Hearn: “What sort of message is that that we’re putting out?”

Eddie Hearn Couldn’t Sign Miller

Currently, the word around town is that fast-talking heavyweight Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (23-0-1, 20KO’s) is on the edge of signing a co-promotional deal with Top Rank. The news is certainly beneficial for Team Miller. However, it comes as somewhat a slap in the face of the sport of boxing. In early 2019, Miller was ready to stage an international showdown with the UK superstar Anthony “AJ” Joshua (22-1, 21KO’s). At the time AJ, was a four-belt-carrying champion looking to make his debut in America.

A SULLIED REPUTATION

This failed bout will forever live in shameful infamy due to Miller failing three different drug tests. To make matters far worse, in each instance, he was flagged for a new substance. Naturally, the fight was called off and Miller was made the drug cheat poster-boy. He was colored as a somewhat villainous character and briefly banned. Very briefly banned.

If Miller does indeed sign a deal with Top Rank, which no doubt will be a lucrative one, it makes one wonder how seriously drug cheats are being dealt with within the sport. What deters other boxers from juicing if a fighter can violate the rules so brazenly and be rewarded? Especially, as would be in Miller’s case, only to return to a gravy promotional deal and the promise of the highest profile fights around.

This is the personal and professional dilemma that Eddie Hearn recently was faced with. When Miller secured the bout with Joshua, he did so while competing under the Hearn’s Matchroom Promotion banner. With the news that Miller had so ferociously broken the rules, Hearn ripped him apart in the media. Over and over, he provided interviews where he condemned Miller’s actions and indicated he wanted nothing to do with him.

“He said some very nice to me. He didn’t want to join anyone else, didn’t want to sign with Top Rank, didn’t want to sign with Al Haymon, he wanted to sign with us. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t do it because I would be, and I know that I’ve probably done somethings before this that makes me hypocritical, and I’m a promoter. So that just comes with the territory, but I can’t preach like I preached about his three missed drug tests, three failed drug tests and just sign him, what May, June July August, four months later, you know?” ~Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Promotions

HEARN IS NO REBOUND PROMOTER

In the last few months, Miller has returned to his social media accounts and shows up to various live shows. While at one of these live events, Jarrell Miller took the occasion to lay his shoulder on Hearn’s shoulder and told him he, ‘wants to come home.’ To his credit, Eddie Hearn did not openly shun the man. Although, his polite response appeared forced and overtly political. In a recent interview with ‘Behind the Gloves,’ Hearn delved deeper into why he simply could not sign Miller.

According to Hearn, Miller simply has not paid enough penance for the crimes that he has committed against the sport. The younger Hearn believes that letting such egregious cheating go with this mild slap on the wrist will only, and is only, setting a terrible overall precedent for the sport at large.

Yet, while Hearn is standing on a place of morality and progressive thinking, there was a time limit on it. In his admonishment of Big Baby, Hearn gives the impression that after Miller was able to reestablish himself in the sport and keep his nose clean, maybe there was a future together.

“I said to Jarrell, I feel like you got to go and do your time, you know. There is no punishment here, this can’t be seen to be okay, you know. So, what he’s done is, he failed three drugs tests and walked straight into a lucrative deal with Top Rank. What sort of message is that that we’re putting out? And I know that I’m no saint, you know what I mean, but I can’t tell you and speak with the disgust that I had when this happened, which I did and still do, and then go and sign him

“[…] I said to him, you got to go out, do your time, go and have a fight and then in the future who knows, but I can’t be that guy to give you a fight in November, December when you just failed a drug test in May, you know. It’s just not right.” ~Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Promotion

Overall, the subject of PED’s in boxing is a slippery slope. How severely these boxers should be suspended and fined is of immense importance. Perhaps you don’t want to destroy a fighter’s livelihood on the first infraction. Yet, at the same time, it’s clear that these laughable six-month suspensions are not achieving any desired results.

By: Bakari Simpson