Miller Dominates WBA Title Eliminator, Calls Out Wilder as Next Opponent in Heavyweight Shake-Up

Jared Miller announced himself as a genuine heavyweight contender with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Daniel Perez in Saturday night's WBA title eliminator at the Madison Square Garden, immediately targeting former world champion Deontay Wilder for his next bout.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmvVatneJak

Miller controlled the fight from the opening bell, using his superior reach and boxing IQ to systematically break down Perez. The 28-year-old American won decisively on all three judges' scorecards with identical 98-92 verdicts, establishing himself as the mandatory challenger for the WBA heavyweight title.

"I've been waiting for this moment my entire career," Miller said in the post-fight interview. "Perez is a tough competitor, but I showed tonight that I belong at this level. Wilder, I'm coming for you. Let's give the fans what they want."

The bout saw Miller land 312 of 587 thrown punches (53%), while limiting Perez to just 198 of 512 (39%). Miller's jab was particularly effective, scoring 210 points of controlled damage that kept Perez at bay throughout the contest.

Perez, fighting for the first time since his upset victory over Joseph Parker last November, showed courage but simply couldn't get inside Miller's reach. The Mexican veteran's best moment came in the seventh round when he momentarily staggered Miller with a left hook, but Miller recovered quickly and dominated the remaining rounds.

Wilder, the former WBC heavyweight champion known for his devastating punching power with 42 knockouts in 45 career victories, recently expressed interest in returning to the ring following his trilogy fight loss to Tyson Fury. A potential Wilder-Miller showdown would pit two of boxing's biggest punchers against each other.

"Miller against Wilder would be an absolute war," said promoter Eddie Hearn. "Both guys have the power to end fights with one shot. The heavyweight division is delivering incredible matchups right now, and this could be the next big one."

The WBA will likely order negotiations between Miller and Wilder's camp within the next 30 days, though mandatory title defenses often complicate potential superfights in the heavyweight ranks.