American boxer Jarrell Miller has become the official challenger for the WBA heavyweight title held by Oleksandr Usyk. This followed his victory in an eliminator bout in Las Vegas, Suspilne Sport reports.
Jarrell Miller defeated Cuban Lenier Pero by unanimous decision and became the mandatory challenger for a fight against Oleksandr Usyk under the WBA.
The bout took place in Las Vegas and had eliminator status. Its winner earned the right to fight for the title against the Ukrainian champion.
The fight had no knockdowns. In the first round, Pero landed a strong left hook, but from the third round Miller began to take control, pressure his opponent and work the body.
After 12 rounds, the judges unanimously awarded the victory to the American — 117:111, 117:111 and 115:113. In total, Miller threw more than 1,000 punches during the fight, one of the highest figures in heavyweight boxing.
After the win, the boxer said he was not aiming for a knockout but wanted to test his physical condition.
Miller also called out fellow American Deontay Wilder. His promoter Eddie Hearn said a potential fight between them could take place in New York.
Meanwhile, Oleksandr Usyk is preparing for a bout against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven, scheduled for May 23 in Egypt.