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By: Sean Crose
Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, the 23-0-1 heavyweight contender who was supposed to face Anthony Joshua on the night the heavyweight kingpin lost his titles to Andy Ruiz, has finally spoken out. As was reported by Boxing Insider at the time of the Joshua fight falling through:
“The Joshua fight fell apart after it was revealed that Miller essentially failed a March 20th drug test from the Voluntary Anti Doping Agency (VADA) and the New York State Athletic Commission subsequently refused to license the 23-0-1 fighter. The drug found in Miller’s system was a weight loss substance known as GW1516. It was then revealed that Miller again tested positive for GW1516 on March 31st. On that same day Miller also tested positive for a strength building human growth hormone known as EPO. Both GW1516 and EPO are banned substances.”
Miller was subsequently suspended by the WBA for six months. In a recently published interview with Cyntha Conte, the Brooklyn native opens up in depth for what appears to the first time since testing positive. “They don’t make you stronger,” Miller says of the substances found in his system. “They don’t make you explosive.” Although not outright declaring his total innocence, Miller states in the interview that there’s “a little bit of a gray area” regarding the matter. Still, the fighter is quick to add that “we’re not making excuses.”
Miller also admits that promoter Eddie Hearn, the force behind the failed “Joshua-Miller” fight, appears deeply displeased with what transpired. “I still have not had a conversation with Eddie Hearn to this day,” says Miller in the video. “Eddie’s still mad. I get it.” Yet Miller also argues he’s “got nothing to apologize to AJ (Joshua) for.” Miller later expressed his displeasure at Joshua’s reactions to the tests which derailed their fight. “He’s still a prick in my book,” Miller claims of the former titlist.
Although he says he’s taking the fact that his lost opportunity was Ruiz’ gain in stride, Miller still indicates in the video that Ruiz’ shocking win surprised him. “I knew Andy was going to beat him (Joshua) up a little bit,” he says, “but I didn’t know Andy was going to whoop his ass that way.” Ruiz’ big win, however, wasn’t entirely easy for Miller to swallow. “My first reaction ‘was damn son, that could have been me’,” Miller states, before adding “but my boy won, so be happy, because jealousy breeds hate and were not going to do that around here.”
“I’m not perfect,” Miller states in the interview with Conte, “nobody’s perfect.”
