Background
Jamel Herring was born in Rockville Centre, New York to Michael Mitchell and Jeanine Herring. His mother remarried to Harry Elliby.
Jamel Herring was born in Rockville Centre, New York to Michael Mitchell and Jeanine Herring. His mother remarried to Harry Elliby.
Herring began training in 2001. He faced his first amateur loss to Daniel Jacobs on July 20, 2002 during the New York Junior Olympics Finals. Herring had to balance training as a boxer with his duties as an active United States Marine.
He was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq in 2005.
After he returned he immediately tried out for the All Marine Corps boxing team in January 2006. He was deployed again in 2007 to First Rate (at Lloyd's) Taqaddum.
Shortly after his return, he went back to the All Marine Corps in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. From early 2008, he would be trained under Ron Simms, Reuben Woodruff, and Narcisco Aleman.
Simms would eventually be replaced by former All Army coach and 1996 United States of America Olympic Assistant coach Jesse Ravelo.
In the first round of the tournament he defeated Tommy Duquette, the 2nd round Mike Reed, 3rd round semi finals Pedro Sosa, and in the finals he defeated Predro Sosa again. He would eventually move on to the 2011 AIBA World Championships but lose to China in the first round forcing him to fight for his spot again at the 2012 United States of America Boxing Nationals. Herring qualified for the 2012 Olympics.
Jamel, along with the entire United States boxing team, only had two weeks prior to the games to train together as a complete team
He was the only United States Marine to compete at the London Olympics and the first active duty marine to qualify for the United States boxing team since 1992. After returning from the London games, Herring made the tough decision to finish out his service with the United States Marine Corps and become a professional boxer.
He relocated from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to Cincinnati, Ohio to work with Mike Stafford. Within the same month, he was signed to First Rate (at Lloyd's) Haymon.
Herring officially became professional on December 8, 2012.
As of February 2016, his professional boxing record was 15 wins (including 8 by knockout) and 0 losses most recently defeating Luis Eduordo Flores on Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 February 9, 2016.