Dubois takes on Miller as part of the star-studded show just before Christmas (Picture: Getty)
As we count down to the biggest boxing show of the year on 23 December, the former Olympian and heavyweight contender gives his prediction for Dubois vs Miller and hits out at the American’s involvement amid his controversial past.
Miller should not be welcome on this card
Jarrell Miller has been given the opportunity of a lifetime against Daniel Dubois, fighting on the biggest card of the year in Saudi Arabia on 23 December.
But given his history with failed drug tests, I don’t feel his presence is welcomed. I don’t know how he has wriggled his way onto this show, to be honest. In a business sense, you have to say well done to him and his team. But in reality, it is a kick in the teeth to any top 10 heavyweight that goes out and works their arse off chasing opportunities like this.
But it is here and it is happening. Miller is a part of this card and like I’ve said, he and his team deserve credit for the job they have done on rebuilding him.
But there is always going to be a bit of resistance from some promoters and fighters to work with him – and so there should be. Miller has always denied being a drugs cheat. But in my eyes, his ban was a result of pure cheating to gain an advantage and that is so dangerous in this game.
He is taking his opportunity but it is an opportunity he doesn’t deserve in my eyes. There are fighters with a clean history in this division at the exact same level who deserve this opportunity more. He has wriggled his way through the business which happens in this game.
Miller goaded Dubois and Anthony Joshua at a press conference last month (Picture: Getty)
But it’s dangerous for the sport. It is all fine until someone gets seriously hurt or killed then it becomes a big problem. And that will eventually happen, unfortunately.
History with Anthony Joshua is not forgotten
I don’t think Daniel Dubois is one of them, but Jarrell can give a lot of people a hard night’s work and could possibly be someone on my list down the line, which will also be the case for guys like Fabio Wardley and Jared Anderson.
Miller was set to fight Joshua in 2019 before he failed a string of drug tests (Picture: Getty)
He still makes a lot of sense for a lot of fighters. If he loses against Dubois, he drifts off and becomes a gate keeper fighter. But a win propels him into a great position. It is winner stays on this game. If he wins will feel he could get the Anthony Joshua fight eventually. All of that will of course depend on what happens with AJ in December and in the coming year.
Jarrell and AJ were a few feet away from each other at the press conference last month. I’ll stick my neck out and say they won’t be sending each other a Christmas card this year. What happened in 2019 was a major disruption for AJ’s career and the relationship with everyone involved is very damaged.
I don’t think Eddie Hearn will ever forget what happened. It will be something he will have understandably taken very personally.
Miller served a two-year ban after another positive test in 2020 (Picture: Getty)
Dubois power will be too much
Jarrell certainly has a busy work rate and has put away 22 of his 26 opponents to date. He will put in a valiant effort I am sure. But I think Daniel is a level above him and I can only see him coming out of this with a win and as a better fighter.
Jarrell is going in there with probably the third biggest puncher in the division behind Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
Daniel will still be disappointed with what happened against Oleksandr Usyk in the summer but it was something he can learn a lot of lessons from. I actually think Daniel could be the dark horse on the show.
Dubois came up short against Usyk in Poland in the summer (Picture: Getty)
We know he is not very outspoken, but he does that all in the ring. We also forget how young he is. In the next few years as a few others start to leave the division, I think he will really come into his own and be one of the top dogs for a while.
He is still developing of course and he has been in some very good fights. I think he has been matched very well to get to this point and has had to deal with his share of criticism, first up against Joe Joyce a few years back and again in the summer after being put down by Usyk. Some of that has been unfair.
Against Joyce, I was one of the people at the time who thought he should have continued. Against Usyk, the manner in which he was stopped raised questions too. But you emerge stronger and more rounded from those kind of defeats. And he is still maturing. The best is still to come from him.
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With Daniel, he is a quiet guy but I see an inner menace in him. The grin he has on his face when he is going to work on someone in there is a bit scary.
He likes to punish people, he has got the spite in him to do that, even in sparring. In a fight like this against someone like Miller, who will have a lot to say in the coming weeks, he will want to send a clear message.
I’m predicting a stoppage win for Daniel. I don’t think Miller and his camp understand the power he has. Once he starts landing his jab, it gets very difficult for him. If he lands clean I see him putting him over quite badly.
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Given his history of failed drug tests, the presence of Jarrell Miller on the Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin and Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker card is not welcomed.
