Showing posts with label Anthony Joshua. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anthony Joshua. Show all posts

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Important Update Regarding 2026 Schedule Start

We would like to provide our readers with a brief update. Over the Christmas holidays, we here at The Boxing Truth® and the Denison family suffered an unexpected personal tragedy, which unfortunately occurred during the week of the Anthony Joshua-Jake Paul bout on December 19th, which in turn, resulted in that bout not being covered as originally planned and the ongoing pause in our schedule, which has gone into the month of January. 


We do want to let readers know that due to the aforementioned circumstances and given that the 2026 Boxing schedule has already begun in our absence, there will be no 2026 edition of Beau Denison’s annual Boxing Wishlist, which was in the works prior to things having to be paused due to the aforementioned circumstances and typically begins the calendar year each year here at The Boxing Truth®. It is our intention for that annual feature to return in its normal slot as beginning our schedule for the new year in 2027 and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.


While we do not have a date as of this writing as to when we will resume, our target is within the next few weeks. In the interim, content that has been sent in to us from promoters, networks, and others involved in the sport of Boxing will be made available here on the website over the coming days. We thank those who have sent in content and appreciate their patience during this time. We will update readers once more when we have a solid date on when we will resume and begin our 2026 schedule and we thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, understanding, and patience during what is and has been an extremely difficult time.


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Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Joshua-Paul: Another Curiosity, Or Legitimate Fight?

On December 19th, aspiring boxer Jake Paul, who had previously been known as a social media influencer, will return to the ring for his fourteenth professional fight. While this noted Boxing scribe has been critical of Paul, who has frequently boasted about his desire to become a world champion, but has not compiled a resume of opponents that would suggest legitimacy of trying to attain that goal, having faced primarily fighters who have come from the sport of MMA, who had limited or no Boxing experience, or those who have come either from an influencer background or in one case one retired hall of fame fighter who was twenty years removed from a competitive fight, while simultaneously giving him credit for his promotional savvy and in particular what he has done in advocating and helping advance and elevate Women's Boxing, to be honest, I did not feel optimistic when Paul's original fight, which was to take place during the month of November was announced.

This was due to Paul, who has fought most of his fights as a 190lb. Cruiserweight and in one instance against an advanced-aged Mike Tyson at Heavyweight, choosing to face Gervonta Davis, who while an active fighter, who is at or near the top of the sport, had never fought above the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division. To say that the idea of a flight between the two gave this observer vibes of something strictly intended to generate buzz and the look of a physical mismatch is an understatement. Fortunately, I was not the only one who felt this way as the announcement was met with no shortage of criticism from both those of us who cover the sport as well as fans. Criticism that ultimately led to the Georgia State Athletic Commission, as the bout was originally slated to take place in Atlanta, refusing to sanction the bout, even as an exhibition, resulting in the event being moved to Miami, FL, whose commission unfortunately has a history of accepting events that were denied from taking place in other jurisdictions for reasons including, but not limited to medical grounds, as was the case when the Florida State Athletic Commission greenlit the unfortunate Evander Holyfield-Vitor Belfort event in 2021, a fiasco that yours truly was extremely critical of, which I stand by, agreed to hold the announced Paul-Davis event. 

Perhaps a blessing in disguise, however, emerged when Davis was removed from the bout due to accusations of domestic violence. The blessing in disguise reference is in no way a commentary on the ongoing issues Gervonta Davis finds himself dealing with, but is in reference to that situation indirectly saving the commission in Florida, where this observer also resides, from having to defend what would likely have been another controversial decision by allowing that event to go forward given the significant size and weight disparity between Paul and Davis.

Nevertheless, the circumstances of which the event fell apart left Paul as well as digital subscription general entertainment network Netflix, who also broadcast Paul’s fight against Tyson in its first foray into the sport of Boxing, with a conundrum of trying to find a suitable opponent to replace Davis so at least Paul could compete before the end of 2025 after previously defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. earlier this year.

While Chavez is one of five previous Paul opponents with a Boxing background, the perception I had was that if someone was going to step in on what would be short notice, it would likely have been a fighter from the sport of MMA, as whether seen as legitimate in pushing towards his goal of eventually fighting for a world title or not, has been a successful approach at least in terms of making sure events take place even if original dates end up being changed. To the surprise of many, yours truly included, former two-time World Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua stepped in and will face Paul in a scheduled ten round Heavyweight bout at the Kaysa Center in Miami that will be broadcast worldwide by Netflix.

Upon being notified of this change in opponent, in all honesty with the reader, my initial thought was at least the Florida State Athletic Commission would not face as much criticism as would have been the case if the event had gone on with Davis as the opponent. My other thought was at least this has the potential to be viewed as a legitimate fight.

