Eddie Hearn: Joshua-Miller not done, but ‘strong possibility’

Badlefthook.com

Right now, it looks as though Anthony Joshua will defend his three heavyweight titles in June against Jarrell Miller, with Miller having some home field advantage in New York, and Joshua making his U.S. debut.

But while promoter Eddie Hearn says it’s a “strong possibility” and even says the fight could be official as soon as next week, he’s stressing that it’s not a done deal yet:

“Looking at the Miller fight, New York is something that we didn’t expect, but as we talk more about it, as we speak to great venues like Madison Square Garden, it’s starting to sound quite special. … We’re not done with Jarrell Miller. We have deep talks progressing now. There is no deal yet, but right now, that looks like a strong possibility.”

Joshua (22-0, 21 KO) was expected to fight on April 13 at Wembley Stadium, but a fight for that venue just didn’t come together. WBC titleholder Deontay Wilder’s team didn’t return calls, according to Hearn, and while there reportedly was contact with Tyson Fury, Fury’s team look set on a rematch with Wilder. Dillian Whyte became harder to negotiate with than Hearn appeared to expect.

So Miller (23-0-1, 20 KO) steps in, and it’s not a bad fight. “Big Baby” has certainly talked his way into the position as much as anything, but making yourself attractive for a fight is a big part of the game, too. Miller’s got that part down.