Those who thought Jarrell Miller’s size would be the deciding factor in his scheduled 10-round showdown against Daniel Dubois forgot two of boxing’s best-known axioms — “it’s a young man’s game” and “skills pay the bills” — plus a newer one: “Activity matters.”

Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs) overcame steady pressure and a nearly 100-pound weight disadvantage by outboxing and outworking the controversial American heavyweight to a final-round mercy stoppage on the undercard of the massive Day of Reckoning card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.

Miller (26-1-1, 22 KOs), the 35-year-old former contender who disgraced himself and sat out three years (2019-2021) due to repeated PED use, talked a good game coming into the fight; enough to convince some fans and pundits that he’d be too much (physically and mentally) for Dubois, who was branded by many as a “quitter” following his TKO losses to Joe Joyce and Oleksandr Usyk.

However, fighting only three bouts vs. weak opposition since the start of 2022 and weighing in at 333 pounds did not serve the bombastic Brooklynite well over the second half an entertaining scrap with the 26-year-old Brit. Miller quickly went from menacing to lumbering after Round 6.

While Miller’s steady pressure appeared to fluster Dubois during the early rounds, the Londoner clearly outpointed him using stick-and-move tactics. Miller forced Dubois to stand and trade in spots during Rounds 3, 4 and 5, but the former title challenger gave as good as he got during those exchanges. In fact, he bloodied Miller’s mouth and momentarily stunned him a few times.

Dubois went back to punching on the fly in Rounds 6 and 7, landing his jab at will, until a one-two combination knocked Miller off balance near the end of the seventh. Miller really had nothing to offer but his giant girth as target practice in the final three rounds. The New Yorker was literally sleepwalking into power punches until referee Michael Alexander waved the bout off at 2:52 of the 10th as Miller sagged against the ropes.

“I had to dig deep. Big Baby, he came to work, but I showed my heart,” said Dubois. “I’m a prideful fighter and I always want to come forward, but I’m learning new things. I had my dad screaming in my corner; I knew I had to work. I had to prove it to myself that I am a real fighter and I can be a real champion.

“I had to finish strong. Any confidence missing, I gained it tonight. Big respect, Big Baby!”

Dubois earned Miller’s respect as well.

“Daniel is no quitter,” Miller said. “I’ve been out of the ring and we took this fight on four weeks’ notice, but we back in the ring, and we gonna be active [going forward]. Triple D, you got my respect. All respect. Nothing but love.”

Email Fischer at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter and IG at @dougiefischer, and join him, Tom Loeffler, Coach Schwartz and friends via Tom’s or Doug’s IG Live most Sundays.

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