By Keith Idec
Eddie Hearn considers Jarrell Miller a perfect opponent for Anthony Joshua to face once Joshua decides to fight in the United States.
Hearn said during a conference call Thursday night that there’s “no reason” a bout between Joshua (19-0, 19 KOs), the IBF/IBO/WBA heavyweight champion promoted by Hearn’s company, and Miller shouldn’t take place. There has been plenty of talk from both sides this week about an eventual Joshua-Deontay Wilder title unification showdown, but Hearn sounded just as open Thursday to Joshua meeting Miller in a heavyweight title fight.
Brooklyn’s Miller must first get past Poland’s Mariusz Wach in a 10-round battle HBO will televise November 11 from Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.
“Jarrell Miller’s making a lot of noise right now,” Hearn said during a conference call to discuss the Miller-Wach fight. “We look at potential opponents for Anthony Joshua, particularly in the United States. Jarrell Miller’s at the top of the list. He has a wonderful opportunity on HBO on November the 11th. He has a very tough fight in Mariusz Wach, but what I like about this fight is it’s a credible fight. And coming off a win against someone like Mariusz Wach, you can start talking about world title shots.”
The 6-feet-4, 298-pound Miller (19-0-1, 17 KOs) is ranked No. 4 by the WBO, No. 5 by the IBF, No. 8 by the IBO and No. 12 by the WBA. The 6-feet-7, 260-pound Wach (33-2, 17 KOs) is the most proven opponent Miller has agreed to fight during his eight-year pro career.
“I think Jarrell Miller is one of the true heavyweights,” Hearn said. “I’ve talked to Anthony about Jarrell. He rates him highly, he thinks he’s good fun and he’d be up for a fight like Jarrell Miller. He’d be one of the perfect guys to come over and take on in the States. So obviously working with [Miller co-promoter] Dmitriy [Salita] and Jarrell, I see no reason why an Anthony Joshua-Jarrell Miller fight shouldn’t happen. But first he has a very tough fight to get through on November the 11th.”
Joshua, meanwhile, is scheduled to make a mandatory defense of his IBF heavyweight title against Cameroon’s Carlos Takam (35-3-1, 17 KOs) on Saturday night at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales (Sky Sports Box Office; Showtime).
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.