· Big Baby Grinds Down Pero, Eyes Wilder

· Big Baby Grinds Down Pero, Eyes Wilder

Jarrell Miller breathed fresh life into his heavyweight campaign with a hard-fought 12-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Lenier Pero at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Saturday. The WBA eliminator bout saw Miller, who tipped the scales 12lbs lighter than his previous outing, outmuscle the No.2-ranked Cuban in a gruelling inside fight. Miller threw a staggering 1,003 punches, landing 290, compared to Pero’s 253 connects from 648 attempts. After dropping the early rounds to Pero’s sharp southpaw work, Miller flipped the script in round three, closing the gap and forcing a claustrophobic phone-booth battle. From there, his relentless body attack and volume drowned the Cuban, who faded badly. All three judges scored for Miller: 117-111, 117-111 and 115-113. The victory made Miller (28-1-2, 22 KOs) the WBA mandatory challenger, thrusting him back into heavyweight title contention. He immediately called for a clash with Deontay Wilder, a fight promoter Eddie Hearn said he’d love to stage in New York. It wasn’t a classic, but Miller’s engine and grit looked formidable. If he brings that kind of relentlessness to a Wilder showdown, the division could be in for absolute chaos. Photo credit: DAZN / Matchroom Boxing

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