On the same weekend that Danny Garcia admitted to being “eighty-five per cent” sure his win against Daniel Gonzalez was his last professional fight, Derek Chisora was linked with a new opponent for his 50th and maybe last professional fight.
With Chisora, of course, you never really know. You never know what he is up to generally and you never know when last actually means last. After all, we were told back in February that his fight against Otto Wallin, which he won by decision, was his so-called “Last Dance”; meaning his final fight in Britain. Only now, eight months on, we realise that that was not the case. Now, with a fight scheduled for December 13 in Manchester, Chisora, 41, is clearly still active and again on the hunt for opponents.
One man with whom he has been linked of late is Zhilei Zhang, the 42-year-old southpaw from China who was last seen losing inside six rounds against Agit Kabayel in February. That, on paper, would seem a decent enough fight for Chisora, given their ages are similar, yet Zhang’s style – left-handed, counterpunching, notoriously difficult – may not be a style suited to Chisora if he plans on giving fans what they usually expect when he fights: action, “WAR”, etcetera.
Someone like Jarrell Miller, on the other hand, could be more to Chisora’s liking. In fact, in the last 24 hours Miller, a 37-year-old from New York, has emerged as the frontrunner to become Chisora’s next opponent and, if he gets the gig, it would make a lot of sense.
For one, Miller, unlike Zhang, is a native English speaker and speaks better than most in the sport. Two, he is prone to bursts of unpredictability and volatility, a lot like Chisora. Three, he comes with a certain infamy and a bad-boy reputation, both the result of the many drug tests he has failed in the past.
Indeed, Miller, 26-1-2 (22 KOs), first rose to prominence in the UK when a 2019 world heavyweight title fight with Anthony Joshua collapsed on account of Miller failing more than one drug test (for GW1516, Human Growth Hormone, and EPO). Since then, he has fought five times and, as is often the case in boxing, has been welcomed back with open arms; his notoriety now a selling point for promoters. In his last fight, back in August 2024, Miller fought to a draw with Andy Ruiz Jnr at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Before that he was stopped in 10 rounds by Britain’s Daniel Dubois. Both times he made good money.
The same will be true should he get the nod to fight Derek Chisora in December, one suspects. He will also perform his usual shtick – that is, talk a good fight – and give Chisora, 36-13 (23 KOs), precisely what he wants, both before and during the fight. In that respect, it is easy to see why “Big Baby” Miller is, despite his various transgressions, still being treated with kid gloves and still receiving treats.
