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Coronavirus: WBO junior lightweight title bout off after Herring tests positive for COVID-19

The WBO junior lightweight title bout has been called off after champion Jamel Herring tested positive for coronavirus.

By Sacha Pisani
Jamel Herring

Las Vegas, July 14: The WBO junior lightweight title bout has been called off after champion Jamel Herring tested positive for coronavirus.

Herring (21-2) and Jonathan Oquendo (31-6) were due to meet at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Tuesday (July 14), after the fight was originally scheduled for July 2.

The bout was initially postponed after Herring contracted COVID-19 and promoter Top Rank announced on Monday (July 13) that the American boxer tested positive a second time.

Top Rank did not announce whether the fight would be rescheduled.

"I feel great, I had the best [weight] cut ever. I was actually on weight days ago," Herring told ESPN. "I'm actually more bummed out about this for my team because we put in so much work.

"We even had the extra weeks for the fight after the original date. The main thing is I took time away from my family. But I'm more upset for the people around me. But I feel great."

Herring, who wants the bout to be rescheduled for August, later tweeted: "These tests are 30 per cent faulty... Here's clearly my timeline of when I contracted the virus, till the time I came back negative.

"I even woke up today on weight, ready to go, and even took an antibody test this morning to prove I'm fine, but the commission didn't want to risk it.

"Crazy thing is... this was the easiest weight cut that I had! I wasn't drained, and I could've made weight earlier last week. My trainer and manager @BomacBrian wanted to see if I could compete at 126... but that's pushing it

"I did everything possible. They asked me to take the antibody test this morning, just for them to return and cancel the fight."

Herring retained his WBO junior lightweight belt against Lamont Roach Jr. in November, having won the title in May last year.

Story first published: Tuesday, July 14, 2020, 8:36 [IST]
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