Dare we say this announcement is hair-raising? Heavyweights Jarrell Miller and Dainier Pero will meet in an eliminator for the WBA World Heavyweight title. Miller vs Pero takes place at the BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday April 25, live worldwide on DAZN.
Miller of Brooklyn (27-1-2 22 KOs) has long been one of boxing’s most outrageous personalities. In his return to the ring in New York in January at Madison Square Garden, the opponent and result faded into the background of boxing history when Miller’s hairpiece came loose at the end of the second round and he tore it from his head, flinging it into the audience.
BTW, it was a split decision for Miller over Kingsley Ibeh.
Miller’s stock rose as a result of his reaction to the outrageous moment. The bombastic Brooklynite poked more fun at himself than the fans, posting hilarious videos featuring his situation. His viral fame landed Miller on “The Jimmy Kimmel Show” and TMZ following the incident. And make no mistake, it landed him the Pero fight.
If you missed it somehow, or simply want to relive the epic moment, see the highlights.
Miller now needs to focus on his upcoming fight against the ambitious Cuban-born challenger. A win for the 37-year-old Miller over Pero would put Miller into the conversation to score a fight against one of the champions or leading contenders.
Another unexpected result: Miller is working with Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn after the pair had a falling out when Miller failed multiple drug tests and blew his opportunity to face Anthony Joshua in 2019. Miller was replaced by Andy Ruiz Jr., who then delivered a Buster Douglas style upset win.
Hearn raged at Miller then and vowed never to work with him again. But on Thursday, here they were, Hearn and Miller on stage together in Florida for a brief media appearance along with Dainer Pero to officially announce the fight.
Jarrell Miller Back In The Mix
“I mean, when that Madison Square Garden erupted, I didn’t really know what the hell was going on until they played it back on the screen,” Hearn told Miller of the toupee incident.
“You did embrace it. Actually, it probably won you the fight, because all of a sudden you just decided to switch it up in a tough fight that you really turned around. But a mad couple of months, and a massive fight for your career in Las Vegas.”
Miller’s noggin was covered up with a black New York Yankees that that gave nothing away about his hairstyle status
“The toupee thing was just something that was not really planned, but we know we kind of took it around and it worked out in our favor,” laughed Miller. He said lack of training time made it a tougher fight than necessary.
“Kingsley was not a walkover, not a pushover. He gave me a run for my money. But the grace of God, you know, I take a ugly win over a good loss any day.”
Miller pointed out that Pero had called him out several months before the Ibeh fight after his decision over Jordan Thompson in November. “So now this came around again. I think you give him a couple more dollars now. So now he’s biting the bait, so I’m gonna whoop his ass real good,” promised Miller.
“I’ve never slept on any one of my opponents. I’ve never taken anybody lightly,” said Miller. “You know, I look a lot leaner now, laying off the cheeseburgers and the main thing is coming April 25 and beat that ass.” Miller says he intends to get down under 300 pounds to face Pero.
Lanier Pero Wants to Prove Himself
Pero, now based in Miami (13-0, 8 KOs) and trained by Bob Santos, is currently ranked second by the WBA. He’s also chasing the same prize as Miller, a title fight.
“his is a really big opportunity for me, but it’s an opportunity that I believe comes from the hard work that I’ve put in in my previous fights,” said Pero.
“You know what I’d say about him? I believe he’s a really good fighter, I would say that. That’s why he’s in this position to fight for this WBA world title. It’s a fight I’ve wanted for quite a while. We’ve kind of crossed paths on various occasions in Miami, and we’ve also kind of been calling each other out on social media.
“Cubans never say no to a fight, so we’re completely ready to go into that ring when we face each other,” said Pero, promising he would put on a boxing clinic. “I’m going to show him what Cuban boxing is on that night. I’m going to show how elegant it can be, but I will stop him, and I’ll stop him quickly.”
“Oooo, my blood’s boiling now,” replied Miller. “I needed somebody to get my juices running. So, you know, his name is Pero. You know what? I mean, that’s dog*. (* a common mistake. Pero means “but.” Perro with two Rs means dog). So, you know one way to beat a dog. We got to train this.”
Miller made his usual bombastic promises to beat Pero. “I might beat his ass so bad, he might take a one-way flight back to Cuba. Trust me when I tell you this. April 25 ain’t gonna be known in that pretty move around. I’m gonna run him the fuck over. I’m going back to old school, Big Baby style, 70, 80, punches a round.”
Pero knows Miller’s game. “Obviously, that’s not going to happen on fight night. I know that you probably have a lot more followers than I have. You’re strong on social media, but you have more fame because of that wig that fell off last time you fought. I hope you’re good on your word and we can have a real war on the 25th.’
What’s Under Jarrell Miller’s Hat?
DAZN broadcaster Chris Mannix didn’t let the fans down and asked the question everyone wanted to know: what was underneath Miller’s hat?
Miller teased as if he was going to take the hat off, then laughed. “April 25th. You know, get your subscription going on and you get first glance to see under the hat.”
Miller said he’s got a month of training ahead and he’s putting in the work.
“It’s super conditioning, old school, old school drills. Man, I love my kickboxing drills. I think that’s really one of them things that my attributes of being active and being an agile fighter and just being aggressive is, you know, we’re going back to just being a beast.
“I love pumping the iron, and I love hitting the bag, and come and hit that face. I might have a little ‘Fro, you never know,” said Miller.
“I think he’s a great character,” said Hearn. “I think he’s a very talented fighter. He’s taken his licks, if you like, not just over that period, but also on January 31 as well. And I think when he comes in shape, he’s a real threat to the heavyweight division. But can he come in shape?”
That’s the second question Miller will answer on April 25 in Las Vegas.
“These guys will fill up the Fontainebleau. And Jerrell has done what he’s done. The profile is through the roof. The numbers are through the roof. But he’s got to go and win in April.”
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.