By Sean Jones: Eddie Hearn says Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller’s career is over after it was revealed that he had failed a test for PEDs, Miller was scheduled to face Jerry Forrest, a non-top 15 contender, on July 9 in a Top Rank-promoted card on ESPN.
In an interview with Behind The Gloves, Hearn states that he doubts any respectable promotional company will sign the 32-year-old Jarrell Miller after this. Hearn says the unbeaten ‘Big Baby’ Miller (23-0-1, 20 KOs) needs psychological help because he doesn’t seem to be able to fight without the use of PEDs.
Hearn is well familiar with the loud-talking New Yorker Miller; as last year, he was scheduled to face IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, on June 1 at Madison Square Garden. Miller tested positive for the banned substance GW501516, which is the same produced that he tested for last weekend.
The New State Athletic Commission denied Miller a boxing license, and he then removed from the Joshua card and replaced by Andy Ruiz Jr. The move made a mini-star out of Ruiz Jr and set him up for life with two big paydays against Joshua, who he beat in their first fight by a seventh-round TKO on June 1.
Hearn says ‘Big Baby’ Miller’s career is over
“I couldn’t believe it to be honest with you,” said Hearn to Behind The Gloves in reacting to Miller testing positive for PEDs again. “There have been a lot of rumors about Jarrell Miller.
“When he busted himself for that last AJ [Anthony Joshua] with three substances, and a lot of people said, ‘Ah, he’s been on them for years.’ You kind of hope that he hasn’t, or he wasn’t, but to come off that and be under such scrutiny for what was really supposed to be a warmup fight against Jerry Forrest.
“And to do that again shows me actually. I feel sorry for him,” said Hearn in giving his reaction to ‘Big Baby’ Miller’s lastest positive test for PEDs.
Takings PEDs for a low-level fight against Forrest is something that a lot of boxing fans don’t understand about Miller. He should have been able to take a match like this and win it with ease.
For a fighter only 32, it’s hard to believe that Miller’s career will be over after his latest positive test. There will be someone out there will want to promote a guy with the kind of ability that the 6’4″, 300+ pound Miller has shown.
Miller wasn’t banned for his positive test last year from the AJ fight. Since he didn’t have a boxing license at the time, the New York Commission couldn’t ban him.
The WBA banned Miller for six months, but he could have been applied during that time for a license with one of the Commissions in the U.S and been given the green light to fight potentially.
Miller has a “psychological problem” says Hearn
“He has a psychological problem, and I don’t think he can bring himself to fight without taking PEDs, and that’s really sad,” said Hearn. “That worries me that might have been the case his whole career.
“He was always tested, but the only time he was tested properly, as in stringently, was in the AJ fight, and we saw the results of that. Now, he’s been tested again fairly properly, and he’s been busted straightaway. So, I think he needs help. His career is over,” Hearn continued.
It’s surprising how many boxing fans are calling for a lifetime ban of Big Baby Miller now. There isn’t a lifetime ban for the sport, and Miller will be allowed back in when his suspension is over. With that said, ‘Big Baby’ will need to show the promoters and the fans that he’s being tested continually for them to feel comfortable with him fighting again.
Some boxing fans will now look at Hearn and view him as a hypocrite due to the inconclusive findings from a drug test for his fighter Dillian Whyte before his match against Oscar Rivas. However, Whyte was later cleared and has since resumed his career.
Top Rank kept Jarrell Miller’s career alive
“When you look at it, his career was really not over because Top Rank allowed him to fight,” said Hearn. So now the Nevada Commission will have the opportunity to ban him, which they will and probably the other Commissions will follow suit,” said Hearn on ‘Big Baby’ Miller’s situation.
Top Rank gave Miller a second chance when they signed him last January to a multi-fight contract with their promotional company. Miller was being groomed to be matched against the top fighters like Tyson Fury eventually, and he blew it that opportunity.
Bob Arum, the head of Top Rank, hasn’t said what he plans on doing with ‘Big Baby’ Miller. If Arum keeps Miller with his company, he would need to wait until his suspension is over before he can begin scheduling him for fights.
In theory, Arum could bring Miller back if he can get him tested year-round. He would need to do that to show the boxing world that Miller is a clean fighter because fans are going to have doubts after this.
Arum believes in giving fighters second chances and not giving up on them if they’ve shown talent. Miller does have the ability, but his future is looking uncertain now. It would take a unique promoter like Arum to guide Miller back from this, and I’m not sure that he’ll want to invest the time and energy into it. Top Rank would be showing a lot of courage to stick it out with Miller while he goes through this process.
