Jarrell Miller fails VADA test, Eddie Hearn says Luis Ortiz would be ideal June 1st replacement

By G. Leon and Scott Shaffer

17/04/2019

Jarrell Miller fails VADA test, Eddie Hearn says Luis Ortiz would be ideal June 1st replacement

UPDATE: In an interview with Kugan Cassius, promoter Eddie Hearn said "it don't look good" for Miller remaining the opponent for Joshua. Hearn said Miller still has the right to have a retest done, but Joshua was going ahead with the June 1st title defense because so many tickets have been sold. Hearn said Luis Ortiz would be the "ideal replacement" and that Joshua would also accept Ortiz as an opponent. 

Boxingtalk has been informed that undefeated heavyweight contender Jarrell Miller (pictured) tested positive for the banned substance GWO1516 ahead of his June 1st bout with undefeated WBA/IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. Both Miller and his promoter Dmitriy Salita were unavailable for comment. Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn said on social media, "We have been informed by VADA that there has been an adverse finding in Jarrell Miller’s sample collected on March 20th. We are working with all relevant parties and will update with more details soon. AJ’s preparation continues for June 1st at MSG." Miller served a prior PED suspension 2014 when he was a kickboxer under the Glory promotional company. VADA immediately reports all test results to the promoters involved and commission governing the bout, in this case the New York State Athletic Commission. Click here for more information on GWO1516.

Miller's co-promoter, Dmitriy Salita was tight-liped, issuing only the following statement: "We are in the process of obtaining further information about VADA’s finding and will have more to say soon on this developing situation. In the meantime Jarrell continues to train for his June 1 fight against Anthony Joshua."