A heavyweight fight between struggling journeyman Derek Chisora and Jarrell Miller is being negotiated for February 8th in a Queensberry event in Manchester, England.
Dan Rafael reports the Chisora-Miller fight is being “finalized.” There’s no word about whether this would be the main event, but it is likely given the 40-year-old Chisora’s popularity in the UK.
Why Are Fans Still Interested in Chisora?
British fans don’t want to give up on Chisora (35-13, 23 KOs), even though he’s not performed well in many years. Chisora vs. Miller will sell in the UK but won’t provide much value if DAZN shows the fight worldwide on their platform.
These guys are not relevant in this late stage of their careers, and they should be on undercards, preferably off the main cards.
The 36-year-old Miller (26-1-2, 22 KOs) is coming off a controversial 12-round draw against the former IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. on August 3rd. In that match, Miller gave Ruiz a run for his money, but it wasn’t great. That version of Jarrell Miller will obliterate Chisora, and it won’t be remotely competitive. If Miller is in shape, he’ll knock out Chisora.
Ruiz vs. Miller punch stats
– Jarrell Miller: 183 of 514 punches for 35.6%
– Andy Ruiz: 113 of 355 punches for 31.8%
Chisora is a shell of the fighter that gave an injured, one-armed Vitali Klitschko problems, losing a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision on February 18, 2012.
That was the high point of Chisora’s career, going the distance with Vitali, who suffered a left arm injury early in the fight and fought with just his right hand for the majority of the contest.
Miller’s recent fights
– Andy Ruiz Jr: 12-round draw
– Daniel Dubois: TKO 10 loss
– Lucas Browne: TKO 6
– Derek Cardenas: TKO 4
Chisora has won his last two fights against 39-year-old Joe Joyce in an upset and 42-year-old Gerald Washington. With 58-year-old Mike Tyson making a comeback and other 50+-year-old heavyweights getting in on the fun, Chisora is young in comparison but still not worthy of being in main event fights.