Boxing
Heavyweight hijinks and hair-raising rides: Relive Miller's key moments
Miller vs. Pero: Subscribe to watch - Saturday
Jarrell Miller will be out to add to his viral portfolio when he faces Lenier Pero at the Fountainbleau Las Vegas this weekend in a heavyweight encounter.
The New Yorker will seek to inflict a first professional loss on the undefeated Cuban in a WBA title eliminator, live from Sin City exclusively on DAZN.
One of the sport's most famed nearly-men, 'Big Baby' has never reigned as world champion - but that has not kept him away from the headlines.
In anticipation of his next fight, DAZN News takes a look back on five fan-pleasing moments from the American - and how he has written his own story.
A riveting knockout of Tomasz Adamek; September 2018
Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller used DAZN’s US launch press conference in June 2018 to put himself on Anthony Joshua’s radar, talking trash that irked the then-unified heavyweight champion of the world. Both would go on to fight that fall, with AJ clashing against rugged Russian Alexander Povetkin and Miller testing himself against former two-division world champion in Tomasz Adamek.
Joshua stopped Povetkin inside of seven rounds that September and Miller did not disappoint in October, using the platform at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, and live on DAZN, to issue a riveting second-round knockout of Adamek.
‘Big Baby’ put Adamek on skates with a looping uppercut, before popping his head back like a Pez dispenser with a more compact, measured uppercut seconds later. Just like that, the Brooklyn, New York native was ready to hunt down a shot at Joshua.
Entertaining, but dashed hopes against Anthony Joshua; 2019
The buildup for Anthony Joshua vs. Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller was entertaining … while it lasted.
I was there in February 2019 for the kickoff press conference at Madison Square Garden toward a June 1 fight cemented between the two at “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”
After the heavyweights exchanged verbal jabs months prior, Joshua walked across the MSG stage to confront Miller up close and personal, only for ‘Big Baby’ to shove him across the stage.
Miller proceeded to bash Joshua’s model-like physique and AJ showed a willingness to sling verbal mud with the New Yorker, adding heat to their build.
However, as the buildup continued, the fight was scrapped when Miller tested positive for three different PEDs. Not only did he lose a hefty payday, but Miller had to watch underdog Andy Ruiz Jr. step into his spot and shock the world with a mammoth upset of Joshua to become the new unified heavyweight champion of the world at MSG.
Taking a loss with honor against Daniel Dubois; December 2023
Miller’s personality shined through once again to hype up a big heavyweight tilt against a younger Daniel Dubois at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
And Miller, who outweighed Dubois by nearly 100 pounds, had a good showing for himself early on. However, as the fight waned, Dubois asserted his youth, speed and skill to sputter Miller’s motor, eventually getting the best of ‘Big Baby’ with a 10th-round TKO that paved the way for the British heavyweight’s ascension.
Miller, in defeat, was congratulatory toward Dubois, saluting the younger heavyweight on a job well done.
Fighting Andy Ruiz Jr. to a majority draw; August 2024
Considering Miller’s intertwined history with Andy Ruiz Jr., it was only right for the two to throw hands. After all, if it wasn’t for Miller’s indiscretions, Ruiz wouldn’t have gotten the chance to fight Joshua and tender one of the biggest boxing upsets of all time.
The moment for Miller and Ruiz to clash came in August of 2024 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Each man was looking to resurrect himself at heavyweight, especially Miller who was coming off his first and only pro loss at the hands of Daniel Dubois the winter prior.
Neither man shy about not turning down a meal, Miller and Ruiz had an entertaining, yet cordial build toward their fight. The actual bout was fan-pleasing over large stretches too as Miller overcame being buzzed early to storm back late in rounds against Ruiz, the former unified heavyweight world champion.
Eventually, each man having his moments led to a majority draw.
The infamous hair-raising moment at MSG; January 2026
Miller had plenty of eyes on him against Kingsley Ibeh, considering their fight was in Madison Square Garden as part of the Shakur Stevenson vs. Teofimo Lopez card.
But Miller’s MSG moment turned into a viral sensation for something else, as an uppercut from Ibeh during the second round caused Miller’s hairpiece to rise off his scalp. ‘Big Baby’ responded by throwing his hairpiece into the crowd, sending the NYC crowd — and many more watching at home — into hysteria.
It was the exclamation point to an otherwise underwhelming fight that Miller managed to win by split-decision, setting up his next challenge - and a chance to make amends too.
Watch Wardley vs. Dubois only on DAZN
The WBO world heavyweight title is on the line for Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois on May 9, only on DAZN PPV. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Usyk vs Verhoeven (May 23), with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.
