By Keith Idec

UNIONDALE, New York – Jarrell Miller apparently didn’t do enough Saturday night to earn a shot at Anthony Joshua.

Eddie Hearn, whose company promotes Joshua, said Miller is “probably one or two” wins away from facing Joshua for the British superstar’s heavyweight titles. Hearn said before Brooklyn’s Miller stopped Poland’s Mariusz Wach on Saturday night that he would earn consideration as the next opponent for Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs) if he established himself as an elite heavyweight by beating Wach impressively.

The 6-feet-4, 283-pound Miller became just the second heavyweight to defeat Wach by technical knockout, but even Miller gave himself “an F” after their scheduled 12-round fight at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The 6-feet-7, 268-pound Wach was still standing and throwing punches back at Miller (20-0-1, 18 KOs) when a New York State Athletic Commission doctor ordered referee David Fields to stop their fight in the ninth round.

An injury to his right hand had hindered Wach (33-3, 17 KOs), who had been monitored closely by Fields and NYSAC physicians before the stoppage.

“It was a good win,” Hearn said during the post-fight press conference. “Mariusz Wach, TKO-9, is a very, very good scribe on a heavyweight’s career. He’s been beaten a couple of times by high-level guys. Wladimir Klitschko, Povetkin, these are top, top guys [fighters]. And Jarrell wore him down. I think Jarrell has a lot of learning to do. I think he shouldn’t be stepping in just yet [with Joshua]. He needs one or two more before he gambles. And again, I’d like to see him bank the money. This is a tough, tough sport. Bank the money before you gamble, and that’s what Jarrell Miller needs to do.”

Hearn promoted Saturday’s card, the inaugural event for Matchroom Boxing USA in the United States. He would like the 29-year-old Miller to fight again on Jacobs’ next undercard, probably sometime in April at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, but Hearn didn’t mention potential opponents.

“I’d love him to box on our card in April,” Hearn said. “He’s from Brooklyn as well. You know, he’s an exciting fighter. He learned so much fighting the likes of Mariusz Wach, but again, Mariusz Wach, TKO-9, is a very, very impressive win and puts him probably one or two steps away from fighting for the world heavyweight title.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.