There seems like there’s almost no boundaries these days to what fighters are willing to say to get a fight but surely if there is a line in professional boxing, Jarrell Miller crossed it yesterday.
Yesterday in New York he and world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua came face to face in what nearly turned into a scuffle following some heated words exchanged between the two.
Whether it was staged or not is unclear, but one thing wasn’t staged, Joshua’s reaction to when he found out Miller had allegedly asked about taking his mother out on a date.
I can’t recall a time during my time in boxing a fighter ever bringing up another’s direct family member other than Ricardo Mayorga years ago against Fernando Vargas.
His translator told Vargas that Mayorga would do his wife a favor when they fought.
Bare knuckle fists flew shortly after that.
Speaking to Sporting News after yesterday’s presser in NY launching DAZN and his fight with Alexander Povetkin, Joshua spoke on Miller:
“With Miller he’s always been very negative towards me and I’m not in the business of just talking just for clout. I talk because it’s real. If I believe I’m better than you I’m saying that it’s because I believe I am.”
When asked about the comment Miller made about his mother, Joshua’s face dropped and in a serious tone replied:
“What? Come say it to my face.”
He couldn’t even talk about anything else after that:
“I’m still thinking about that comment.”
He concluded on the comment:
“He needs to watch his mouth because as I said I’m not someone who just talks for clout.”
Well, the story line for a potential fight between the two has certainly grown after yesterday.