Anthony Joshua vs Jarrell Miller Prediction - Boxing Pick for June 1, 2019

Unified boxing world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will defend his belts against Brooklyn’s Jarrell Miller at the Madison Square Garden on June 1, 2019.

Unified Champion

Anthony Joshua holds most of the heavyweight belts right now. He won the IBF belt from Charles Martin, added the WBA (super) belt after knocking out Wladimir Klitschko and then annexed the WBO belt by beating Joseph Parker. AJ has been the toast of England since capturing Olympic gold in 2012.

Joshua stands 6-6 with a reach of 82 inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance. He has a record of 22-0 with 21 knockouts with only Joseph Parker going the distance with him so far in his professional career. AJ is coming off a 7th round knockout of Alexander Povetkin last September 2018.

Joshua used to be just a knockout artist but has become a more patient fighter since becoming heavyweight champion. He has a nasty right hand but also loves to do his work on the inside with his short hooks and his devastating uppercut. Joshua’s big and athletic but we’ve seen him fade late in fights as well. Get some boxing betting tips before betting on this fight.

What are the Moneyline Odds?

Joshua

-1000

Miller

+600

Odds from betonline.ag as of 4/15/19

Big Baby Miller

Tyson Fury once made fun of his nickname Big Baby but he is no laughing stock at all. Jarrell Miller made news in 2007 when he made the finals of the New York Golden Gloves while also competed for the New Jersey Tigers in the World Combat League. This former kickboxer has gone a long way and has established himself as the 9th best heavyweight in the Ring rankings.

Big Baby stands 6-4 and has a reach of 78 inches. What makes him big though is that he weighs 300 pounds but can carry the weight well. Miller has a record of 23-0-1 with 20 knockouts. The only blot in his resume was a draw in his fifth professional bout against Joey Dawejko. In his last five bouts, he’s knocked out Gerald Washington, Mariusz Wach, Tomasz Adamek and Bogdan Dinu while winning a decision over Johann Duhaupas.

Miller may be huge but he is athletic, perhaps owing to his kickboxing background. He does have punching power too with 20 knockouts in 23 wins. However, he doesn’t have the best of footwork and lacks the technical skill that Joshua possesses. He is an aggressive fighter though, which makes him a live dog here.

More Questions Than Answers

Joshua is a heavy favorite here given his pedigree and fight experience. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Miller will be a walk in the park for the Briton. You can laugh at his “Big Baby” monicker but Miller can pull off a surprise here.

Look, Miller is 300 pounds and very athletic. He had a good work rate and some people are even saying that he can outwork Joshua in a 12-round fight. Miller also has knockout power with 20 knockouts in 23 fights and some quarters are saying that he will have his best shot to shock the world early in the fight. But while we can write many things to make Miller look a formidable opponent for Anthony Joshua, there are more questions than answers around him.

Does he really have the better engine than AJ? Miller loves to come forward but does he have the ability to catch and shock Joshua? Does he have enough power in those fists to put Joshua down like Klitschko did? And if it’s AJ who hits him, will he be able to take Joshua’s shots? Look, Miller is huge at 300 pounds but he’s never been tested with a punch as big as Joshua’s. And if he goes down, can he get up? Miller also loves to fight on the inside but then we know that AJ makes his living there with his short hooks and uppercuts.

Who Wins?

I think Jarrell Miller will take his chances early. He knows that Joshua hasn’t tasted his power yet and he feels that he can take the champ down. I’m not saying that AJ is a slow starter but Miller’s power should be at its peak when he hasn’t been hit yet. If Joshua can take Miller’s power, then Big Baby will have to use his motor to fight Joshua in a long battle, that is if he can take AJ’s power himself.

The first few rounds will be crucial because we will know who can hurt who. If both can take each other’s power, this is going to be an exciting bout because Miller has good stamina. But when you look at both, AJ looks faster and quick on his feet. And while I think Miller does possess real punching power, Joshua’s punch is still heavier.

I can see this fight going the route of AJ vs Dillian Whyte where Whyte gave him problems at the beginning but ultimately Joshua found his way to win and to score the stoppage. I’m giving Miller at least six rounds here but again, given he is an unknown I may be overrating him. Regardless, this one should be entertaining but no question it’s Anthony Joshua who comes out victorious here. Prediction: Anthony Joshua by knockout after six rounds.

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