Jarrell Miller Plans To Deliver Pain and Punishment to Andy Ruiz
It’s a pivotal battle for Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (26-1-1, 22 KOs), who faces one-time unified heavyweight champion Andy “Destroyer” Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) on August 3 in Los Angeles, California. Miller’s career could be on the line. But the big man from Brooklyn, New York promises to be a changed man and is confident that Ruiz will not last the distance.
Miller has always been a fighter who has exuded confidence. That was again evident during an exclusive interview with DAZN Boxing. He’s facing a fellow big man in Ruiz, a fighter hungry to get back into world title contention.
HOLES IN HIS GAME?
Destroyer is a skilled fighter with fast hands and decent pop in either. But Big Baby said Ruiz has flaws, and he has the style to nullify what he does best.
“Style-wise, Andy doesn’t do good against taller opponents. He doesn’t do good against the guys that move well, throw a lot of punches, and come with aggression . . . I don’t win close fights. I beat guys up, I knock them out, or I just demolish them, and that’s what we’re going to do with Andy.”
RENEWED COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION
Miller is right to label himself as an aggressive fighter. At his best, the 36-year-old overwhelms his foes with his work-rate and relentless pressure. However, Miller has been criticized for a lack of discipline about his inability to control his weight. It caught up to him during a tenth-round stoppage loss to reigning IBF champion Daniel Dubois in December 2023.
For that contest, Miller weighed 333 pounds. For the upcoming fight against Ruiz, he hired a nutritionist and trained in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Big Baby said he has dropped forty pounds, is in the best shape in several years, and believes all the hard work will show once the bell rings.
“I don’t care what his game plan is. I know he’s not knocking me the fuck out, so I don’t care what he does. The main thing is I want to punish him; I want to beat him into the ground.”
The proof is in the pudding, and some in the boxing community have a wait-and-see attitude. It all makes for what is sure to be quite an interesting battle. Miller is motivated to have a statement-worthy performance.
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