Having his first fight on American soil since way back in late 2018, this before his well-documented failed drug tests, Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller last night scored a commanding fourth round stoppage win over a game but over-matched Derek Cardenas. The fight that took place in Murfreesboro, Tennessee saw the 34 year old New Yorker, weighing some 328 pounds, deck his Mexican foe three times on the way to the fourth round stoppage victory.
Miller, now 2-0(1) in his comeback, is now 25-0-1(21) overall and he says he wants to stay active, having a fight a month, in an effort to “get where I need to be.” Tijuana’s Cardenas, who was down in round three and was knocked down twice in round four before the third man decided he had seen enough and waved the fight off, is now 8-10(7).
Miller, who to be fair carries his hefty poundage well (he was even heavier in his first comeback fight, when he pounded out a ten round decision over Ariel Esteban Bracamonte, this in Argentina on June 23, that fight seeing Miller enter the ring at a whopping, great 341 pounds) landed almost at will last night, his big bombs hurting his opponent to both head and body. Cardenas, who was fleshy and slow, had a go and he showed toughness in taking some hefty shots and trying to fire back himself, but he was simply outgunned.
Miller, a great talker, insists he is a changed man, that he will never again make the mistakes he made in 2019, when he was all set to challenge Anthony Joshua. It will, however, take time for Miller to regain the full trust of the paying fans. If he ever manages to do so. Miller says he will be back in the ring in three weeks’ time. Miller could do with stepping up the quality of his opposition a notch next time. Can Miller make up for lost time and get himself a title shot after all that has happened? “Big Baby” says he can and will make it to the top.