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Will Miller transcend meme status to claim another heavyweight scalp?

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Few heavyweight fighters across the past decade have been quite as maybe-men as Jarrell Miller has found himself to be.

Sliding doors for the Brooklyn-born star have come and gone with a frequency that seems to rival Japanese public transport.

There was his chance against Anthony Joshua, scotched by failed tests. Then there was Fabio Wardley, foiled by injury.

In-between, there have been enough top-name sluggers linked to 'Big Baby' to fill a phonebook twice over, and maybe more.


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Yet Miller found himself a new lease of life in more ways than one with a literal hair-raising win over Kingsley Ibeh in January.

Now, as he prepares for Lenier Pero on Saturday, can he put his newfound meme status to one side and claim another scalp?

How did Jarrell Miller become a meme?

Having pulled out of a WBA interim title shot against Fabio Wardley last year, Miller faced the little-known Ibeh upon his return.

Matters took an unusual turn however when a blow from his opponent dislodged what was revealed to be a hairpiece on the star.

Despite the distraction - Miller ultimately lobbed it into the crowd, where Wardley was latter spotted with it - he got the job done.

Clips of Ibeh's uppercut and subsequent barrage spread like wildfire over social media, as did Miller's antics and post-fight talk.

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The star suggested he had lost his hair shortly before the bout after using the wrong shampoo when visiting his mother's house.

What are the stakes for Miller-Pero?

Meme status is no bad thing - it certainly didn't hurt Tyson Fury in his rematch with Deontay Wilder - but Miller has a job to do.

In Pero, he meets an unbeaten star bidding to push his own credentials forward as a contender at the top of the glamour division.

Added stakes have been thrust upon their encounter too, with the WBA handing the pair's clash final eliminator status to boot.

That should be more than enough incentive for Miller - still only with a sole loss on his record - to go guns blazing into this bout.

Thirty-seven years old now, there will not be too many more chances to shoot for the summit, making this a critical clash for him.

Would the winner realistically get a title shot?

This is the ultimate question, and one that ultimately depends on the moving factors of several other major heavyweight players.

Oleksandr Usyk, the incumbent unified champion, defends his WBC strap against Rico Verhoeven next month in Giza, Egypt. 

Oleksandr UsykMark Robinson/Getty Images

Where that leaves his WBA crown remains to be seen, but the Ukrainian does not appear to be interested in Miller or Pero.

If he ultimately is stripped of his crown, there is a case for the WBA to also promote their junior champion Murat Gassiev too.

That could potentially open up a bout with Miller or Pero - but at the same time, both men would face other competition as well.

In the end, the knotty nature of boxing politics means both men may still have to bide their time, despite the status of their bout.

But for the older Miller, victory in Las Vegas will stave off the last-chance saloon for now - and perhaps put his viral fame to bed too.

Watch Wardley vs. Dubois only on DAZN

The WBO world heavyweight title is on the line for Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois on May 9, only on DAZN PPV. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Usyk vs Verhoeven (May 23), with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.

For more information, pricing and to buy, click here .