Fabio Wardley and Jarrell Miller previewed their bout and went face-to-face at a launch press conference. The two heavyweights are scheduled to battle it out on June 7 at Portman Road Stadium in Ipswich, England.
Wardley (18-0-1, 17 KOs), who said he picked Miller as his next opponent, makes his hometown ring appearance. The unbeaten 30-year-old stopped Frazer Clarke in the first round of their rematch last October after fighting the latter to a split draw last March. In 2023, the Ipswich native stopped David Adeleye and Michael Polite Coffie in the seventh and fourth rounds, respectively.
“It is my hometown, I am a born and bred Ipswich boy, it is my home club, and nothing is being taken from me here,” Fabio Wardley said on Monday. “This is hallowed turf; this is where I’m strongest. There is an extra fight and extra fire in me when I step on that turf. When there is a ring on top of that pitch, there is more in me, more determination, more work, more output. I become undeniable when you put me on that pitch. It is a hard night’s work in front of me, but it is a job I can conquer.”
“He said he did his research or homework, but clearly not. The last opponent that came here in a Norwich shirt… Clearly, he hasn’t done his homework on what happened to that person because it didn’t end well for them.”
“They call you ‘Big Baby’ because you don’t shut up; you need a pacifier in your mouth. I picked you. I looked at the list and picked your name. I said, ‘Who is the big guy who thinks he is the big I am in the division? “Big Baby,” let’s pick that one, let’s teach him a lesson.'”
‘I’m gonna make you cry’
Miller (26-1-2, 22 KOs) of Brooklyn, New York, makes his debut in the UK. In his previous bout last August, the 36-year-old fought former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz to a majority draw after suffering a defeat via 10th-round TKO against Daniel Dubois in late 2023. The American heavyweight stated he was better than the previous opponents Wardley has faced.
“Ipswich? I’ve been doing my homework, and I’m gonna support the other side [Norwich City shirt],” Jarrell Miller said. “That being said, Norwich whooped your ass last time, and I’m gonna whoop your ass. I know Frank [Warren] is a good salesman and has put the battery in his back, but he is getting F****d up.”
“There is a reason I have been avoided for many years. I had one slip-up with Dubois and had three weeks’ notice for that, but, like I said before, I’m a killer. No matter where I go, real warriors travel anywhere. I’ve been in people’s backyards before whooping a**.”
“We are cut from different cloth. I was being respectful, then he made a diss song, Big Baby Killer. Where I come from, this is a death threat. I am running you down, I am coming to your face. He can do all that nonsense, I’m gonna f*** you up, plain and simple.”
“Let me say this, man, I don’t mind doing the gimmicks and the fun stuff, but I don’t play; I don’t play this sport. I’ve come from every fighting background you can think of. This is what I do. I was bred for this.”
“You’ve never been in the ring with somebody like me. David Adeleye? Good win. You’ve got a draw with that punk, what’s his name? Clarke. I ain’t them. Google my name, ‘Big Baby,’ there is a reason why they call me that. I make people cry. Come Saturday night here, I’m gonna make you cry, man.”
The Wardley vs Miller undercard matchups are expected to be confirmed shortly.