Winning isn’t enough.
Brooklyn-bred boxer Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller isn’t satisfied with just padding his sparkling record in the ring — he’s bent on demolishing each of his opponents.
Miller — who will square off against Gerald Washington in a heavyweight bout at Barclays Center on July 29 — boasts an 18-0-1 record, with 16 knockouts, and said he’s more than ready to keep that streak alive in front of a hometown crowd.
“I feel wonderful. My body feels good,” Miller said. “I just want to keep my knockout streak going and get knockout number 17.”
Miller grew up in several different neighborhoods, but spent most of his time in Flatbush and Bedford-Stuyvesant Along the way, he found his way into a boxing ring, thrived on the pressure and the spotlight and grew hungry for the glory.
“I didn’t like team sports because any team that I was on seemed to suck,” Miller said. “So I ended up turning to boxing and that was all me. It was all about my control.”
Miller’s style in the ring was basic: He attacked first, hit as hard as he could, and more often than not, left his opponents on their backs.
As Miller hit his stride — competing in the finals of the 2007 New York Golden Gloves tournament — he became even more determined to pile up lopsided victories.
“It was either get tough or you’re going to get stepped on,” he said. “There’s going to be a loser and there’s going to be a winner and that’s kind of the approach I’ve taken.”
Miller’s mindset didn’t change once he went pro in 2009.
“It’s about trying to outdo yourself every time you step in there,” he said. “Some guys are just happy with the win, but I want to go in there and kill somebody.”
The 6-foot-4, 285-pound bruiser, ranked No. 5 by the World Boxing Organization, hasn’t fought since last August, but is confident he can back up any pre-fight boast.
“You’re only going to make top money if you’re winning and doing what you have to inside the ring,” Miller said. “Any time I talk smack, some guys melt because they can’t put up. That’s the way I motivate myself and it’s about getting myself up [for the challenge].”
The Barclays fight will be Miller’s first at the arena, but in his mind, the venue doesn’t matter, getting another knockout and reinforcing his reputation does.
“It’s another fight,” Miller said. “It’s always good to fight at home (but) I try not to think about it. My main job is to secure the win and knock his head off. Brooklyn and all that stuff is just icing on the cake.”
