Jarrell Miller vs. Lenier Pero | DAZN - April 25, 2026

[Ruthless-RKO]

ANNOUNCED: Jarrell Miller will face Lenier Pero in a WBA heavyweight world title eliminator on April 25th in Las Vegas, live on DAZN.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Jarrell Miller to fight Lenier Pero in Las Vegas on April 25

Jarrell Miller and Lenier Pero are set to collide in a battle of fringe heavyweight contenders on April 25 in Las Vegas, Boxing Scene understands. The contest will top a Matchroom-promoted event at Fontainebleau.

It will be the first time Miller, 27-1-2 (22 KOs), has been seen in a ring since his hairpiece was thumped out of place during his 10-round points win over Kingsley Ibeh in January. The 37-year-old, from Brooklyn, remains a marketable player in the heavyweight sweepstakes despite fighting only six times in as many years after he infamously tested positive for numerous banned substances in 2019, losing his opportunity to challenge Anthony Joshua in the process. Following that, Eddie Hearn stated he would never work with Miller again but, just last week, the promoter alluded to a change of heart.

In Pero, 13-0 (8 KOs), he meets an unbeaten – albeit largely untested – Cuban who is ranked No. 2 by the WBA. Though a decorated amateur the 33-year-old is yet to partake in a contest scheduled for more than 10 rounds. Over that distance, he outpointed Jordan Thompson on a Matchroom bill last November.

The only other truly noteworthy victory for the southpaw came in 2023 when he halted the then-unbeaten Viktor Vykhryst in eight rounds.

Light heavyweight Ben Whittaker was rumored to be on the undercard though it seems more likely he will instead appear in Liverpool, England, on April 18 when Matchroom’s Callum Smith takes on David Morrell.

[joshj909]

Not a terrible fight. It could easily look terrible but it's two guys that could realistically be at a similar level

[Ruthless-RKO]

Hair Raiser!!

[margaret thatcher]

still milking that? boring by now

[Perkin Warbeck]

I'd sooner see Lenier Pero against someone else like Ajagba or Vianello.

I wonder what's next for Danier? I think he has more potential than his older brother.

[Ruthless-RKO]

JARRELL MILLER, LENIER PERO TO FIGHT APRIL 25 IN LAS VEGAS

Jarrell Miller and Lenier Pero are set to face off in a 12-round WBA heavyweight title eliminator on April 25.

The bout will take place at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas and will be streamed globally by DAZN, which announced the bout on its social media platforms Tuesday. The seeds for a potential bout between the two were first planted November 1, when Miller entered the ring to challenge Pero after the Cuban contender won a unanimous decision against Jordan Thompson at Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida.

Miller (27-1-2, 22 KOs) fought once since then, winning a split decision against Kingsley Ibeh on “The Ring 6” undercard January 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The 37-year-old Brooklyn native went viral after his hairpiece literally began to come off his head from an uppercut Ibeh landed late in the second round.

The win over Ibeh (16-3-1, 14 KOs) was Miller’s first since 2023, when he stopped Lucas Browne in the sixth round. Miller is currently unranked by the WBA or any other sanctioning body.

Pero (13-0, 8 KOs) is ranked No. 2 by the WBA, trailing only England’s Moses Itauma. The 33-year-old southpaw is coming off a lackluster, but one-sided victory in a 10-round bout against Thompson (15-2, 12 KOs).

Pero had won five straight fights by stoppage or knockout before winning consecutive 10-round bouts by unanimous decision.

Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) holds the WBA title, along with The Ring, IBF and WBC titles.

The Ukrainian southpaw is set to face former Glory Kickboxing heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven in a 12-round heavyweight bout May 23 at The Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, also on DAZN. The WBC is sanctioning the bout as a voluntary defense for the two-time undisputed heavyweight champion.

[Ruthless-RKO]

MILLER, PERO PROMISE KOS AHEAD OF HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE ELIMINATOR

The seeds for a potential bout between Lenier Pero and Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller were first planted on Nov. 1 at Caribe Royale.

