Former heavyweight contender and drug-cheat Jarrell Miller is eyeing a future fight with Tyson Fury after becoming the champion's sparring partner.
Miller was once highly-regarded in the blue-ribbon division and was set to face Anthony Joshua in his US debut back in July 2019. However he was withdrawn from the clash after testing positive for a number of banned substances, but is now eyeing a return to the ring when his suspension is up later this year.
Boxing promoter Dmitry Salita believes Miller has learned several valuable lessons while sparring with the WBC champion and is planning on making a return to the highest level. "Jarrell has been out of the ring for close to four years, training with the best heavyweight in the world goes to show where Jarrell's mind is at," Salita told Vegas Insider.
"He wants to fight the best. It's not unusual for fighters to spar - and a little further down the line fight each other - so the fact that Jarrell's training with Tyson Fury would not impede a match-up in the future. I would expect him to come back - we have to think who he's going to partner up with - as soon as possible. Late June or early July.”
"He wants to come back to that high level of fighting. Jarrell will definitely learn from being around Tyson. I think he has three or four years of high-level performance left.
"From my conversations with him, he's very focused on making the best of it in every way. He's taking voluntary tests, he's training, as far as I see it, he's facing the music and he's making the best of it and making the necessary steps to compete at a high level."
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Miller tested positive for human growth hormone EPO and GW501516 ahead of his proposed 2019 bout with Joshua. His misfortunes continued not-long after when he failed another drug test when preparing for his cancelled comeback fight against Jerry Forrest.
Any comeback remains to be seen but Miller admitted he had his "a** kicked" when sparring with the undefeated champion. Fury will next defend his belt against Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium on April 23, which Miller was drafted in to help him prepare for.
Future bouts currently look unlikely with Fury claiming this will be his last fight as he looks to hang up his gloves afterwards. "This is the final fight of my career, I'm retiring after this," he told reporters. "$150million in the bank, healthy, young, I'm going to buy a massive yacht abroad. I'm retiring, I'm out, this is my final fight, I'm done."