The nickname “Big Baby” wasn’t just a funny play on words, but to a certain degree, it was a way of life for Jarrell Miller.
The heavyweight division plays host to a number of gigantic men, but practically none are as big as Miller. Despite routinely stepping onto the scales around the 300 mark, Miller continually made it work. He was quick on his feet, closed the distance faster than most, and normally outworked his opponents.
The bigger the better, that was Miller’s line of thinking. So, during the pre-fight weigh-ins for his showdown against Daniel Dubois, Miller came in at 333 pounds. Once he flexed at the Saudi Arabian crowd, he began rubbing his belly before pushing his upcoming opponent.
Heading into their showdown, Miller was confident that his mind-bending pressure would break his man. After watching Dubois come up short against Oleksandr Usyk and Joe Joyce, Miller didn’t chastise him for simply losing but all in all, he believed Dubois quit.
Miller’s game plan was a simple one. Push Dubois back, bring him back to that dark place, and force him to say no mas.
The first few rounds were controlled by Dubois. He danced, moved, and planted his feet when needed. During the midway point, however, Miller began turning it on. Although he began finding his rhythm, Miller’s gas tank faded quickly. On numerous occasions, he plopped onto his stool in between rounds and began breathing heavily.
In the final frame, Miller had little left. Although he stuck out his tongue, Dubois knew he had him right where he wanted him. With just 10 seconds remaining, the 26-year-old began pouring it on, forcing referee Michael Alexander to step in and wave things off.
Miller didn’t get too down on himself. In fact, he’s using the first loss of his career as a wake-up call to take his career more seriously moving forward.
“We’re gonna be active,” said Miller during the post-fight interview. “We’re gonna get in better shape, have a longer camp. We’re gonna be back baby, back to the gym.”
By Hans Themistode