Fabio Wardley faced an altercation with Jarrell Miller during their press conference at Portman Road, leading to a heated exchange. The British heavyweight was approached by the controversial American, donning a Norwich shirt, during a media event on Ipswich Town’s pitch. Miller, 36, seemed displeased with Wardley over a song played at Manchester’s Co-Op Live.
At the Joe Joyce versus Filip Hrgovic event, peculiar songs were played, seemingly generated by AI, including references to Frank Warren, DAZN, Daniel Dubois, and Wardley. One song specifically mentioned Wardley’s upcoming opponent Miller with the line “Big Baby Killer.”
Miller expressed anger over the song, interpreting it as a death threat, while Wardley denied knowledge of it. Despite security guards separating them, Miller struck Wardley in the face, disregarding pleas for calm from promoter Frank Warren. The press conference continued, but a planned sit-down interview with broadcaster DAZN had to be canceled due to concerns of further conflict.
Miller’s controversial history includes multiple doping incidents, such as testing positive for performance-enhancing substances like GW501516, EPO, and HGH, resulting in various bans. Despite these issues, he has returned to boxing, with a recent defeat to Daniel Dubois in Saudi Arabia. While sanctioned by the British Boxing Board of Control, Miller’s presence in the UK continues to spark debate and criticism, especially following the recent altercation with Wardley.