Now, they’ll meet in a high-stakes clash in Las Vegas on April 25. Pero and Miller will clash in a 12-round WBA heavyweight title eliminator in the main event of a Matchroom Boxing card on DAZN at Fontainebleau. The two first faced off after Pero’s unanimous decision win over Jordan Thompson and agreed they’d fight one day. Both fighters were more than confident they wouldn't just win, but do so convincingly.

“I’m going to beat this b****’* ass come April 25,“ Miller said at a press conference at Caribe Royale on Thursday. “I’m going to beat his ass so bad he might take a boat back to Cuba after this ass-whooping. Come April 25, ain’t going to be no moving around. I’m going to run him the f*** over.”

“I'm going to put on a boxing clinic,” Pero said. “I'm going to show him what Cuban boxing is. On that night, I'm going to show you how elegant it can be, but I will stop him and I'll stop him quickly.“

Oleksandr Usyk holds the WBA title, along with the Ring, IBF and WBC titles, though, a bout against the winner isn't on the Ukrainian’s radar for his final three fights. Usyk will face former Glory Kickboxing heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven on May 23 at Pyramids of Giza in Egypt on DAZN. Miller (27-1-2, 22 KOs) went viral after losing his toupee in his split decision win over Kingsley Ibeh on Jan. 31. Late in the second round, a pair of punches from Ibeh knocked Miller’s hairpiece loose, and in between rounds he threw it into the crowd. Miller, 37, has capitalized on the publicity with numerous national media appearances with what was left of his toupee still on his head. In facing this southpaw, the Brooklyn, New York, native promises to bring back the old version of himself as he seeks his first world title shot. “I’m going back to the old-school Big Baby style — 70-80 punches a round.“ Miller said. “He’s going to try and box and be all pretty. I’ve seen some of the stuff he’s been doing. I’m going to beat the brakes off his ass.“

[Ruthless-RKO]

http://www.boxingtalk.com/Jarrell-Miller-confident-as-usual

Jarrell Miller confident as usual

Jarrell Miller has promised to make it a hairy night for Lenier Pero when they clash in a WBA heavyweight eliminator at BleauLive at Fontainebleau in Las Vegas on Saturday April 25th, live worldwide on DAZN. Miller (27-1-2 22 KOs) went ten rounds against Kingsley Ibeh in New York in January, marking his return to action 18 months after taking on former world ruler Andy Ruiz in Los Angeles, a close run cracker that ended in a majority draw. ‘Big Baby’s’ bout with Ibeh turned the Brooklyn man into a viral sensation after his hairpiece was dislodged by an Ibeh flurry in the second round, forcing Miller to rip it off and fling out of the ring. Miller embraced the moment and was a hit online and in the media after the incident and subsequent split decision victory, but now the 37 year old wants to use it to launch an assault on the Heavyweight division, starting with him going back to his high-volume output in Las Vegas, and landing a big win over WBA #2 ranked Pero (13-0 8 KOs) to be firmly in the mix for the big fights in the division.

“The toupee thing was something that was definitely not planned but we ran with it and it worked in our favor,” said Miller. “Kingsley was not a walkover, he gave me a run for my money, but I take an ugly win over a good loss any day. Pero called me out before which I was shocked by, but come April 25 I’ll be whooping his ass real good.

“Any fighter that gets in the ring over 200 pounds has a puncher’s chance, and I’ve never slept on any of my opponents or taken anyone lightly. It was a shorter camp for the New York fight but I’ve been in the gym since that fight and I look a lot leaner now.

“I need someone to get my juices running, I’m going to beat this bitch’s ass bad on April 25, he might need to get a one-way boat back to Cuba. It’s not going to be any of that pretty moving around, I’m going back to the old school and I’m going to run him over Big Baby style. I’m throwing 70-80- punches a round, he’s going to try to move around and box, I’ve seen the stuff he does in the gym, but I’m going to beat the brakes off his ass, trust me.”

[joshj909]

I hope Pero wins. Miller is so unlikeable

[gilgamesh]

I hope Pero wins. Miller is so unlikeable

Miller is definitely ready to be beaten again. He was only ever a lower half Top 10 contender even on the best day of his life, and he's past that.

