Herring vs Oquendo: How to live stream, time, venue, where to watch and all the buzz around WBO junior lightweight title bout
It's finally happening! Jamel Herring and Jonathan Oquendo will face off on Saturday, September 5 in Las Vegas. They were initially slated to fight on July 2 which was then moved to July 14. Both bouts had to be postponed after Herring tested positive for the coronavirus twice. However, now he will be putting his WBO featherweight title on the table. Here's a quick primer ahead of the encounter.
Time
The fight is scheduled to start at 7.30 pm ET on Saturday, September 5, 2020.
Venue
Both fighters will take on each other at the MGM Grand Conference Center ('The Bubble') in Las Vegas, Nevada.
How to live stream and where to watch?
ESPN+ will be showcasing the fight live. The subscription can be purchased at $5.99 a month or $49.99 annually.
Pre-buzz around the bout
According to CBS Sports, "I just feel like everything happens for a reason," Herring said at the pre-fight press conference. "It's not like I was the only one just suffering, it's a global pandemic so I can't really complain too much. I'm just glad that I have a great team, my management, BoMac, and my promoter Top Rank, where we have the access to be able to reschedule and get me back in action."
Oquendo was eager to get into the ring. "Look, all I know is that we’ve done all the testing and I’ve come out negative every time,” Oquendo (31-6, 19KOs) told BoxingScene, "Of course, there’s a part of me that will be relieved to finally hear the opening bell. But I never worried about the fight not happening. I signed a contract to fight him and now the fight is on. I can’t wait."
"My team and I are all mentally prepared for what to expect this time around. So, I’m grateful for that. We just hope that Herring is as ready for battle as we are this Saturday night," he added. In Herring, he has a former US Marine who was part of the 2012 Olympic team. After defending his title against LaMont Roach, covid-19 wreaked havoc. His bout against Carl Frampton in Ireland was pushed and that meant Herring had an extended break.
Who will win?
Herring's long layoff might make him a tad rusty against Oquendo. That said, he won't be backing down as this comes down to title defense. We will be going with Herring for a win on Saturday.