Sports
By Kal Sajad BBC Sport at Kingdom Arena, Riyadh
AN inspired Daniel Dubois reignited his career by stopping Jarrell Miller with just 10 seconds to go in a thrilling heavyweight contest in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
With the fight looking destined to go the distance, Briton Dubois unleashed a combination of right and left hooks as Miller stumbled into his corner.
Miller, who returned from a two-year doping ban last year, was out on his feet as Dubois continued the onslaught before the referee saved the American from any further damage.
Dubois, 26, returned to winning ways after defeat at world-title level to Oleksandr Usyk in August.
“It really mattered tonight. I had to dig deep. I came through it and I showed my heart,” he told Dazn post-fight.
“I had my dad screaming in my corner and I knew I had to go out there and work. I had to prove it to myself that I was a real fighter and I could be a champion. I silenced the doubts tonight.”
Dubois shines in career-best win
A heavyweight tussle with this much intrigue may have headlined and sold out a British arena, but there were plenty of empty seats in the 6,000 capacity venue as Miller and Dubois made their ring walk, albeit they were not the main eventers.
Miller, a fighter who often plays up to the villain for the boxing world, was given a good welcome by the Saudi crowd. His compatriot and light-welterweight world champion Devin Haney was cheering on from ringside.
Jeers echoed for Dubois, but it was the Londoner who started strongly – landing a jab and two crunching body shots within the first 20 seconds.
Miller tipped the scales at a staggering 23st 11lb at the weigh-in, offering a large target for Dubois to continually pummel the body.
Brooklyn fighter Miller continued to walk his opponent down before connecting with three wild swings in the second round. He increased in confidence, doubling and trebling up his jab. Each Miller punch was being whipped in with real venom.
The fight was quickly becoming a shootout. Both men trading leather. The volume of work from Dubois, the more hurtful punches from Miller.
But Dubois soon regained control, moving more freely around the ring, punching with more accuracy.
A chopping right stopped Miller – gasping for air – in his tracks in the seventh. Dubois continued to nail Miller with combinations to head and body.
Miller was staggered in the eight and began to visibly tire further in the ninth.
Dubois took full advantage and finished the contest in style. Ducking under telegraphed Miller punches, he countered with quick hands and eye-catching shots.
Miller showed defiance, pumping out his chest, but seven unanswered hooks from Dubois left the referee no choice.
Just a couple of hours before their fight, Miller posted on Instagram complaining of the British referee and judges.
In the end, the nationality of the judges was irrelevant.
Dubois’ performance against Usyk – dropping the champion with a shot controversially ruled a low blow – earned him the plaudits but that fight ultimately ended in failure.
Rather than take a confidence-boosting comeback fight, he admirably agreed to face the imposing yet unknown quantity Miller.
With his back up against the wall, with critics questioning both his ability to sell a fight and him as a boxer, Dubois has delivered potentially a career-best performance.
The quiet and sometimes awkward heavyweight also found his voice in fight week, matching the brash Miller’s trash talk.
“I want to fight all the best fighters. The confidence that was missing before, I gained it tonight,” he said.
In the build-up, Miller called his opponent a quitter for stoppage defeats to Joe Joyce and Usyk. Post-fight, however, he said Dubois is “no quitter.”
Some may feel Dubois’ win is also a victory for the integrity of the sport.
Miller failed tests before a scheduled world-title challenge against Anthony Joshua in June 2019 and tested positive for a performance enhancing drug again in 2020 which led to the two-year ban.
But despite his chequered past, Miller’s controversial and outspoken nature draws attention. With the amount of money being invested into the heavyweight division by Saudi organisers, it is highly unlikely Miller will fade into obscurity.
Defeats for British underdogs Arthur and Zorro
There was heartbreak for two Britons on the undercard of the Day of Reckoning card, co-headlined by heavyweights Anthony Joshua v Otto Wallin and Deontay Wilder v Joseph Parker.
Light-heavyweight Lyndon Arthur’s bid to dethrone WBA world champion Dmitry Bivol ended in a shutdown points defeat.
Manchester’s Arthur – lacking any real intent or aggression – was dropped with a body shot in the 11th round. All three judges scored it 120-107 to Bivol.
Cruiserweight Ring Magazine champion Jai Opetaia beat Ellis Zorro with a highlight-reel one-punch knockout in the first round.
The power-punching Opetaia, who vacated his IBF world title in order to fight on the lucrative Saudi card, connected with a huge left hook. Bromley’s Zorro was given oxygen by medical staff before getting to his feet five minutes later.
T.
-December 24, 2023 @ 11:35 GMT|
Tags: Daniel Dubois Jarrell Miller
