Promoter Bob Arum gave Jarrell Miller a second chance by signing the troubled heavyweight earlier this year and arranging his comeback. Miller won’t get a third chance, at least not from Arum.
Arum told talkSPORT Fight Night that he’s releasing Miller from his contract after the fighter failed a drug test ahead of his scheduled bout with Jerry Forrest on July 9.
Miller had also tested positive for multiple PEDs before he was scheduled to challenge for Anthony Joshua’s titles on Dec. 7 in New York, which cost him the opportunity. Andy Ruiz Jr. took his place and stopped Joshua.
“How stupid can you be? That was my reaction,” Arum said. “I mean when we signed the fight, after he had had tested positive before the fight with Anthony Joshua, he told me it was his people that did it, he would be very careful, he would have a special nutritionist.
“And, boom, the same thing happened and he tested dirty. I think, again, that’s a credit to boxing. Because once we scheduled him to fight, the Nevada Commission immediately had VADA test him.
“The first test uncovered performance-enhancing drugs. It’s very, very hard to deal with stupidity.”
Miller avoided being suspended after his earlier failed tests because he had yet to be licensed by New York. “Big Baby” probably will face punishment this time. The NSAC reportedly will treat Miller as a licensed fighter because he submitted all pertinent paperwork.
“I look at it this way: If a fighter takes performance-enhancing drugs getting ready to participate in a fight, then I look at it as attempted murder,” Arum said. “If he somehow evaded the test, he would go in the ring seriously compromising his opponent and I believe that would be attempted murder.
“What happened in New York, he didn’t have a license. He tested dirty and the fight was off. When we went to the Nevada Commission to schedule him for a fight, we told the Nevada Commission, ‘Look, if he had been licensed in New York, they would’ve given him a one-year suspension. So let’s do it ourselves, keep him out for the year.’
“… Now it’s up to the [Nevad] commission to determine the penalty. And I believe that it’ll either be multi-year or life. If he isn’t banned for life, then I believe it’ll be a multi-year suspension. And if you’re asking me if I’d continue my contract with him, the answer is, ‘Not on your life.’
“Jarrell Miller will never fight on a Top Rank card.”