Joshua vs Miller: Is It Really That Bad

Joshua vs Miller: Is It Really That Bad

To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Jarrell Miller was announced as the next opponent for Anthony Joshua. I’ve seen comments that it’s a joke fight, it’s not, but that opinion is based on the belief that we would get something more attractive.

Joshua made it clear that Deontay Wilder was the number one target, followed then by Tyson Fury and then Dillian Whyte if Wilder could not be delivered.

For completely different reasons the three preferred options failed to materialise. So the Miller announcement would leave many disappointed, and that the American isn’t worthy of the opportunity.

Just because Miller isn’t what we wanted, it doesn’t mean it’s a joke fight, there have been much worse over the years.

Larry Holmes in his long reign had to face the likes of Scott Frank, Marvis Frazier, Randall Cobb and others, not every fight in a title reign will be the sort of fight we crave. The longer Joshua stays as a champion, he will be no different, mandatory obligations will determine whom he fights at certain points in his career.

Joshua told us who he wanted, and that hit list would certainly resonate with most boxing fans, but Wilder and Fury were always unlikely to happen. They have their own unfinished business, a rematch was practically guaranteed as soon as the judges rendered their controversial decision back in December, neither were really in the equation.

Whyte however, is a different story. It looked almost certain that Whyte would fill the vacant slot for the Wembley date in April. But Whyte put a certain value on his services, and that led to the negotiations breaking down.

But the problem for Whyte is, he is playing a high stakes game of poker, a multi-million dollar gamble. Boxing is high risk, one punch, one loss or an injury can set you back so much. Boxing politics will play its ugly part no doubt, nothing is certain, sometimes you have to grab an opportunity while it is there, speculate to accumulate, as they say, play the percentages and not argue about them.

With Joshua only likely to be fighting once more in 2019, anything could happen. Joshua could lose, so could Whyte, what if Fury beats Wilder and that sets up a trilogy fight. Whyte could face a very long wait to get another opportunity to fight for the title, the world heavyweight scene is already complicated, it might get a whole lot more complicated in the coming months.

I don’t get the logic of Whyte fighting a Dominic Breazeale for no titles, for less money. Whyte might win and get himself into a mandatory position to face Wilder for the WBC title. But even if he gets the fight, will he get more money than he would have had for the Joshua fight, I seriously doubt it. I hope Whyte doesn’t live to regret his decisions, he is probably the 4th best heavyweight around, but he has shown he is far from beatable.

With plan A, B and C all out, who did that leave for Joshua. Boxing Monthly rate Miller the 6th best heavyweight in the world, Joshua, Wilder, Fury, Whyte, and Luis Ortiz are above him, so on balance, I don’t have the same hate for the fight as some.

Ortiz would be a possible alternative, but Wilder has already beaten him and other than seeing if Joshua could do the job better, it would be a hard sell, personally I have no real desire to see that fight.

Kubrat Pulev is another, Pulev is a more than decent fighter, but outside of Wilder, Fury and Whyte, whoever Joshua would be facing we would have had the same derision over the choice of opponent. As the fight is in America, Miller ticks more boxes to introduce Joshua to the American scene, the fight is more marketable over there with Miller in it.

Miller is unbeaten, but untested and in many ways, it’s probably too soon for him and the fight itself. The simmering feud would be better building further, Miller getting some more experience and in a years time, the fight would be a natural if they both kept on winning of course.

The American obviously has the belief he can beat Joshua, and unlike Whyte, has taken the opportunity while it is there, he has given himself the chance to drastically change his life.

Joshua has received much criticism of late, unfairly in my opinion, and there does seem to be a shift in his popularity. But when you consider the quality of opposition he has faced compared to that of Wilder, he deserves a pass for this fight. The Wilder Fury fight changed everything for Joshua, from a position of great strength he’s now on the outside looking in.

Everything in boxing is temporary, and once the dust has settled on the rematch with Wilder and Fury, and if as expected Joshua gets past Miller, the dice might then fall back in Joshua’s favour, but for now he needs to show patience, as do we.