On Tuesday, November 7, former world champion and US Marine Veteran, Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring, headlines the latest installment of DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing series, titled “Heroes on the Hudson” – a One Night Only event to support the heroic veterans of the United States Armed Forces.
He will face the unbeaten Nick Molina (13-0, 5 KOs), of Lowell, MA, at Manhattan’s Edison Ballroom. Fighting just days before Veterans Day is a fitting return for the Marine Veteran, as Herring looks to represent those he served with, his family, and all military veterans.
The evening will kick off with six amateur bouts, each featuring an NYPD officer or military veteran, and will conclude with four world-class professional bouts. The amateur bouts will be exclusive to those in attendance. The professional boxing portion of the card will air live exclusively on DAZN, beginning at 8:00 PM ET.
Tickets for “Heroes On The Hudson” can be purchased via Telecharge.com or by calling (800) 447-7400. Tables of 10, including a sit-down dinner, are $10,000. Ringside seats, including buffet, are $250 plus ticket fees. Standing Room Only tickets are $125 plus ticket fees. All tickets, regardless of price, include open bar. Edison Ballroom is located at 240 West 47th Street, New York, NY 10036.
Doors will open on the night of the event at 5:30 PM ET, with the first bout scheduled for 6:00 PM ET.
Boxing fans who want to sponsor a night out for a veteran can donate $500 for four veterans to attend Broadway Boxing: Heroes on the Hudson, $1,250 for 10 veterans or $2,500 for a group of 20 veterans. To do so, please call the DiBella Entertainment office at (212) 947-2577.
“Heroes On The Hudson” is proudly sponsored by Morgan Stanley and Cavu Securities. A portion of the proceeds from the event will go to support Merging Vets and Players and the West Point Society of New York.
“It is an honor to work with Jamel Herring, a former world champion and proud US Marine Veteran,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “This event, ‘Heroes On The Hudson’, is a way to give back and show support to all of those who have served in the military. Using boxing as a way to help his fellow veterans is very important to Jamel, a man who did two tours of duty in Iraq. I am proud to promote this event that will help benefit Merging Vets and Players and the West Point Society of New York.”
“I look at Veterans Day the way that Canelo looks at Mexican Independence Day and Cinco De Mayo,” said Herring. “As an American military veteran, fighting around American traditional holidays, like Veterans Day, Memorial Day, or the Fourth of July, is a big deal and a great thing. Boxing on those holidays means something special to me. They also bring out other military veterans from past and present as well.”
Military service is a family affair for Herring, who joined the Marine Corps after experiencing 9/11 as a young New Yorker.
“My father, two aunts and two uncles were all in the Army,” he said. “I was the only one that joined the Marine Corps.
“Being from New York around the time of 9/11 and seeing that as a teenager in high school was really my motivation to join the military. My best friend, Stephan Brown, who is a year older than me, enlisted in 2002. He came back from boot camp, and said, ‘You should really make the move and join.’ That prompted me to join the Marine Corps.”
Herring will be fighting for all veterans on November 7, but there are some specific people that will be on his mind when he steps into the ring that night.
“My aunt, Lisa Elliby, passed away this year,” said Herring. “She was in the Army. So, of course, I’m fighting for her. I also lost a fellow Marine named Joey Canale a few weeks ago while I was in training camp. He was one of my Marine Corps boxing teammates from back in 2009-2010. I will also be fighting for Mike Stafford, my first professional trainer, who recently passed away.
“Anything I can do to help, especially around veterans, is important to me,” continued Herring. “I’ve reached out to my old Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina to get as many veterans involved as possible. Those guys are excited.
“I’m always trying to fight for and represent good people and those who mean a lot to me and to hopefully be an inspiration to those out there,” he continued. “There’s a lot that I’m fighting for in this event. That’s why it means a lot to me.”
