Jarrell Miller tried to slap Fabio Wardley in the face on Monday, while accusing his upcoming opponent of recording a diss track.
It was announced on the weekend that Wardley and Miller will clash on 7 June at Portman Road, home to Wardley’s beloved Ipswich Town Football Club.
To launch the countdown to the heavyweight bout, Wardley and Miller met at a press conference on Monday (7 April), with Wardley wearing an Ipswich jersey and Miller sporting a top in support of their rivals Norwich City.
That was not the only antagonism on display at the event, however. As the boxers faced off, American Miller repeatedly shouted at the Briton, accusing Wardley of making a diss track.
“I don’t know what song you’re talking about,” Wardley, 30 told Miller, 36, who was held back by security. “I haven’t made no song, I don’t make no music.
“I ain’t made no song, so whatever you heard or whatever you’re on, it ain’t me. I ain’t done nothing.”
Miller began to shout “your song, your fing song” over and over, growing increasingly incensed, before trying to slap Wardley and making contact with his face. Security guards held back both fighters, while Miller continued to shout “your song” and Wardley barked back. Wardley later told The Ring: “First of all, one, I’ve never made a diss track in my life about anyone – not for a walkout song, not for nothing. I’m not gonna start now, that’s not my area, I don’t do s like that.
“And secondly, if I did do it, I’d stand on it. I’d shout at you and be like: ‘Yeah, that’s what I said.’ But bro, I don’t know nothing about it, so don’t come at me screaming about something that I had nothing to do with.
“There was no consent from me, I didn’t tell no one, I didn’t ask no one to do nothing. If you wanna get that upset about a f***ing diss track, then it’s gonna be a long, long, long few weeks for you, when I’m digging at you in different ways.”
Miller also spoke to The Ring, saying: “It wasn’t until I heard that damned song, that just threw me over the wall […] Trust me, he knows the song. It clearly states: ‘Big Baby killer, Fabio breaking jaws.’” Miller suggested the song was played while Wardley was doing an interview, “then they put it on again when I was doing an interview. They played the song in the background. You’re trying to play me, you’re trying to punk me. I’ll show you who’s the punk.”
On Monday, the back of Miller’s jersey featured the words “going down” and the number “25”, a reference to Ipswich’s relegation battle in the Premier League; with seven games to go this season, Wardley’s team are in serious danger of dropping to the Championship.
Ipswich have already lost 19 times in the league this term, while Wardley is unbeaten in 19 professional fights. Last time out, he stopped Frazer Clarke in round one in October, going one better than their draw earlier in 2024.
Meanwhile, Miller is seeking his first win in two years, having drawn with Andy Ruiz in August after losing to Daniel Dubois in late 2023. “Big Baby” is best known for being pulled from his planned fight with Anthony Joshua in 2018, after Miller failed a drug test. He failed another test in 2020 and was handed a ban after each incident.
