As fight fans may have read by now, Dillian Whyte is out as far as Anthony Joshua’s August 12 fight is concerned. Due to an inability by the two sides to agree monetary terms, this fight, a rematch of a great slugfest, will not be happening; at least it won’t be happening this year. But Joshua still wants to fight in August, this before that much talked of Saudi showdown with fellow former heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder.
Eddie Hearn has made it clear that AJ wants to fight and that he himself would like to see his star fighter take a second fight with new trainer Derrick James before going into that guaranteed shoot-out/explosion with Wilder. And a perhaps surprising name has been put forward as far as being Joshua’s August dance partner – Jarrell Miller.
Miller, we all know was set to fight Joshua back in 2019, this before failing more than one drug test, a disgraced “Big Baby” being replaced by Andy Ruiz, who of course capitalised massively in pulling off the KO upset, taking Joshua’s belts. Now, Miller’s promoter Dmitry Salita has said he is more than willing to let his guy fight Joshua in the summer.
It’s a far from done fight at this stage, but it sure would be interesting to see how the fans took it if this fight did get made. On the one hand, controversy sells, and plenty of people have already pointed out how fans would love to see Joshua give “big mouth” Miller a good hiding. On the other hand, Hearn said, forcefully, that he would never work with Miller again, this after the positive drugs tests saga. And, ask yourself, does Miller deserve the kind of huge payday a Joshua fight would bring him?
Then again, ask yourself this – would you watch the fight if it happened? I for one have to admit (confess?), I would do.
Let’s see if Joshua has any interest in silencing the trash-talking Miller, and if Hearn is willing to go back on his word and work with Miller again.
For the record, New Yorker Miller, 26-0-1(22) is now 34 years of age and he has won three fights since serving the suspension he was given after testing positive – Miller beating Ariel Bracamonte, Derek Cardenas and, last time out in March, Lucas Browne.