Fabio Wardley revealed it’s a dream come true for him to fight at the home of his beloved Ipswich Town as he takes on disgraced American Jarrell Miller in a heavyweight clash at Portman Road
Fabio Wardley admits it is a dream come true to finally land a fight at the home of his beloved Ipswich Town. The British heavyweight will take on American Jarrell Miller on June 7 at Portman Road.
Wardley, 30, is hoping beating Miller, who failed two drug tests in the lead up to a cancelled Anthony Joshua clash in 2019, will lead him to world honours with this bout billed as an interim WBA title clash.
But first he’s ticking another box by fighting at the home of the Tractor Boys this summer. He said: “As a proud Tractor Boy born and bred in Ipswich, this is a dream come true for me. Fighting for a world [interim] title at Portman Road means everything to me.
“I’ve got a tough opponent in front of me, but that’s what I live for. I’m ready to dig deep, go to battle, and leave it all in the ring.
“Even more so than usual! It’s going to be a war, and I can’t wait to give my hometown crowd a spectacle they’ll never forget.”
Miller is a controversial figure given his doping history. The American tested positive for GW501516, a metabolic performance enhancer, in 2019. That caused the New York State Athletic Commission to deny him a licence before he was due to face Joshua at Madison Square Garden.
Miller then tested positive for banned substances EPO (erythropoietin) and HGH (human growth hormone) in another test.
When he was due to return over a year later, he tested positive for GW501516 again before a bout against Jerry Forrest. He was handed a two-year ban by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
He returned in 2022 and has fought five times since. That included a 2023 defeat by Daniel Dubois in Saudi Arabia.
That bout was sanctioned by the British Boxing Board of Control so there is not thought to be any issues with him fighting in the UK despite his doping history.
“On a personal note, it is a huge pleasure for me to deliver Fabio his dream of fighting at Portman Road,” said promoter Frank Warren. “It is what he has spoken about from day one of our alliance and I know how much Ipswich Town means to him.
“I believe this is the perfect fight for Fabio to take his next step because Miller is no easy pickings for anyone, especially given his size and front foot style.”