Lenier Pero’s title eliminator vs Jarrell Miller 'is a game-changer for him’

Lenier Pero wants to be mentioned among the very best in the heavyweight division.

Pero will face Jarrell Miller in a WBA heavyweight eliminator on Saturday at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas.

Pero, 13-0 (8 KOs), is far from a household name. In fact, his younger brother, Dainier Pero, has received more notice than he has so far in their careers. Lenier, a 33-year-old Cuban who trains under Bob Santos in Las Vegas, fought in the 2016 Olympics. He defeated Guido Vianello and lost to Filip Hrgovic. He turned pro in Germany in 2019, taking fights in Argentina and Colombia. And even though he defeated then-unbeaten Victor Vykhryst in his US debut, Pero never had a buzz. After this fight, they hope that changes.

“He needed a name like Miller or someone of that ilk to put his name in the mix,” Santos told BoxingScene. “Once you put your name in the mix, you get opportunities.”

A win over the 37-year-old Miller would set the stage for Pero to theoretically earn a shot at the WBA belt, which can currently be found around the waist of unified champion Oleksandr Usyk. Beyond a shot at the title, a win would position Pero among the biggest-name fighters in the heavyweight division.

“These are the type of fights you have to take to get those opportunities,” Santos said. “He is there now.”

The heavyweight division is unlike any other in the sport – and for a number of reasons. For starters, the pay tends to be higher than fighters see in other weight classes. Also, every fighter has one-punch knockout power based on sheer size. That said, the risk is higher for heavyweight prospects precisely because one punch can change everything. Fighters can also slip through the cracks if they don’t consistently turn in outstanding performances. Case in point: Pero’s last outing was a unanimous decision win over Jordan Thompson. It wasn’t a bad one, but it didn’t move the needle, either.

Against New York’s Miller – a 27-1-2 (22 KOs) pressure fighter who is coming off a split decision win over Kingsley Ibeh in January – Pero finally earns a fight against a buzzworthy opponent. And a win would elevate him to another tier in boxing’s glamor division. 

“He is definitely motivated,” Santos said. “A win here parlays him into a fight for the heavyweight title. This is a game-changer for him.”

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.