A former US Marine turned world champion boxer once revealed the disturbing thoughts he’d have while sitting in the corner during bouts.
Jamel Herring was born in New York in October 1985, and by his early twenties, he was deployed as part of the US Marines, first in Fallujah, Iraq, as part of the 2nd Marine Division before going as part of the 2nd Marine Logistics Group in 2007.
His exercises in Iraq involved convoys, and he served as a gunner during his 2007 campaign.
“The deployments made me appreciate the simple things in life,” Herring told We Are The Mighty in 2022.
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“I came back and was happy to see grass and a good lawn, even proper plumbing. Now, even today, I don’t ask for much. I’ve been to places where people don’t have much, but then are grateful for what they do have.”
By 2012, Herring, 39, who is now retired, was voted captain of the US Olympic Team for the 2012 London Olympic Games and in doing so became the first serving Marine in the US boxing team since 1992.
Following the games, he decided to leave the Marines and pursue a career as a professional boxer.
Herring won his first 15 pro contests before sustaining a TKO loss against Denis Shafikov in July 2016.
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But he bounced back and won the vacant IBF-USBA junior lightweight title in September 2018 before securing the WBO junior lightweight strap in May 2019. Herring defended his title on three occasions before losing to Shakur Stevenson in October 2021.
The American retired from professional boxing in April 2024.
He was known for his determined style and revealed the grim thing he used to think about when times got tough in the ring.
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“When I’m in the boxing ring and am having a rough fight and go back to the corner, I always think about what I’ve been through just to get to this point," Herring explained. "I always go back to a place in Iraq and have seen roadside bombings and had RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) flying directly towards me and stuff of that nature.
“Basically, it could be worse, and I have been through worse. More importantly, I know for a fact that there are Marines out there that look up to me and would love to be in my place. It’s more of a sense of, there’s no room for me to complain about the situation that I’m in. I’ve overcome so much, and I’ve been through worse, and there are people who would love to trade places with me. I always think about those tough times in the Corps and think about everything I’ve learned from the beginning in basic training.
"Because a lot of people don’t know I spent my 18th birthday in basic training. I was still a kid when I went to boot camp…straight out of high school and right in the fire. I had to mature and grow quickly. Most of my adulthood so far took place as a United States Marine. It’s all I knew as a Marine growing up, so a lot of those Marine Corps traits stick with me.”
Luke Davies