Pero came out well early, using his southpaw jab, quick counters and cleaner feet to give Miller problems in the opening rounds. He was sharper at range and landed enough left hands to make Miller work for every step forward. Miller looked heavy at times in the first half, but he kept marching in and forcing turnovers.
That steady pressure changed the battle.
As soon as Miller got close, he leaned on Pero, squeezing him and making the match difficult. He started landing hooks, short uppercuts and right hands inside as he pushed Pero back to the ropes. The younger Cuban competitor continued to fight back, but the pace began to slow as the rounds moved on.
“Tyson might be interested, but we want to fight on neutral ground. He can’t come to America. Maybe if Saudi Arabia puts up that money, I’ll fight Tyson,” Jarrell Miller told DAZN about wanting to fight Tyson Fury.
“Deontay, he said a long time ago he didn’t want to fight ‘Big Baby’ because I hurt his feelings. If you don’t shut your mouth and come fight me, boy. We’ll see.”
Miller’s best work came in the middle and late rounds, where he pummeled Pero through activity alone and mixed in harder body shots. He never gave Pero room to reset. This has long been Miller’s best route in fights. He can make opponents work every second, and many heavyweights don’t enjoy that kind of night.
No takedowns were scored, but Miller looked the stronger man towards the end and closed better than Pero.
The win moves Miller to 28-1-2 (22 KOs), while Pero drops to 13-1 (8 KOs) after suffering the first loss of his professional career.
For Miller, the result keeps a career that nearly derailed years ago moving again. Seven years after losing the Anthony Joshua payday following failed drug tests, he’s still chasing the kind of money fight that slipped away. He may not be a champion, but heavyweights with his name value and style usually keep getting calls.
