PHILADELPHIA, PA — Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller suffered the first loss of his pro career when Daniel Dubois stopped him in the final round of their 10-round crossroads match in December, but the proud Brooklynite won’t credit the British contender for marring his record.
Miller (26-1-1, 22 knockouts) blames only himself for his lone “L,” but the 36-year-old fringe contender looks to rebound on Saturday when he takes on former unified heavyweight titlist Andy Ruiz in the 10-round co-feature to the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov main event at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Miller has been working with Bozy Ennis, the father and trainer of Jaron “Boots” Ennis, here in Philadelphia in preparation for Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs).
Miller was tranquil, jovial and accountable, openly talking about how he has been his own worst enemy. Miller weighed a career-high 333 pounds, almost 100 pounds more than the 239-pound Dubois. “Big Baby” is very aware of his history. He has tested positive for PEDs twice, once before a scheduled 2019 fight with Anthony Joshua. Ruiz stepped in to replace Miller two weeks before the New York City event and stopped Joshua in the upset of the year.
“The only one who has beaten me is me, and I usually don’t take last-minute fights, which is what I did against Dubois,” Miller said. “I ran out of gas. I won’t say Dubois was better than me. I have something prove. I will stop Andy Ruiz in five rounds, there is no doubt about it. I’m training my ass off. I lost a lot of weight.
“There was a time I was not in a good place. I was divorced. I was going through it. And the boxing game is dirty. This is a coming-out party for me. I have had time to train and properly prepare. This is the first time I have been in camp since 2019. This is exactly what I needed. I needed this boost. I had to have a good training camp. This is my last fight with Dmitry Salita (as his promoter). Put that in. I’m going to be my own promoter after this. I will stop Andy and the skies will be the limit again.”
Daniel Dubois punches Jarrell Miller during their heavyweight fight on the Day of Reckoning undercard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
What is interesting is that there will be two “Big Babies” on the card. Jared Anderson will be fighting Martin Bakole also on the Crawford-Madrimov undercard.
“I wasn’t going to say anything, but that kid (Anderson) talks a lot, and do not be surprised if Martin Bakole stops him on his stool,” Miller said. “Take that down, too.”
After the Dubois loss, Miller was looking for a reset. He eyed a new trainer, looking at Ennis and Brian McIntyre, The Ring and BWAA 2023 Trainer of the Year. But because McIntyre had a full schedule of fighters, Miller opted to stay in the Northeast and travel to Philadelphia every day from Brooklyn to train with Ennis.
“It really has been a win-win because you cannot go wrong with either Bozy or ‘BoMac,’” said Miller, who just finished a drug test. “Geographically, it was easier. I’ve dropped a lot of weight. This is a great culture here in this gym, and I have felt the camaraderie and the extra push. I never knowingly took drugs. I failed two tests, for the same thing twice. No one has ever beaten me—except me. I am not a partier; I am not a drinker. I kill it when I’m in camp. There is no way Andy Ruiz is going the distance.
“I think it is fair to say I need to regain the trust of the boxing world. I have been my own worst enemy. Everything that has happened to me in the ring, I am the blame for. I will never accept a fight last minute, like I did against Dubois. I am seeing this as my last chance in boxing. This is life and death for me. Andy won the big fight, and he blew it.
“But Andy has made it to a certain extent. This is do-or-die right now. It’s how I feel. I have lost over 30 pounds. I want to get down to around 290 and my strength feels great. I feel great.”
Miller had a great imitator in Philly club fighter Joey Dawejko, a stubby, short-armed heavyweight who was able to mimic Ruiz, who will be coming off a 23-month layoff.
“This is the best shape I have been in a long, long time, and Bozy has sharpened my defense, and he has gotten my defense and footwork back together,” Miller said. “I want to tell the boxing world that Big Baby has not gone anywhere. I realize being a man comes with suffering and I have learned perseverance. But the biggest thing is that I learned how to love myself again.
You go through things in life that make you hate. You hate everything around you, and you hate the world. I hated myself a little in that process. I came from an environment where I did not have a pot to piss in. I made it this far and I still have time. This is the best time for being a heavyweight. I will do what I do best and that’s beat people’s asses—like I will Andy Ruiz on August 3.”
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Follow @JSantoliquito
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