By Alex Fesl: In a crossroads fight, Jarrell Miller 25-0-1 (21 KOs) is scheduled to take on former WBA (Regular) heavyweight champion Lucas Browne 31-3 (27 KOs) at the Agenda Arena in Dubai.
A once-promising heavyweight prospect, Miller was at one time set to take on Anthony Joshua for the heavyweight championship at the famed Madison Square Garden back in the summer of 2019. That fight never materialized due to Miller failing multiple performance-enhancing drug tests and then being suspended. After serving his suspension for a few months, Miller would again fail multiple performance-enhancing drug tests before a match with heavyweight contender Jerry Forrest in 2020. After failing that test, Miller would seemingly go into hiding for the next few years, not boxing once.
Last June, Miller would return to the ring in an obscure fight card in Argentina, defeating local fighter Ariel Esteban Bracamonte by unanimous decision. One month later, Miller would return to the states to take on Derek Cardenas and win via 4th round TKO. This Saturday’s match vs. Browne will represent Miller’s toughest opponent of his career and perhaps his last chance at relevancy in the heavyweight division.
Like Miller, Lucas Browne has had an up-and-down career as well. Starting his career off quite impressively, Browne would have victories over boxing legend James Toney, contenders Travis Walker, Richard Towers, and Andriy Rudenko before taking on WBA (Regular) heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev. Browne would go on to take out Chagaev by sensational 10th round knockout in 2016. Yet, no stranger to failing performance-enhancing drug tests (like Miller), Browne would go on to fail multiple drug tests post-Chagaev fight. Browne would then be suspended for several months.
Afterward, Browne would continue his career by going 7-3 in his next ten fights. In his most noteworthy fight during that run, Browne would be knocked out by former heavyweight title challenger Dillian Whyte back in 2018.
Looking ahead, both Miller and Browne are highly rated by the WBA, with Browne ranked 10th and Miller ranked 11th, per the WBA’s February rankings. The winner of this fight will potentially move up in the rankings for a shot at the super WBA heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk or secondary regular WBA heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois.
