By Nigel Collins
A JEEP CHEROKEE pulled into the MacDonald’s parking zone positioned at the intersections of Broad and Diamond Streets in North Philly, and former WBA cruiserweight title-holder Nate “Mr” Miller stepped out. He had recommended we meet there for the interview, however when requested if he would really like some lunch, Miller mentioned, “I don’t eat in places like this,” so we determined to conduct the interviewed in his automobile.
Except for a couple of kilos and sprinkling of gray in his beard, Nate didn’t look a lot totally different than when he retired in June 2001. As we reeled again the years, he proved a candid and eccentric interviewee. The first trace of the latter was the voicemail message on his cellphone: “This is Nate ‘Mr’ Miller, cruiserweight champ of universe.”
“I was raised in foster care,” Miller mentioned. “I was put into the first one at the age of four until 12, and then in the second from 12 to 18. Both [foster] families were very nice. Later I did meet my birth parents and found out I was related to former light-heavyweight champion Harold Johnson and bantamweight champion Jeff Chandler.”
Nate was the class clown in class, a foster child ravenous for consideration. He was 17 when he discovered his calling at the Happy Hollow boxing gymnasium in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood, housed in a 100-year-old recreation middle that’s nonetheless working. He additionally met Stan Williams who turned his coach and co-manager all through his beginner {and professional} profession.
“Stan and I had a father-son relationship. He showed me the positions and how to stand but didn’t teach me a particular style. Unlike a lot of trainers who want you to fight the way they want you to, he just let me be free. I guess I was just a natural. I got into boxing to make money, but once I found out I could win a title, I thought I might as well step up my game.”
After a short beginner profession, he turned professional September 30, 1986, at the Blue Horizon, scoring a first-round stoppage of Tony Jackson. All advised, Miller was undefeated in 17 fights at the iconic venue, all however three inside the distance. “The Blue Horizon was a great place,” Miller mentioned. “It was historic and close to home, so many people I knew came to see me fight.”
Miller was a great distance from house when he suffered his first loss on October 21, 1988. It got here in his thirteenth combat, towards Boubakar Sonogo in Bordeaux, France. J Russell Peltz promoted each IBF light-heavyweight titlist “Prince” Charles Williams and Miller, and whereas Williams defended the title with a third-round knockout of Rufino Angulo, Miller misplaced an eighth-round determination to Sonogo.
“Besides loading up on French pastry, which made him sluggish in a fight he should have won,” wrote Peltz in his e-book, Thirty Dollars And A Cut Eye: 50 Year In Boxing, “Miller was also up to his class-clown tricks. At dinner, he put a rubber mouse on the waitress’ shoulder with the expected results. He also put one in Linda’s [Peltz’s wife] empty wine glass which was covered with a linen napkin.”
Miller’s excessive jinks continued throughout the flight house. One leg of the journey was in a 12-seat puddle jumper. “There was terrible weather, and the turbulence was so bad I was scared and couldn’t stop sweating.” mentioned Peltz. “The flight attendant was applying cold compresses to my head. Meanwhile, Nate was running up and down the aisle, laughing at me.”
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Miller’s first important match was towards murderous punching Bert Cooper, February 15, 1989, at Pennsylvania Hall, with the NABF cruiserweight title on the line. “We had sparred together, so I kind of knew his capability and stance,” mentioned Miller. “Therefore, I was pretty much prepared when I got in the ring. I just knew I had to stay focused and not take a big punch.” Cooper didn’t reply the bell for the seventh spherical.
Nate’s first defence of the regional title was towards Andre “Big Daddy” McCall. The Philadelphian suffered a damaged jaw in both the second or third spherical (he doesn’t recall which). “I knew my jaw was broken because I heard it crack after McCall landed a left hook. I said to myself, if he hits me like that again, he can have the belt. Believe me, it was painful.” Miller credit adrenaline for conserving him going till he stopped McCall in the seventh spherical.
The harm stored Nate out of motion for eight months. He returned on March 26, 1990, and efficiently defended the NABF title with a unanimous 12-round determination over Tyrone Booze in Atlantic City. In December of that 12 months, he made his closing profitable defence, stopping Michael Greer in the fifth spherical at the Blue Horizon. Miller misplaced a 12-round determination and the belt to James Warring, December 2, 1990, in Atlantic City.
“In the final seconds of the first round, after Miller motioned to referee Joe Cortez about a head butt, Warring landed a right hand and Miller went down,” wrote Peltz. “He got to his feet at nine, wobbled back to his corner, managed to last 12 rounds, but lost by scores of 114-113, 116-114 and 116-112.”
“That was a rough one,” mentioned Miller. “He hit me so hard in the first round I thought a horse had kicked me. I went down on my face and saw stars. People who get hit like that usually don’t get up, but I was in good shape and lasted 12 rounds.”
