The main event between Jamel Herring and Jonathan Oquendo scheduled for tomorrow (July 14) on ESPN is off.
The Athletic is reporting that Herring, set to defend junior lightweight title, was forced to withdraw for an undisclosed reason.
Top Rank, the promoter, could elevate the 10-round women’s junior lightweight bout between 2016 U.S. Olympian Mikaela Mayer and Helen Joseph to the featured fight inside the MGM Grand bubble in Las Vegas.
The Herring-Oquendo fight was originally scheduled for July 2 but it was postponed after Herring tested positive for COVID-19. Herring subsequently recovered and tested negative virus, which allowed the fight to be rescheduled.
“I am back, healthy and 100 percent ready to defend my world title,” he told ESPN only a few days ago.
Some members of Herring’s team had suggested that he wait to come back or fight 10 rounds, instead of 12. However, he insisted on going through with the title defense … until today, that is.
Mayer (12-0, 5KOs) also tested positive and was pulled from Top Rank’s June 9 card as a result. However, it was later determined that it was a false positive.
Thus, her fight was rescheduled for tomorrow and listed as the co-feature. Joseph (17-4-2, 10 KOs) is a respected fighter from Nigeria.
Other bouts on the card: Clay Collard vs. Lorawnt T Nelson, six rounds, middleweights; Luis Melendez vs. Edward Vazquez, eight round, featherweights; Ruben Cervera vs. Clay Burns, six rounds, lightweights; and William Villa vs. Eduardo Sanchez, four rounds, junior lightweights.