[joshj909]

I hope Pero wins. Miller is so unlikeable

Miller is definitely ready to be beaten again. He was only ever a lower half Top 10 contender even on the best day of his life, and he's past that.

Retrospectively, I think even top 10.would be generous. With hindsight, none of his wins stand out as worthy of putting him in the top 10. He's there for the taking for anyone who's top 25 if he does manage to beat Pero.

[Benny The Kid]

I've been waiting for Lenier Pero to fight for awhile now. Both he and Frank Sanchez were rising Cuba Stars with nice amateur backgrounds. The Cuba fighter's are always tough durable men. I will be betting on Pero for sure...hopefully he's an underdog.

[joshj909]

Sometimes there's reasons why the guys with solid amateur records don't step up until it's too late. Dychko is an example of that.

[margaret thatcher]

I've been waiting for Lenier Pero to fight for awhile now. Both he and Frank Sanchez were rising Cuba Stars with nice amateur backgrounds. The Cuba fighter's are always tough durable men. I will be betting on Pero for sure...hopefully he's an underdog.

have you seen pero fight? if so what do you find impressive about him

cubans dont always pan out in the pros, plenty of examples of this

[Ruthless-RKO]

Sometimes there's reasons why the guys with solid amateur records don't step up until it's too late. Dychko is an example of that.

What’s the reason ?

[joshj909]

Sometimes there's reasons why the guys with solid amateur records don't step up until it's too late. Dychko is an example of that.

What’s the reason ?

They're not actually as good in the pro game as people think they might be and the boxer or their coaches know it

[Ruthless-RKO]

Sometimes there's reasons why the guys with solid amateur records don't step up until it's too late. Dychko is an example of that.

What’s the reason ?

They're not actually as good in the pro game as people think they might be and the boxer or their coaches know it

Ah yes sorry. Was bit slow then.

We see plenty of top amateurs that actually do give it ago and fall short.

Many still make it in the pro ranks though.

[joshj909]

What’s the reason ?

They're not actually as good in the pro game as people think they might be and the boxer or their coaches know it

Ah yes sorry. Was bit slow then.

We see plenty of top amateurs that actually do give it ago and fall short.

Many still make it in the pro ranks though.

Majidov and Pfeifer were the last ones who fell flat on their face early but could've racked up easy wins like Dychko. An amateur record doesn't mean guaranteed success but it can definitely be helpful. There's plenty of different approaches and it depends on confidence as well as ability. The likes of Joshua and Yoka had decent enough names on their record quite early and have had different levels of success since. It took Zhang years to step up but he's had reasonable success since. Then those like Devin Vargas who never amounted to much in a long pro career despite having a reasonable amateur record.

[gilgamesh]

I imagine if a prospect can't make it past Jarrell Miller his ceiling obviously wasn't very high to begin with. Especially THIS Jarrell Miller.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Bozy Ennis to join Jarrell Miller's corner for Lenier Pero bout

Jarrell Miller is calling in some reinforcements.

The Ring has learned the longtime heavyweight contender will have trainer Derrick "Bozy" Ennis as one of the voices in his corner when facing Lenier Pero at Fontainebleau in Las Vegas on April 25, live on DAZN.

Ennis is the father and trainer of former Ring and unified welterweight world champion Jaron Ennis, while counting recent lightweight title challenger Andy Cruz and highly-rated welterweight contender Jack Catterall among those in his existing stable out of Philadelphia.

This won't be the first time Miller and Ennis have worked together.

Alongside the 37-year-old's longtime trainer Aureliano Sosa, Ennis coached him from the sidelines in August 2024 during his contentious 12-round majority draw against former unified world champion Andy Ruiz. The pairing worked beautifully as Miller (27-1-2, 22 KOs) outworked Ruiz in the second-half of a bruising contest.

Now more than 18 months later, it's all about momentum. Miller picked up his first win in three years when narrowly outpointing Kingsley Ibeh on The Ring 6 undercard at New York's Madison Square Garden on Jan. 31. During his 10-round points win, the brash American had a viral moment when his toupee flew off his head.