Next, Miller challenged Al Cole for the IBF USBA cruiserweight title, one other regional belt, shedding by unanimous 12-round determination on May 1991. Two of the judges had Cole profitable by scores of 115-113, which have been rather more indicative of the combat than 118-110 tally from the third choose. “Al Cole was tough and relentless,” mentioned Miller. “We had the same style. It was like fighting a mirror image.”
Miller rebuilt with 5 consecutive wins, the two most vital victories have been a seventh-round stoppage of beforehand undefeated Jade “The Jewel” Scott and a unanimous 10-round verdict over former WBC light-heavyweight champ and WBA cruiserweight title-holder Dwight Muhammad Qawi. Although Qawi was properly previous his prime, he had gained 11 of his 14 most up-to-date bouts going into the Miller combat, held at the Blue Horizon, October 13, 1992.
“He was still slick,” Miller mentioned. “I had never fought a guy like that before. He was agile, bobbing and weaving. He was hard to hit, and I was trying to take his head off.”
Cole was the full-fledged IBF cruiserweight titleholder by the time he fought a rematch and Miller, July 23, 1994, in Bismarck, North Dakota. The outcome was one other unanimous determination in Cole’s favor. It was beginning to appear like Miller was good however not ok. Nate didn’t suppose so and neither did Stan Williams.
“My manager wrote a letter to Don King, who was my promoter at the time, asking him to give me a second chance to win the cruiserweight title,” Miller mentioned. “Don must have liked the letter because in my third fight after the second Cole fight, I fought Orlin Norris for the WBA world cruiserweight title on July 22, 1994, in London. We planned to hit [Norris] with a straight right, and in the eighth round I hit him with two in a row and he went down. I knew he wasn’t getting up. There’s nothing like winning a world title. Man, the feeling was unbelievable. It was like I was in heaven.”
Miller made 4 profitable defences, turning again the challenges of Reinaldo Gimenez, Brian LaSpaza, James Heath and Alexander Gurov, all inside the distance. The Philadelphia slugger misplaced the belt to Fabrice Tiozzo, November 8, 1998, in Las Vegas, by way of unanimous 12-round determination.
“I had a lot on my mind,” mentioned Miller. “I had two women there, my wife and a friend. I didn’t know one of them was coming and I was trying to keep them apart. I guess I wasn’t focused. If I wasn’t going through that stuff, I think I would have knocked him out.”
Nate solely gained one of his closing 4 fights and retired after shedding a 10-round determination to Vincenzo Rossitto in Italy, June 23, 2001.
“When I didn’t get any more wins, I knew it was time to call it quits. I think if I didn’t have punching power, my career might have been different. I wasn’t fast. If I didn’t knock you out, I would probably lose,” mentioned Miller, who gained 4 bouts by determination. His closing document was 31-9 with 27 wins inside the distance. Miller was by no means stopped and 4 of these losses got here in his closing 5 bouts.
Nate Miller with Don King
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The 60-year-old Miller is not like so many boxers who turn into misplaced souls after their profession is over. Nate labored for the Philadelphia Housing Authority all through his profession and now receives an excellent pension. Nate is now not the class clown however actually has some unconventional notions. The one I like the most is his perception that science has found a approach to restore all people to 30 years previous.
Before we parted firm, he advised me he may play keyboard, harmonica, saxophone, flute, guitar and violin. At the time it appeared only one of Nate’s riffs, however simply two days later the cellphone rang early in the morning. It was Mr Miller. He requested if I needed to hear to him play the guitar, proper then and there. I used to be nonetheless sleepy however agreed to hear. How may I not? This was the first and doubtless the final time a boxer has requested me to hear to her or him play an instrument, over the cellphone no much less. Maybe I’ve simply been fortunate.
It was form of like acid jazz, however not likely. Ornette Coleman perhaps? No, that’s going approach too far. The greatest I may got here up with was the soundtrack for a spooky film. “Play some blues,” I mentioned. It sounded just about the identical. A couple of days later I acquired a flurry of emails containing dozens of hyperlinks to conspiracy theories, from the United Nations’ plan to rid the planet of undesirables to the World Economic Forum plot to collapse the monetary construction.
Miller plans to publish his autobiography, Nate “Mr” Miller: The Quiet Champion, and regardless that boxing books are a tough promote, it is likely to be a greater wager than the cash he’s invested in African forex – however what do I do know? Nate’s easy-going demeaner make his tales of conspiracies, shady politics, and dastardly plots to finish the world sound believable. He’s not ranting. He’s honest. The identical as when he mentioned he was by no means ripped off by the judges, admitting the choices he misplaced have been all truthful verdicts.
Miller is well-known for taking his WBA and NABF belts with him every time he attends a boxing perform and typically simply strolls round the neighborhood with them. “It is to inspire, to show the youth what you can do.” mentioned Miller. “Neighbourhood kids like to touch the belts and sometimes they want to put them on.”
“I live right across the street from Happy Hollow gym,” Miller advised Peltz. “I had fun. I loved it and the people I met. I loved every aspect of boxing.”
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