Jamel Herring retained his WBO super-featherweight title after stopping Carl Frampton in the sixth round of their world title showdown, with Frampton announcing he would now retire, after an illustrious career.
The huge D4G Promotions event took place at Caesars Bluewaters Dubai, with Herring defeating Frampton to retain his belt. There were also wins for Donnie Nietes, Keyshawn Davis, Fahad Al Bloushi, and Tursynbay Kulakhmet.
WBO super-featherweight title
JAMEL HERRING def. CARL FRAMPTON via TKO at 1:40 of round 6
Jamel Herring put in a stellar performance as he stopped Carl Frampton in the sixth round of their highly-anticipated battle.
Herring’s height and reach was evident from the first bell, catching Frampton with shots as the Belfast man tried to get on the inside. Herring then dropped Frampton in round five, but the Jackal was able to get back to his feet.
Another big knockdown came for Herring in round six, and while Frampton got up, trainer Jamie Moore threw the towel in shortly after to end the contest. It meant Herring retained his belt, while two-weight world champion Frampton announced his retirement.
Herring said: “It’s been a lovely time out here in Dubai. The people have been so welcoming. I wanted to do more but had to take care of business, but I will be back soon.
“It was an emotional rollercoaster to get here. My last outing wasn’t the best, but I wasn’t going to quit. Carl Frampton is a tremendous champion and I have been a fan since day one.
“He’s one of my favorite fighters. He’s a two-division world champion and has done great for the sport of boxing. It was an honor to share the ring with him, and I hope he gets home safe to his family.
“It was a great night for me, and now I want another title. To any of the other champions out there, if you want the fight, then we can make it happen.”
Frampton said: “I wanted nothing more than to dedicate this fight to Billy McKee, my old amateur trainer who sadly passed away recently. I’m not going to retire. I’ve been away so long from my wife and kids, and now I want to dedicate my life to them.
“I got beat by the better man, I struggled to get inside, and he was sharp shooting from a distance. He had the perfect game plan, but it’s zero excuses from me. I had an amazing camp and I was coming into this fight to win, but it wasn’t to be.”
Vacant WBO International super-flyweight title
DONNIE NIETES def. PABLO CARRILLO via unanimous decision (99-91, 98-92, 96-95)
Former four-weight world champion Donnie Nietes marked his return to the ring for the first time since December 2018 with a big win. He defeated Pablo Carrillo to win the vacant WBO International super-flyweight title.
Nietes showed his elite skills, using his jab well throughout the 10 rounds and catching Nietes with several clean shots throughout the contest.
Carrillo was able to last the distance, but it was a comfortable win for Nietes, who will now go in search of big fights in the super-flyweight division.
Lightweight, 6 rounds
KEYSHAWN DAVIS def. RICHMAN ASHELLEY via RTD at 3:00 of round 4
Keyshawn Davis showed once again why he is regarded as one of the future stars of boxing as he earned a fourth round retirement win over Richman Ashelley.
Davis applied constant pressure from the first bell, landing many big shots on Ashelley that the Ghanaian struggled to deal with.
The onslaught got too much for Ashelley at the end of round four, and after one final flurry from Davis, Ashelley decided to retire on his stool after four rounds, meaning Davis has now won both of his professional fights by knockout.
Davis said: “I’ve loved it here in Dubai. As soon as I got here everybody was welcoming me with open arms, and it was an experience I will never forget.
“I’m happy with the performance. I was hoping he would go one more round because I would have knocked him out properly. I made a man quit in the corner though and that’s something I can say moving forward.
“My whole team has loved it, especially my mother Wanda Davis, and I have my grandmother on my shorts, and she’s watching me from up above.”
WBC International super-welterweight title
TURSYNBAY KULAKHMET def. HEBER RONDON via KO at 1:40 of round 1
Tursynbay Kulakhmet produced an incredible performance as he knocked out Heber Rondon in the very first round to retain his WBC International super-welterweight title.
It was Kulakhmet’s first fight under new trainer Jamie Moore, and he didn’t waste any time showing what he has learned, dropping Rondon early into the round. Rondon could get back up to his feet, but moments later, Kulakhmet unleashed a massive right hook that knocked his opponent out cold.
It means that Kulakhmet extends his unbeaten record to 3-0, and picks up a huge win over an opponent that was 20-0 heading into the bout.
Kulakhmet said: “Thank you to my team, and my coaches Jamie and Nigel. My preparation was in the UK for the first time in my life, and after this fight my performance will improve more and more.
Askar Salikbayev of MTK Kazakhstan added: “Nobody wants to fight him, it will be difficult to find opponents after that fight, but we will find our destiny. We want a world title shot this year.”
Super-featherweight, 4 rounds
FAHAD AL BLOUSHI def. SURAJ via unanimous decision after 4 rounds
Fahad Al Bloushi picked up a great win in his hometown of Dubai, as he defeated Suraj by unanimous decision after four rounds.
Al Bloushi was in control for most of the fight, displaying his superior boxing skills as he dictated the action throughout the four rounds.
In the end it turned out to be a comfortable points win, taking his professional record to four wins and just one defeat in the process.
Al Bloushi said: “I don’t know how to explain it. It feels amazing to be here. To fight in front of my home country and my home crowd is an honor. Thank you to my promoter Ahmed A Seddiqi, to D4G Promotions and to Round 10 Boxing.
“In the Middle East, I hope the sport continues to grow. This is just one of many amazing events to happen here. I want to inspire younger generations. If you have a dream, then chase it. It’s onwards and upwards from here.”
Welterweight, 6 rounds
FAIZAN ANWAR def. EVGENII VAZEM via unanimous decision after 6 rounds
Undefeated Faizan Anwar ensured it would be a perfect night for the Dubai contingent on the card, as he defeated Evgenii Vazem via unanimous decision.
Anwar is originally from India but now residing in Dubai, and he dominated proceedings, with Vazem finding it tough to overcome his opponent throughout each round of the contest.
The impressive victory sees Anwar extend his unbeaten record to 6-0, with four of those big wins coming by knockout.
