WATCH: Jarrell Miller's hairpiece flies off mid-fight, yet he claims narrow split decision victory
Jarrell Miller made headlines at Madison Square Garden when his hairpiece was knocked off during his heavyweight clash with Kingsley Ibeh.
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In the long history of boxing, fight fans have seen almost everything that can happen inside the ring.
Over the weekend, however, the world witnessed something entirely new.
During the second round of the heavyweight bout between Jarrell Miller and Kingsley Ibeh at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Miller was hit with a powerful series of punches.
The surprising result was not a flying mouthguard or a knockout blow, but his hairpiece coming off mid-fight.
Miller, who weighs 317 pounds, took a straight left from Ibeh, a 288-pound opponent. The force of the punch lifted the front of his toupee, exposing a bald spot.
Later, during a brief exchange, the hairpiece peeled back further before Miller finally removed it completely and tossed it into the crowd.
Footage of the moment quickly spread online, drawing reactions of shock, amusement and disbelief from fans. The clip became one of the most talked-about moments in boxing over the weekend.
Miller confirmed that he had lost his natural hair just two days before the fight after accidentally washing it with ammonium bleach instead of shampoo at his mother’s house. The toupee was a temporary fix, and its unexpected flight became an unforgettable moment in his career.
Speaking to IFL TV after the fight, he shared the backstory. “Just getting to this moment was so many trials and tribulations. From getting approved to dealing with a lot of backdoor stuff,” he said.
“People were just trying to railroad me, but thank God my manager, Spencer, was working diligently around the clock to get me a fight on this card.
Fights were falling through; it’s been stressful. I lost my friend a couple of weeks ago in a car accident, and my aunt was in a car accident.”
Miller also revealed the reason for the hairpiece. “Then I get to New York, I’m washing my hair, and all my hair f#****g drops out. It’s f#****g ammonia and bleach in the bottle, and I’m like, ‘f#*k it, if it falls off during the fight, I’m just going to make fun of it.’ And sure enough, it fell off in the fight.”
Despite the unusual distraction, Miller remained composed in the ring. Ibeh continued to land several punches late in the second round, but Miller finished the round unshaken.
After discarding the toupee, he focused on the fight, which he ultimately won by a narrow split decision.