WBO 130-pound champion Jamel Herring and challenger Carl Frampton both made their intentions perfectly clear as they squared off at their final press conference ahead of Saturday’s title fight. The D4G Promotions event takes place at Caesars Palace Dubai on Saturday, as Frampton (28-2, 16 KOs) bids to become a three-division champion against Herring (22-2, 10 KOs) in what is the biggest fight to ever take place in the region. The fighters took part in their final press conference on Thursday, with the co-feature combatants Tyrone McKenna and Zhankosh Turarov having their say too.
Herring said: “It’s been great since I’ve been here. People have been open hearted and I’ve got to do a little sight seeing too. Everything in my life has formed me to who I am today. If you look at my military experience and even before then to my upbringing and how I was raised, it has made me the man I am today. I’ve told people throughout camp that I’m a fan of Carl. He’s a two-division champion and besides his accolades in the ring, he’s a father and a husband like myself, so we both share common mutual respect. We want to do our job and get back to our families. We’ve prepared for the best version of Carl, and with everything that he has done in his career, he will be the biggest name on my resume. I’ve been invited to Belfast many times, so maybe down the road me and him can get that pint.”
Frampton said: “It has been a long time coming and has been talked about for well over a year. I’ve been in Dubai for three weeks now and it was definitely beneficial to get out here early. I’m used to my surroundings and the heat, and we’ve been able to finish off a good camp. It would mean the world to me to become a three-weight world champion, not just for me but for the people that have helped me on my journey. I’m very proud of what I’ve done in my career so far, and this is a chance to go down as the only ever three-weight world champion from the whole island of Ireland. I would join an elite bunch of fighters, so I’m determined to make sure that happens. I respect Jamel Herring and his time, and for me to win this fight I need to get it perfect on the night. I’m fully confident, and feel like the stars are coming together.”
Turarov said: “All this time I have been training and I am in great shape. I am coming to win on Saturday and I will do so with a great performance. [McKenna] was in the Golden Contract and I was meant to be in that too but couldn’t compete. If I had been in it then there would have been a different winner of the tournament, as it would have been me. People may say that he is taller and a southpaw, but I train with southpaw boxers all the time so it will not be too difficult, it will just be a win for me this weekend.”
McKenna said: “My camp has been brilliant. I have heard a lot of people say that this is a risky fight for me to take, but I want to change people’s thinking that you shouldn’t be scared to take these fights. Risk creates reward. A lot of fighters are scared to lose their 0, but I’ve lost mine and I still get this chance. If you take the hard fights and the ones that entertain the fans, that’s how you gather a fan base. If you get beat, another chance will come. Turarov will be a hard fight, but I’ve got a solid chin, balls of steel and a heart ready for a war. He’s been out of the ring for 19 months and had a lot of inactivity in his career, and I think that will show on Saturday. No matter how much sparring or training you do, you can’t replicate the way a fight is. You need to be fighting regularly, and you will see a war from me on Saturday.”
D4G Promotions’ Ahmed A Seddiqi said: “A lot of hard work has been put into this to bring the world title fight to Dubai. For the past two years we have been working on smaller shows, and now we are here with a huge event. I am proud, and it is an important fight for the country and for the region to help to develop the sport at the highest level. The plan is to continue growing the sport here as much as we can. Everything is a work in progress and we are looking for the best talent in the region, it will take time, but we will get there. This is just the beginning. Dubai is a great city with a lot of different nationalities, and there will be a lot of eyes on Dubai this weekend. People call Dubai the Las Vegas of the Middle East. We have the perfect infrastructure, the best hotels and restaurants, and the only thing we were missing is big sporting events, well now they are here. This is a really good card full of fantastic fights, and the main event between Jamel Herring and Carl Frampton has been one year in the making. We can’t wait.”
