Heavyweight title hopeful Daniel Dubois returned to winning ways in memorable style by becoming the first fighter to stop Jarrell Miller with eight seconds remaining of a gruelling 10-round contest on the Day of Reckoning undercard in Riyadh.
Having weighed in almost 100lb lighter than Miller, Dubois’ judicious shot selection was helped by the brash older man tiring early, offering particularly little back during the closing two rounds after initially applying intense pressure in an attempt to profit on attrition.
All four of the preceding bouts on the card had ended early, and Dubois lived up to his nickname of ‘Dynamite’ by taking advantage of Miller’s ailing state in the closing stanza, sending his static victim against the ropes with a barrage of hooks that caused the contest to be called off with the bell ready to ring.
“I had to finish strong,” Dubois said after his return following his ninth-round knockout defeat to unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in August.
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“I always look for the knockout. I want to fight all of the best fighters. I’ve regained the confidence that might have been missing before.”
Miller had criticised the appointment of an all-English officiating team on social media minutes before the fight, but Dubois was warned by referee Michael Alexander for a low uppercut during the first round and leaning forward with his head late on, which may have served as reminders of the controversial incident during his bout with Usyk, when the champion was given extra time to recover from a shot deemed a low blow.
The adversaries also engaged in an ill-tempered build-up to the fight, but Dubois called Miller a “brother” and “friend for life” as they shared respect in the ring following a 20th victory, all but one coming by knockout.
Dubois landed a career-high 146 punches, connecting with 48% of his shots as the statistics demonstrated the punishment Miller absorbed.
Daniel Dubois ‘silenced doubters’ in knockout win over Jarrell Miller
Showman Miller engaged in an acrimonious build-up with Dubois, shoving the Londoner, who was clearly enraged and returned fire with verbal barbs, at the weigh-in.
Miller also traded insults with Anthony Joshua – an unsurprising development given Miller’s positive tests for several substances that caused his scheduled scrap with Joshua to be called off in 2019 as part of a two-year ban from competing.
Aside from his antics, Miller’s status as an enigma on the event was justified by his record. Out of the ring between 2018 and 2022, he had never been stopped but had never fought anyone on the scale of Usyk, last appearing when he beat journeyman Lucas Browne in March.
Dubois produced an unwittingly hilarious response to that weigh-in set-to, informing Miller’s camp that Riyadh was in Africa and adding: “We slaughter lambs out here”.
If Dubois entered the ring not knowing where he was, Miller also fitted that description by the end. Rather than easing off and completing a rare win on the cards by a wide margin, Dubois’ continuation of the battery reflected his mindfulness of the need to make a statement that would keep him in the conversation when title talk is in the air.
Performances like this help to make his only previous defeat – a beatdown against Joe Joyce in 2020 when his tactical naivety was conspicuous on his way to being stopped – seem less damaging to those ambitions.
The extent of the eye injury Dubois sustained against Joyce meant there was little point in him holding out for a decision he would have lost by a landslide, but there have been questions around Dubois’ bravery ever since that fight, not helped by his scare against Kevin Lerena in 2022 and stoppage against Usyk.
“It really mattered tonight,” said Dubois. “I had to dig very deep. It was a great fight. I’m just glad I came through it – I showed my heart.
“I’m a prideful fighter. I’m learning new things every day. I had my dad screaming in my corner and I just had to get out there and work. I had to prove it to myself; to show myself that I’m a real fighter and can become a champion. I silenced the doubters tonight.”
Massive Miller pledges to return after late KO against Dubois
The wisdom of Miller weighing in at 333lb always seemed questionable. The hardly-diminutive Dubois, who was 94lb lighter, appeared to be breathing heaviest after two rounds, but Miller’s legs looked leaden before the midway point, allowing Dubois to achieve ever-greater damage with jabs.
Had he been less sluggish once his initial search for a wrestle ended, Miller might have been able to land more regularly and tellingly against susceptible-looking company.
As it was, he found himself on the end of several crisp Dubois combinations and looked exhausted by the eighth, the snap taken out of him by a spiteful right hand.
By contrast – and possibly because of Miller’s demeanour – Dubois bounced back into the ring and bristled with confidence.
His momentum was curbed when he was warned about putting his head first 30 seconds from the end of that round, but an overhand and body shot with his right sent the bloodied Miller wobbling back to his corner.
Just when it looked like Miller would hold on, a barrage of unanswered hooks gave Dubois a dramatic win for the highlights reel and left the loser with little he can take encouragement from when he reflects on this encounter.
Miller seems to enjoy cultivating the villainish profile his transgressions outside of the ring have given him. The sporting appeal of him returning to this kind of stage is dubious but, at 35, it is easy to imagine him becoming another durable veteran whose presence becomes marketable in the build-up to events.
“Daniel D’s no quitter,” Miller said, clearly in the mood for more nights like this. “I’ve been out of activity for a while. I took this fight at four weeks’ notice and gave it everything I’ve got. The main thing is I’m back in the ring and I’m going to be active. I’ll get back in shape and have a longer camp.”
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