Hearn: Miller Was Supposed To Pay Back Money Fronted For Joshua Fight From Forrest Purse
Bob Arum, Dmitriy Salita and Greg Cohen aren’t the only promoters that had financial interests in Jarrell Miller’s ill-fated fight against Jerry Forrest.
Eddie Hearn has revealed that he, too, was supposed to be paid a percentage of Miller’s purse when he fought Forrest on July 9 in Las Vegas. The British promoter informed IFL TV during an interview that was streamed recently on its YouTube channel that Miller still owes his company money Miller was fronted before he tested positive for three performance-enhancing drugs last year and was removed from a heavyweight title fight against Anthony Joshua.
Brooklyn’s Miller (23-0-1, 20 KOs) failed another PED test recently prior to the Forrest fight and was temporarily suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
“He was due to make good money,” Hearn said.
“He had a sign-on bonus from Top Rank and [James] Prince, I believe, which he’s probably gonna have to repay. He owes me money. We were getting paid [from] this fight [for] the money he owes us from the Joshua fight. The up-front payment that we gave him, which he has to return, because he failed a drug test.”
Hearn suggested Matchroom Boxing might have to take legal action against Miller to try recoup its unspecified amount of money because the NSAC could issue the controversial heavyweight contender a lengthy suspension at one of its upcoming meetings. He reportedly tested positive in June for GW501516, which is one of the three banned substances for which he tested positive two months before he was supposed to challenge Joshua for his IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO titles June 1, 2019, at Madison Square Garden in New York.
In addition to GW501516, also known as cardarine and endurobol, Miller tested positive for human growth hormone and erythropoietin, also known as EPO, in March 2019. He was not suspended for failing those exams because he was not licensed by the New York State Athletic Commission at the time those tests were administered by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.
Hearn refused to work with Miller after his PED ordeal, which afforded Andy Ruiz Jr. an opportunity to upset England’s Joshua by seventh-round technical knockout 13 months ago.
Arum’s Top Rank Inc. instead signed Miller to a multi-fight promotional deal that was announced late in January.
Prince, one of boxing’s most prominent managers, also signed Miller to a contract. Salita still is one of Miller’s co-promoters, as is Cohen.
