James Red Herring

Who was James Red Herring?

James Bryan Herring, also known as Red Herring, was a boxer and a champion in the light welterweight division.

Herring was born on March 19, 1896, in Paducah, Kentucky, and began boxing in 1913 when he won a bout as a featherweight by KO, fighting on a benefit card for striking railroad workers in Paducah.

He was a Sergeant in the U.S. Army during World War I, and was stationed at both Camp Pike, Arkansas and Camp Shelby, Mississippi where he served as boxing instructor. He claimed to have gone 35-0-1 in 36 army bouts with the draw coming against the camp's heavyweight. He was the All-Southern Army Lightweight Champion in 1917. He is also said to have been the Featherweight, Lightweight, and Welterweight Champion at Camp Shelby.

In 1919 after winning a Lightweight elimination tournament in the South, Herring got a chance to meet World Lightweight Champion Benny Leonard on December 19, 1919, in Memphis, Tennessee. Leonard won the bout by TKO in the sixth round.

Herring fought Young Stribling twice in 1922 in Macon, Georgia, earning a 10-round draw in the first fight and losing a 10 round decision in the second fight.