Sports streaming service DAZN just landed one of its most high-profile fights yet: heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua vs. Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller on June 1 at Madison Square Garden.
Anthony Joshua's Coming Stateside 🇺🇸🗽#WatchOnDAZN 👉 https://t.co/v6KqhNfocH pic.twitter.com/38LF58w0Xt
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) February 13, 2019
The fight has been months in the making, and it’s a significant step for the British-born Joshua (22-0, 21 knockouts) to global stardom. He’s faced and beaten better competition than Miller (23-0-1, 20 KOs), but the event will mark the first time Joshua has competed in the U.S.
Joshua is one of the biggest boxing stars in the world, but he hasn’t created a huge dent in America. If he wants to get the most out of a potential fight with American heavyweight star Deontay Wilder, it makes sense that Joshua needs to begin making a name for himself in this country.
“It has been an honor and a blessing to fight at some of the best venues in the world at home in the U.K., not least Wembley Stadium, but the time has come to head across the Atlantic and defend my heavyweight titles in the USA,” Joshua said in a statement. “I am looking forward to taking on another challenge with a good boxer and a brilliant talker. It will be an exciting fight, I will leave nothing to chance and plan on dismantling Miller in style to make my mark.”
Though Joshua will be a healthy betting favorite vs. Miller, the New York native will have a solid chance to pull the upset. Despite his impressive knockout percentage, Miller isn’t a huge puncher in the heavyweight division. But he’s a huge presence—literally at 315 pounds and metaphorically with his ability to talk trash—and despite his size, he’s a volume puncher that could wear Joshua down.
This is what happened the last time Miller was in the ring in another fight streamed by DAZN.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okRFGNWyRvA
“AJ is making a huge mistake coming over here to fight me in my own backyard,” Miller said. “He wants to announce himself on the American stage but all he’s doing is delivering me those belts by hand. It’s dog eat dog in the ring and this dog has got a bigger bite, he’ll be leaving New York empty-handed. This is the fight that I’ve been chasing all my life, and on June 1, I’m going to achieve the thing I was born to do and win the heavyweight championship of the world. That punk AJ is standing in the way of my dreams and on June 1, he’s getting run the hell over.”
FIRST FACE OFF 👀
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) February 13, 2019
It started back in July 2018…
Now the score will be settled on June 1 2019! 💥#JoshuaMiller pic.twitter.com/7ntbWEqKn8
It’s another huge fight on DAZN, which last year signed Canelo Alvarez, arguably the biggest boxing star in the world, to a $365 million deal. DAZN will broadcast Alvarez’s big-money bout vs. Daniel Jacobs in May.
DAZN costs $9.99 per month, and in the U.S., it features some of the best combat sports events that can be live streamed. Fans can get a free one-month trial, and if they time it correctly, it’ll be possible to watch the Alvarez-Jacobs fight on May 4 and the Joshua-Miller bout on June 1 without having to pay a dime.