Jarrell Miller could face Deontay Wilder next after he defeated Lenier Pero in a unanimous points decision in a WBA title eliminator in Las Vegas.
Miller bounced back with victory over Cuban Olympian Pero in a slugfest with 'Big Baby' throwing over 1,000 punches with new trainer Bozy Ennis in his corner for the first time.
Miller (28-1-2, 22 KO) and promoter Eddie Hearn are lining up a fight with Derek Chisora's conqueror Wilder in New York.
"For me, the American fight is Deontay Wilder against Jarrell Miller," said Hearn.
"Run it in New York. That's a serious fight. Deontay's come back with a good win against Chisora, I think that's a big fight for American boxing."
The win over Pero marks Miller's second straight victory in 2026 in what could possibly be his final chance to make a run at becoming a heavyweight world champion.
"I knew Pero was going be tough, and I had a feeling he was going move a lot more than that, to tell the truth," said Miller, who attributed his improved performance to a leaner fighting weight of 305lbs (138kg).
"I wasn't looking for the knockout. I just wanted to see what my conditioning was and get back to a lot of punches. And my team just said, 'if the knockout is going to come, it's going to come. And I felt really comfortable, and I really wanted the rounds.
"A couple of times I know I had him hurt but I'm like, 'you know what? Work, baby, just work. Don't look for it too much.' And he caught me with a couple of shots. But it was good, though, getting the rust off."