Embarrassment aside, which he has since profited from, he's hoping victory over Pero (13-0, 8 KOs) will give his career a belated boost. The hard-hitting Cuban is the WBA's No. 2-rated contender and was last in action winning a competitive 10-round decision against Jordan Thompson, while Miller sits ninth with the same sanctioning body.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Undercard revealed

[Ruthless-RKO]

ALAN CHAVES SIGNS WITH MATCHROOM, FACES MIGUEL MADUENO ON APRIL 25

Matchroom Boxing has signed undefeated Argentinian knockout artist Alan Chaves to a promotional deal and immediately thrown him into the fire with a co-main event fight against Miguel Madueno on April 25.

The lightweight bout will take place at BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau in Las Vegas and serve as chief support for the heavyweight clash between Jarrell Miller and Lenier Pero on DAZN.

Chaves (21-0, 18 KOs), a 25-year-old from Buenos Aires, will be making his United States debut. Chaves sports an 85% knockout ratio and is ranked No. 2 by the WBO, No. 6 by the IBF and No. 13 for the WBC at 135 pounds.

The hard-hitting southpaw’s last four fights have all been stoppages and lasted a total of nine rounds.

Madueno (31-4, 28 KOs), a 27-year-old from Mexico, is also a power puncher but has lost three out of his last four fights, including back-to-back defeats against Keyshawn Davis in July 2024 and Oscar Duarte in February 2025.

“Signing with Matchroom is a crucial step in my professional career,” Chaves said in a statement. “I’m highly motivated and eager to make a name for myself in the world of boxing. I’m very grateful to be part of the world’s number one promotional company.

“It’s going to be a tough fight. Madueno is a very experienced and dangerous opponent who has fought against some big-name boxers. I’m in the best shape of my life, both physically and mentally. As always, I’ll give it my all in the ring, and I have no doubt that I’ll come away with the victory.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight week!!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Lenier Pero’s title eliminator vs Jarrell Miller 'is a game-changer for him’

Lenier Pero wants to be mentioned among the very best in the heavyweight division.

Pero will face Jarrell Miller in a WBA heavyweight eliminator on Saturday at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas.

Pero, 13-0 (8 KOs), is far from a household name. In fact, his younger brother, Dainier Pero, has received more notice than he has so far in their careers. Lenier, a 33-year-old Cuban who trains under Bob Santos in Las Vegas, fought in the 2016 Olympics. He defeated Guido Vianello and lost to Filip Hrgovic. He turned pro in Germany in 2019, taking fights in Argentina and Colombia. And even though he defeated then-unbeaten Victor Vykhryst in his US debut, Pero never had a buzz. After this fight, they hope that changes.

“He needed a name like Miller or someone of that ilk to put his name in the mix,” Santos told Boxing Scene. “Once you put your name in the mix, you get opportunities.”

A win over the 37-year-old Miller would set the stage for Pero to theoretically earn a shot at the WBA belt, which can currently be found around the waist of unified champion Oleksandr Usyk. Beyond a shot at the title, a win would position Pero among the biggest-name fighters in the heavyweight division.

“These are the type of fights you have to take to get those opportunities,” Santos said. “He is there now.”

The heavyweight division is unlike any other in the sport – and for a number of reasons. For starters, the pay tends to be higher than fighters see in other weight classes. Also, every fighter has one-punch knockout power based on sheer size. That said, the risk is higher for heavyweight prospects precisely because one punch can change everything. Fighters can also slip through the cracks if they don’t consistently turn in outstanding performances. Case in point: Pero’s last outing was a unanimous decision win over Jordan Thompson. It wasn’t a bad one, but it didn’t move the needle, either.

Against New York’s Miller – a 27-1-2 (22 KOs) pressure fighter who is coming off a split decision win over Kingsley Ibeh in January – Pero finally earns a fight against a buzzworthy opponent. And a win would elevate him to another tier in boxing’s glamor division.

“He is definitely motivated,” Santos said. “A win here parlays him into a fight for the heavyweight title. This is a game-changer for him.”