Trash-talking is something that was most likely rather suppressed at the Army and Air Force base in Uniondale, New York, before 1972. But, what has since then been the home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in this hamlet of Long Island, is about to home a fight with one of the most vociferous speakers in boxing. Jarrell Miller.
This weekend, ‘Big Baby’ Miller, is looking to extend his unbeaten run against Mariusz Wach, the Polish former WBC heavyweight title holder. The ultimate aim for Miller is a title shot. But Wach stands in his way, the man who fell out of love with boxing for a time, after a clear defeat to Wladimir Klitschko five years ago.
Wach though, will use his experience – he is eight years older than Miller and has inevitably fought more – to counter the fury of the Brooklyn native, who fights with as much zeal and aggression as he calls out his opponents.
At 6’7” though, Wach is a colossus and has the chin you’d expect for a heavyweight with a record of 33-2 – 17 by knock out. It is hard to tell just how focused Miller is on Saturday’s bout. Either way, as much to beef up his profile as anything else, he has spoken of his want to face Dillian Whyte.
Whyte secured the vacant WBC Silver heavyweight world title in October, on points, against Robert Helenius. It was a strong performance from Whyte who was shaken out of any complacency early on to ultimately dominate his Finnish-Swedish opponent. Miller, however, was having little of it.
“That bloke was a total bag of rotten cabbage. I don’t know if you guys have that over there in England, but he was just trash. For a guy to talk all that smack and you can’t even drop Helenius. He’s throwing overhand rights to the sky and missing, then he starts spinning around.”
Whyte though, was more convincing then Miller’s summation and if Miller does overcome the robust Wach, Whyte would prove to be more of a difficult opponent to drop than he implies.
If the trajectory of fights goes as Miller believes it will, then the ultimate goal is a shot at Anthony Joshua – with Deontay Wilder in the mix too. But the most telling thing in these situations are the thought patterns of the promoters and Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn, is making favourable sounds that would hint towards a Joshua-Miller showdown eventually.
Hearn has said that as many contenders as possible are needed in the mix and that Miller is at the top of the list. The fact that he is in the United States is a further factor that proves attractive. And, for all the twitter warfare between Tyson Fury and Joshua, Miller is someone who Joshua rates.
But Miller has to keep focused on what is in front of him. The Wach fight may not be a title eliminator, but it does have the feel of one. Miller would do well to treat it like that and show Wach the respect he deserves.
Wach, who sparred with Joshua in the lead up to Joshua’s classic bout with Klitschko in April, knows he is the outsider in New York and has said he is happy to be the underdog. He has also said he has no choice but to knock out Miller. Fighting talk, as expected. But the reality is, the pressure is off somewhat and with expectations low, Miller will need to be at his sharpest.
Or else a meeting with Joshua down the road, could well disappear out of sight.
