Joshua looking forward to the challenge and plans on dismantling Miller in style!
Anthony Joshua will defend his WBA Super, IBF, WBO and IBO world titles against Jarrell Miller in his long-awaited U.S. debut at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, June 1, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN in the U.S.
Joshua (22-0, 21 KOs) last defended his titles with a knockout of Alexander Povetkin at Wembley Stadium in September in what was the Olympic Champion’s fourth straight stadium fight in front of over 80,000 fans. And now sport’s biggest name will follow in the footsteps of heavyweight greats such as Joe Louis, Joe Frazier, Evander Holyfield and Muhammad Ali when he crosses the Atlantic to silence Brooklyn’s brash “Big Baby” Miller at ‘The Mecca of Boxing’.
“June 1st I am heading to The Big Apple and I plan to embrace the culture and leave with an appetite for more,” said Joshua. “I will be fighting Jarrell Miller at the legendary Madison Square Garden. It has been an honour and a blessing to fight at some of the best venues in the World at home in the UK, not least Wembley Stadium, but the time has come to head across the Atlantic and defend my Heavyweight titles in the USA.
I am looking forward to taking on another challenge with a good boxer & a brilliant talker, it will be an exciting fight, I will leave nothing to chance and plan on dismantling Miller in style to make my mark.”
Miller (23-0-1, 20 KOs), has been calling for Joshua ever since he went face-to-face with Joshua during a heated exchange at the launch of DAZN’s streaming service in the U.S. in July last year, and the undefeated 300 pounder is promising to turn AJ’s American dream into a living nightmare as he looks to announce himself on the biggest stage of all.
Miller earned his shot at Joshua with successive wins over Gerald Washington, Mariusz Wach, Johann Duhaupas and [an ancient] Tomasz Adamek, crushing the latter inside two rounds on his Matchroom Boxing USA debut at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago in October. He followed this up with another big stoppage win, this time steamrolling Bogdan Dinu in four rounds at the Kansas Star Arena, and now Miller returns to his home city to fulfil a lifelong dream of fighting for a heavyweight championship.
“AJ is making a huge mistake coming over here to fight me in my own backyard,” said Miller. “He wants to announce himself on the American stage but all he’s doing is delivering me those belts by hand. Its dog eat dog in the ring and this dog has got a bigger bite, he’ll be leaving New York empty-handed.
“This is the fight that I’ve been chasing all my life and on June 1 I’m going to achieve the thing I was born to do and win the Heavyweight Championship of the World. That punk AJ is standing in the way of my dreams and on June 1 he’s getting run the hell over.”
“It’s been an eventful few months but I’m delighted to finally announce that Anthony Joshua will make his American debut at the iconic Madison Square Garden on June 1,” said Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Boxing Managing Director.
“AJ has created an incredible ‘Lion’s Den’ atmosphere in the UK and we plan to bring that energy to New York on a card that will be stacked with British vs. American talent. When you look at the Heavyweight greats that have graced the renowned ‘Mecca of Boxing’ the names of Ali, Frazier, Marciano and Tyson stand firm and June 1 will be a moment when the World will witness AJ’s turn.
“Jarrell Miller is someone I know well having been involved in his last 4 fights in America. I know how much he wants this fight and I know the belief that him and his team have in beating AJ. He is a mountain of a man with an incredible work rate and he will get the chance to challenge for 4 World Heavyweight belts in his backyard this summer. They went to head to head for all the wrong reasons last Summer and next week they will do it again as we get ready for the big build up for a momentous moment on June 1st at MSG.”
“We are delighted to be showing this massive occasion on Sky Sports Box Office and our team will provide every step of an enticing build up,” said Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing.
“Every boxer wants to conquer America and the time has come for AJ at the iconic Madison Square Garden. It’s been the home of countless classics, from Ali vs. Frazier to the controversial bout that was called a draw between Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis 20 years ago. It’s another chapter in the Joshua story.”
“Anthony Joshua is the number one heavyweight in the world and DAZN is excited to deliver the British star’s much-anticipated U.S. debut at the iconic Madison Square Garden,” said Joseph Markowski, DAZN Executive Vice President, North America.
NYC 4 The W ?? #AJBXNG https://t.co/bvw9dipCA5 pic.twitter.com/qqZzq4p7nT
— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyfjoshua) February 13, 2019
