Verbose heavyweight contender Jarrell Miller is now focusing his attention on Deontay Wilder. This shift comes after Miller revealed that Anthony Joshua has reportedly turned down the opportunity to fight him on numerous occasions.
Miller, who holds a record of 26-1-2 with 22 knockouts, was famously slated to fight Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) back in 2019. However, a failed drug test forced him to withdraw from the bout, opening the door for Andy Ruiz Jr. to step in and achieve one of boxing`s most memorable upsets.
Since that time, `Big Baby` has returned to the sport. While he didn`t secure victories in his last two appearances, his performances garnered some positive feedback. He suffered a final-round stoppage loss to the now-IBF champion Daniel Dubois and fought to a controversial draw against Andy Ruiz.
Just last month, Miller was scheduled to face Fabio Wardley but withdrew due to an injury. Speaking with talkSPORT, the New York native defended his decision and encouraged other fighters to prioritize their well-being by saying `no` when they aren`t fully fit.
“Let me give you a quick lesson,” Miller stated. “Boxing is a very brutal and perilous sport, and fighters must learn when to decline a fight and safeguard themselves – that`s exactly what happened with the Wardley matchup.”
He added, “I had a slight injury, and also, the British Boxing Board [of Control] doesn’t like my black a**. So, I did the right thing for me and my career, I took a step back and got 100% right.”
Miller then indicated he plans to return to competition soon. He disclosed that Joshua has reportedly rejected offers to fight him four times in the past month alone, leading him to turn his focus towards former champion Deontay Wilder (44-4-1, 43 KOs).
Discussing potential comeback dates, Miller said, “August 16th is the Riyadh card, so there`s a chance Turki [Al-Alshikh] might find a last-minute opponent for me on that show. Otherwise, we`re considering the Canelo-Crawford undercard.”
Regarding Joshua, Miller claimed, “AJ rejected the fight four times recently, so he`s clearly just seeking a straightforward tune-up. Apologies to the British fans, but AJ is honestly a bag of fart dust.”
He was equally critical of Wilder: “Deontay Wilder got a decent win recently, but he`s even worse than a bag of fart dust. He`s like rotten fish and chips mixed with a bag of s**t, absolutely horrible.”
Despite the insults, Miller added, “Regardless, I respect fellow fighters because I am one myself. But if you`re active, you`re fair game, you`re a target.”
Interestingly, despite pursuing fights with both Joshua and Wilder, Miller conceded that he actually expects those two to face each other instead, viewing it as a clash between `businessmen`.
“I believe AJ might offer the fight to Deontay,” Miller commented. “Deontay is seen as an easier opponent, and it`s a big fight featuring two former world champions.”
He concluded his thoughts on potential matchups by saying, “All those top guys are focused on business now, not belts. That`s the unfortunate reality.”
Joshua is expected to return to the ring later this year, while Wilder is aiming for regular activity following his recent stoppage victory over Zhang Zhilei.
