By Ian Aldous: Fresh from his win over Johann Duhaupas last weekend on HBO, Brooklyn’s WBA #3 ranked heavyweight, Jarrell Miller, is on a mission to challenge the very best the division has to offer. Yesterday, I caught up with ‘Big Baby’ to talk over the phone about his victory and what the future has in store for him.
IA: First of all congratulations on your win last weekend. You had Johann seemingly hurt very early on. Did you think you had him beaten then?
JM: I knew he was a durable guy. So, I told myself to take my time, put combinations together and land clean shots. He recovered really well, but you can’t knock some guys out. Duhaupus could’ve been knocked out, but I think it proved to the people that it was one of those fights where I didn’t mind going twelve (rounds), because I could prove to people that my stamina can go throughout the whole fight. I take it as a win at the end of the day and move on to the next (fight).
IA: How did it feel completing twelve rounds for the first time?
JM: It felt good and I had no problems. The training was a lot harder than the fight – job complete. I felt great.
IA: He seemed hurt several times during the fight, were you surprised he managed to go the distance?
JM: Yeah, a little bit, but I know he’s a tough, durable guy. He’s been some long rounds with short camps (in previous fights), so I wasn’t surprised at all. I was conditioned for twelve rounds. He’s a fighter too, anything can happen.
IA: Your conditioning is excellent for any heavyweight, let alone one that is 300lbs. Do you feel it’s your key attribute?
JM: Yeah, that’s definitely one of my key attributes, especially with my punching accumulation and my punching output. My power’s there, it’s sneaky, I don’t throw the heavy shots (all the time) but I throw it in there when I’m ready for it. Having the stamina I’ve got is definitely key.
IA: You weighed in at just over 300lbs, is that naturally how you came in at, or how does that work?
JM: A couple of years ago I came in at 290lbs and I said I was gonna come in at 300lbs and bust people’s heads. I started camp at about 325lbs, so I was big the whole entire time, but I felt good though. It didn’t hinder me in any way.
IA: So, in the post-fight interview, you pretty much called out Anthony Joshua with the English muffin comment! Is he the man you’re targeting now?
JM: Yeah, most definitely. Eddie Hearn is the one that put it out there in the media for a while now and I definitely want my chance at a title shot. I could beat the brakes off him, you know what I mean? I know he’s busy (Hearn) this week doing the David Haye vs. Tony Bellew fight, but, we’ll see. I’ve got a meeting with HBO, we’ll see if he (Hearn) puts his money where his mouth is.
IA: The fact you fight on Eddie Hearn cards is probably going to help the fight be made? I think he’d like AJ to fight in the U.S soon.
JM: That’s the ultimate goal. The main thing is being prepared and hopefully he makes it happen. That’s all I can say. We’ll keep working.
IA: Supposedly, Alexander Povetkin is now AJ’s WBA mandatory. Your win was officially a WBA eliminator, what can you tell me about the current situation?
JM: I mean listen man, one thing is said and another thing is done. Money talks and I’m not going to wait on Eddie Hearn to make a decision. I’m gonna figure out things on my side and I’m going back to the drawing board to get back to work.
IA: If it was possible to have everything in your hands and it was all your choice, when would your next fight be?
JM: I would think by the end of the summer, end of July/August would be great. I feel like I’d be more than happy to do that.