Weeks after Jamel Herring won the WBO super featherweight title, the sanctioning body has already decided who he must defend the title against next.
The WBO announced that Herring must defend his world title against mandatory challenger Lamont Roach Jr. Both sides have 30 days from June 21 to negotiate a deal or else a purse bid will ordered with the minimum bid being $150,000. Below is the full letter sent to both parties by the WBO.
Re: WBO Jr. Lightweight Mandatory Championship Contest Jamel Herring vs. Lamont Roach
Gentlemen:
Please be advised the parties have thirty days (30) upon receipt of this letter to negotiate and reach an agreement regarding the WBO Jr. Lightweight Mandatory Championship Contest between WBO Jr. Lightweight Champion Jamel Herring and Mandatory Challenger Lamont Roach. If an accord is not reached within the time frame stated herein, a Purse Bid will be ordered pursuant to our WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests.
The minimum acceptable bid for the WBO Jr. Lightweight Division is $150,000.00 (OneHundred Fifty Thousand Dollars). Any of the parties involved may request a purse bid procedure at any time during the negotiation process.
Yours truly,
Luis Batista Salas, Esq.Cc: Francisco Valcárcel, Esq.
WBO President
Herring first won the WBO title back on May 25 when he won a unanimous decision against Masayuki Ito in Florida in Ito’s second title defense. Herring is currently on a four-fight win streak after a 10-round decision loss to Ladarius Miller back in 2017.
Roach is an unbeaten fighter from Washington D.C. who is on a three-fight win streak. The 23-year-old Roach is coming off a unanimous decision win against Jonathan Oquendo to unify the WBO International and WBO NABO super featherweight titles on May 4 as part of the Canelo Alvarez vs. Daniel Jacobs undercard.
