Jarrell Miller is out and the for a replacement continues!
As expected the NYSAC has officially ruled out Jarrell Miller for his June 1st bout against unified champion Anthony Joshua. This now frees up Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn, and DAZN who’ll be distributing the fight, to begin searching for a replacement. Several names have been leaked, but there’s both pros and cons as to who and why they’ll be considered.
Dillian Whyte
First up is Dillian Whyte (25-1, 18KOs). He’s already fought Joshua once and would be considered a good opponent since their first fight was close. Also, he’s won every fight since their clash and has looked good doing it. The downside is the fight is at Madison Square Garden. With both Joshua and Whyte being from England, this fight might be a difficult sell to an American audience.
Luis Ortiz
Next up for consideration is Luis Ortiz (31-1, 26KOs). He’s been a contender since coming to the US and nearly defeated WBC champion Deontay Wilder in an exciting bout. Fans would probably turnout for this fight due to the threat he presents and it gives a comparison for a possible Joshua vs Wilder fight.
The downside is Joshua may not want to have to train for a southpaw on a bifurcated training camp. Ortiz also hasn’t been exactly box office when headlining a card. However, US fans are familiar with him and he’s fought primarily on the east coast. If Madison Square Garden is going to be the location, Ortiz makes a lot of sense even considering the risk.
Manuel Charr
Also under consideration is Manuel Charr (31-4, 17KOs). He hails from Germany and is currently the WBA regular champion. This fight makes a lot of sense marketing-wise but, would be the most difficult of the fights mentioned to sell to an American audience.
Another issue that hurts this fight is that Charr has lost all of his step-up fights. He’s lost to Alexander Povetkin and Johann Duhaupas. This adds to the difficulty in justifying him as an opponent in an American arena.
Other names thrown out there that have been considered are Michael Hunter and Adam Kownacki. The latter has already turned the fight down due to a lack of time to be prepared. Hunter has been on social media stating he is ready.
Anthony Joshua’s American debut has definitely been hurt by Jarrell Miller’s positive test and finding an opponent that makes sense is going to quite a challenge for Eddie Hearn and DAZN. This will test both the promotional ability and ingenuity of Eddie Hearn to pull off a successful event.
By: Corey Cunningham
