Heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua didn’t rise to the bait when his rival Jarrell Miller insulted him by calling him a p***y.
During an interview with UK media in Riyadh, the Daily Star reported that Miller walked by and made a snappy comment, saying: “I knew I smelled p****.” Joshua turned to look at the American heavyweight but didn’t bite back in what could have turned into another nasty confrontation between the pair.
Joshua elected not to respond, avoiding what could have been another heated clash between the two. The 34-year-old former two-time unified world heavyweight champion later dismissed Miller by saying: “He is a clown.” Joshua continued, noting: “I am fully focused on Otto Wallin; after this week, I will tell you everything, but right now, Wallin is the only focus.”
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Miller is set to fight against Joshua’s fellow Brit, Daniel Dubois, the same night Joshua takes on Wallin. According to its official poster, the event is being promoted as the “Day of Reckoning” and Joshua will take to the ring at around 11pm UK time on Saturday.
Joshua and Miller have been rivals since they were supposed to fight each other in June 2019. That match was canceled when Miller failed drug tests for EPO [erythropoietin] and HGH [human growth hormone].
Joshua then lost his three world titles and undefeated record to Andy Ruiz Jr in New York. Despite their past, Joshua insists Miller won’t rattle him at future media events.
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He added: “Not this week; I have to just let him know he is not even in my sights; he is beneath me. In reality, I was thinking, ‘Why do I even address that clown? He is beneath me.’ I have bigger and better things to focus on.”
If Miller seeks to engage in a genuine bout with Joshua inside the ring, he must wait well beyond the clash with Wallin. The former heavyweight champion has already secured an agreement with Deontay Wilder for a match set on March 9 in Saudi Arabia.
For Joshua, the hurdle is defeating Wallin, while Wilder is set to face Joseph Parker on the same fight card. Both fighters must emerge victorious and maintain their health to ensure the continuity of the anticipated showdown. Whether the match will proceed later in case of injury to either participant remains uncertain.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, disclosed that scheduling both fights on the same night was a deliberate strategy to build excitement for what he views as one of the most significant boxing bouts. “The reason that fight is happening with both on the same night is to prepare for and build a fight between the two,” said Hearn on Thursday.
“So, the contracts aren’t signed, talks continue. But everybody wants to make that fight. Everyone’s saying, ‘Well, why are you fighting a tough fight before Deontay Wilder?’ That was the fight proposed to us from Saudi.”
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