The WBA. corrected a serious error in the publication of its July heavyweight rankings, which incorrectly listed Jarrell Miller as the WBA’s official mandatory challenger. On Monday, the WBA stated that WBA heavyweight champion Murat Gassiev has one official mandatory challenger-- Moses Itauma (pictured) of the United Kingdom, who currently holds the #1 spot in the rankings and has been awaiting his world title opportunity for several months. While Miller returned to the ring on April 24th and earned a unanimous decision victory over Lenier Peró in Las Vegas, the WBA now says that the bout was not a final eliminator qand that the victory did not make Miller the WBA’s official mandatory challenger. Editor's note: this was no casual mistake, as the WBA repeatedly called Miller vs. Pero an elimination bout before during and after it took place. According to the WBA website, The WBA sincerely apologizes for the inadvertent error and any confusion it may have caused. This clarification is being issued in the interest of maintaining transparency within one of boxing’s premier divisions and ensuring that the public has an accurate understanding of the current status of the heavyweight championship picture".
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
APRIL 26, 2026: Volume and relentless pressure once again proved to be the winning formula for Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller. In a physically punishing heavyweight clash, the Brooklyn native earned a unanimous decision over Cuba’s Lenier “El Justiciero” Peró on Saturday, April 25th at the BleauLive Theater inside Fontainebleau Las Vegas, securing his position as a top contender in the WBA rankings. The fight opened with Peró in control, as the Cuban southpaw relied on his Olympic pedigree and technical polish to keep Miller at bay through the first three rounds. Using fluid footwork and sharp hooks, Peró appeared to have the rhythm figured out, frustrating Miller’s early attempts to close the distance. However, beginning in the fourth round, Miller’s sheer mass and constant forward pressure—having tipped the scales at 305 pounds—began to shift the momentum.
The turning point came in the second half of the bout. True to his bully style, Miller forced Peró into close quarters, punishing the body and landing heavy uppercuts that gradually wore down the Cuban’s conditioning. By the eighth round, fatigue had clearly set in for Peró, who struggled to keep pace with Miller’s relentless work rate—an unusually high punch volume for the heavyweight division—as he was backed up against the ropes.
After twelve grueling rounds of physical warfare, the judges returned scores of 117-111 (twice) and 115-113, all in favor of Miller. With the victory, “Big Baby” (28-1-2, 22 KOs) not only hands Peró his first professional defeat, but also positions himself firmly on the brink of a world title opportunity [perhaps against WBA secondary champion Murat Gassiev]. Following the fight, Miller wasted no time calling out Deontay Wilder, targeting what he described as a definitive all-American heavyweight showdown for late 2026. Meanwhile, Peró (13-1) suffers his first setback as a pro, showing flashes of elite technique, but ultimately undone by the decisive factors of size, pressure, and punch volume on a demanding night in Las Vegas.
