On Saturday, January 31, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, heavyweight Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller aims to earn a shot at a world title if he can get past Kingsley Ibeh (16-2-1, 14 KOs) on the undercard headlined by Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson.
The 36-year-old Miller (26-1-2, 22 KOs) from Brooklyn, NY, aims for a huge night filled with family and friends as he steps into Madison Square Garden—the main arena and not the Theater—for the first time in his career. After a rollercoaster few years, can Miller finally get his career back on track and position himself for the big fights ahead?
A Lot Can Happen In 17 Months
Miller last fought in August 2024 when he went 12 rounds with former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz. Two of the three judges were unable to determine a winner, resulting in a majority draw.
In the months that followed, Miller faced a turbulent stretch outside the ring, including a legal dispute with his former promoter, Salita Promotions, and a divorce.
“The first couple of months weren’t that bad from August to November,” Miller told FightsATW. “It was calm. I was going through a situation with Salita Promotions, who allegedly took money from me and other fighters. After that, this past year has been rough as I spent over $150,000 just going to training camp, with no fights happening. Legally, I’m still going through a divorce, but I’m a soldier. Anybody that knows me knows I’m mentally tough.”
Miller, though, is choosing to view these situations as valuable life lessons. He also shared some of his learning experiences with upcoming fighters:
“Do your homework,” says Miller. “Boxing is full of people who don’t know sh*t. It’s one of the few sports where a lot of people don’t have the credentials. They host some pad work, and now they’re coaches. Someone who has no experience is a manager, or someone with money comes in and they’re promoters. I could have saved myself a lot of heartache and headache by not listening to certain promoters, managers, and people who claimed to know what they’re doing but don’t know sh*t. Be patient, do your homework, and work hard. You not only have to be a fighter in the ring, but you also have to educate yourself on the business outside of it.
Jarrell Miller’s Second Run?
Although Miller did not defeat Ruiz, the opportunity he’s getting against Ibeh at the Garden suggests he might be on a second run. To prepare for that, Miller has been distancing himself from issues that could pose even the smallest problem. In the past, he admits, he left too much in the hands of his management, including handling the fallout from his failed drug tests. When things unraveled, he says, he simply “took it on the chin.”
“It’s a backlash that I’m always going to get,” said Miller. “Right before the AJ [Anthony Joshua] fight, a friend of mine said to me about the failed drug tests: ‘Brush that sh*t off—you didn’t kill nobody.’”
Although Miller has heard and read all the backlash from fans and the media over his failed drug tests, losses, and draws, he says it doesn’t bother him. What does affect him is returning to his neighborhood and facing people he’s known his entire life.:
“I’m about to tell you what hurts the most: when you get your ass beat and go back to the block, and all your homies are talking sh*t,” Miller said. “That hurts me more, because these are people I grew up with.”
This Isn’t Your Normal Joking Jarrell Miller
Everyone in boxing knows about Miller bringing New York–style pettiness and humor to press conferences, social media, and even fight night. Before the Ruiz bout, he famously recorded Ruiz eating a hot dog—known in New York as a “glizzy”—and mocked him for it. This time, however, Miller says he’s focused strictly on handling business, not clowning his opponent.
“This fight doesn’t bring that kind of energy,” said Miller. “You know me, I’m quick to start something, but this guy is kind of dry. His team has been trying to bait me in by posting certain things on Instagram and all that, and I’m just ignoring it. I don’t have the patience for it. I’m going to lay him out. They ain’t paying me enough for this one, so I’m just going in there, be ready to do my job, and get the f*ck out.”
At 36, Miller knows he’s reaching that age where things start to slow down, but if you ask Miller, he feels good, and he wants to show it off come Saturday night. “I feel good and feel young. This fight is definitely going to gauge where I’m at physically and mentally. I’m never in dull fights, so I’m coming in there to whoop a$s.”
In just a few days, we’ll see if the heavyweight division has another prime-time fighter, or if Miller’s time away from the ring has taken its toll. You can watch this fight on the Lopez-Stevenson DAZN pay-per-view this Saturday night.
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