Daniel Dubois stepped out of character throughout fight week and then proceeded to honor every last promise.
The former WBA ‘Regular’ heavyweight titlist racked up his most satisfying win of his career with a tenth-round stoppage of Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller. Dubois piled up an early lead and then let his hands go in the final round. He repeatedly rock Miller to force the stoppage at 2:52 of round ten in their heavyweight grudge match Saturday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“I had to finish strong,” Dubois insisted of the desire to end the fight inside the distance when a decision win was easily within reach,
Dubois expended considerable energy in the opening round. The Londoner pumped his jab, with straight rights and body shots often behind the stick but also as he constantly moved around the ring. Miller was methodical in his approach, almost to the point of a nonexistent offense through the first three minutes.
Miller found a home for his right hand in round two. His first opening came with a cupping shot that wrapped around the back of Dubois’ head. From there, he landed two clean shots. Dubois briefly jarred the American with a stiff jab and continued to be both the busier and more active puncher.
Round three saw Dubois offer angles to minimize Miller’s increasing pressure. Several right hands found the mark for the former secondary titlist, though there remained concern of his stamina as Miller found a way to close the gap.
Miller enjoyed his best round of the fight to that point in the fourth. The oversized American crashed home a left hook after a right uppercut to test the chin of Dubois, who took the blow but failed to offer return fire after he enjoyed previous success with a shotgun jab.
Dubois turned the tide back in his favor at the start of round five. The left hook and jab were on point, though Miller was not without his moments when his forward charge provided opportunities for his right hands at close quarters.
Rounds six and seven saw Dubois primarily stick to his jab and maintained his desired distance. A peak Miller was known for his high engine. The 35-year-old, 333-pound version was gasping for air through a bloodied mouth in between rounds seven and eight.
Dubois dialed up the pressure at the start of the eighth. A body shot set up a power-punching barrage. Miller showed a world class chin but was unable to respond. He caught a break when a lengthy timeout was called by the referee to issue a second warning to Dubois for leading with his head. Dubois heeded the advice and spent the rest of the round letting his hands go. A right hand upstairs and left hooks to the body hurt Miller just before the bell.
Miller reached a point where he badly needed the type of knockout finish he vowed to deliver against “the two-time quitter.” It was Dubois, however, who laid hands upon the brash American in the tenth and final round.
At a point where he could have boxed and played it safe, Dubois instead chose to make a statement. Miller badly missed with desperation left hooks and left himself open for power shots in return. Miller was on empty as he was battered along the ropes. He ate a combination and then stuck out his tongue at Dubois, who immediately slammed home a right hand.
Miller was trapped along the ropes as Dubois continued to inflict punishment until referee Michael Alexander stopped the fight.
The loss ended Miller’s three-fight win streak during his comeback tour following a four-year absence due to back-to-back failed drug tests. He fell to 26-1-1 (22KOs) with the defeat, but was congratulatory of his lone career conqueror.
Dubois improved to 20-2 (19KOs) in an incredible bounce back tale. The win came just four months after he suffered a ninth-round knockout defeat to WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight titlist Oleksandr Usyk in Wroclaw, Poland.
Dubois-Miller was part of an eight-fight Pay-Per-View show. Anthony Joshua-Otto Wallin and Deontay Wilder-Joseph Parker co-headline an event that features six heavyweight bouts.
By Jake Donovan