounder. I'm just being patient and enjoying the ride.
PC: Besides both of you sharing the southpaw stance, have you ever been told that you look just like Kevin Kelly (laughing)?
JH: (Laughing) Every time I go out to New York they tell me I'm Kevin Kelly 2.0. I have been getting that since I was a teen.
PC: You spent a lot of time in camp with Adrien Broner. How do you see his fight with Paulie Malignaggi playing out?
JH: You know, I hope it's an action-packed fight. Even though Paulie is a big underdog, Adrien said it himself, you can't sleep on anybody in this sport, especially in big fights like this. It may just motivate Paulie more to do better in this fight than he has been in some of his recent fights. You can't just go in there thinking you are gonna get the same Paulie that he saw in his last fight or the fight before that. But in the end, I still think 100% that Adrien is gonna go in there and it's probably gonna be an early night. I'm saying 5 or 6 round, but I do think Paulie is going to come out with his best, but Adrien has been working really hard for this fight and he's not listening to the media saying he's gonna blow this guy away. He didn't want to get too overconfident and undertrain and it doesn't end the way people are writing about it.
PC: You have seen him in camp. How is he holding 147 pounds?
JH: Yeah, he naturally walks around 160 and up sometimes when he's not training, so 147 is not gonna be too much of a problem. And recently, he's been coming in like 3 pounds under the limit, but then he will go after workouts and get a good meal in and put the weight on. He's the guy that we always felt was too big for 130 and 135. I think he's gonna be alright. The question I see a lot is can he carry the power, and watching him spar, the power is still there. He is sparring guys like Brad Solomon, who is a natural welterweight, and guys bigger than him through most of this camp. Even when he was fighting at 130, he was sparring welterweights and junior middleweights, so I don't see too much of a difference. He just had to put on a little bit more weight.
PC: Jamel man, I wish you the best of luck on Saturday night. We will speak afterwards. Is there anything else you want to add?
JH: It's always good to talk to you, man, and I just want to tell people out there to follow me on Twitter @jamelherring and just stay tuned for Saturday and we gonna get back into it on July 5th. And another thing that I want to tell you, and you are actually the first person I'm telling this, but I was told that I will probably be back around the time when Floyd fighting out in Vegas, so be on the watch out for that as well.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]