The Cruiserweight division is only one division away from the Heavyweight division and regardless of what one might have thought about Paul's eight rounds against Mike Tyson in November of last year, Paul did move to in weight for it so the initial thought was this would not be something that the central topic would be about a weight difference because numerous fighters who have fought as Cruiserweights at one time or another over decades, long before Paul was born in the 1990’s, have fought in the Heavyweight division either originally starting at Heavyweight and moving down in weight or starting at Cruiserweight and moving up in weight. This will be more a question of whether Paul with limited experience will be able to compete against someone who has fought at a much higher level and is closer to his physical prime than Tyson and Chavez were when they shared the ring with Paul.

From skillset, to level of competition, to having an advantage in both height and weight, every metric that one could point to in comparing two fighters, favors Joshua. Despite those facts, Joshua is coming into this fight off of a knockout loss at the hands of then IBF World Heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois in September of last year and the perception, which could have some validity is Joshua's punch resistance is not what it once was and he has also been known to fatigue later in fights. The obvious question here is whether Paul has the polish in order to try and exploit those perceived flaws. 

As has been the case for most of Jake Paul's fights, the element of curiosity is there, but some are likely questioning if this will be a legitimate fight. Regardless of what one might think, Jake Paul does have a fan following that enables him to draw significant interest regardless of who he fights. It is debatable as to whether or not that ability has started to wane due to his not facing fighters that will push him up the ladder towards contention, with the perception being that most of his fights have been more about the event than expected competition.

In this case, the curiosity remains, but there is a better than average chance that Paul will be tested here as when he is at his best Anthony Joshua has power in either hand and can be devastating when he lands flush on an opponent. What one needs to also keep in mind here is, despite being knocked out in his last fight in a failed attempt to become a three-time World Heavyweight champion, Joshua is still considered one of the top Heavyweight contenders and if one views the objectively, he has very little to gain here by facing a fighter that many would consider a novice strictly based on his resume. It is also an open secret that there might be significant plans for Joshua in 2026 towards getting back in line to try and regain a Heavyweight title. Paul meanwhile is also taking a risk in that he has not faced anyone that would make one consider him a prospect or contender, but is now taking a steep step up in class. 

The era in which we all live is one where folks for whatever their motivations like to vent their grievances via social media on just about any topic one could think of. No matter who Paul has fought, he too has not been immune from such rhetoric whether legitimate or not. This is a scenario where most people if they are objective would say at minimum, Paul has an uphill battle given his limited resume and previous competition. If he were to find himself on the receiving end of a quick knockout here, the opinion of many of those keyboard warrior types will likely be that none of his previous fights were legitimate, or at least that will be the narrative some will attempt to push. If he holds his own, but still loses criticism will remain. If he wins, the criticism and narrative will be that Joshua was a shot fighter at minimum or will devolve into accusations of fixed fights, which has been a narrative some have pushed in recent fights, but often such claims have lacked legitimate evidence to support it. 

What that all amounts to is a no win scenario for Paul. The silver lining, however, if he can pull off what would be a significant upset here is he might finally be forced to face boxers and active ones exclusively. While Paul is rated in the top twenty of contenders by the WBA, a sanctioning organization that does not do it's best to avoid controversy, in the Cruiserweight division, despite not facing anyone in the WBA’s rankings to earn a spot in the rankings,a win over a fighter of Joshua's resume and caliber would likely lead to a ranking at Heavyweight as well.

It is a truly unlikely scenario and an unlikely encounter where two fighters are rolling the dice on their futures. We will simply have to wait and see how it all plays out.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

Joshua vs. Paul takes place on Friday, December 19th at the Kaysa Center in Miami, FL. The fight can be seen on digital subscription general entertainment network Netflix beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT. (*North American Times Only.*)

(*Card Subject To Change.*)

For more information about Netflix including availability on streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.Netflix.com

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.



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Monday, December 15, 2025

MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS AND NETFLIX ANNOUNCE ON-AIR TALENT FOR MVP’S JAKE VS. JOSHUA


Press Release: December 15, 2025 By Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix - Laila Ali, Andre Ward, Lennox Lewis, Kate Scott, Mauro Ranallo, David Haye, Crystina Poncher, Sean Wheelock, Ariel Helwani, Sibley Scoles, and Kody “Big Mo” Mommaerts join the star-studded fight night broadcast roster, with additional fight week support from Corey Erdman 


NEW YORK, NY – Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix today announced the broadcast team for all fight week events and the Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day mega-event, beginning on Tuesday, December 16 and culminating on Friday, December 19 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.


On Friday, December 19, the Jake vs. Joshua preliminary card begins at 4:45pm ET / 1:45pm PT on Netflix’s Tudum and MVP’s YouTube Channel, with the main card starting at 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT, live only on Netflix. MVP and Netflix’s fight night coverage will feature a powerhouse lineup of broadcasting veterans and combat sports legends anchored by broadcaster Kate Scott as the main desk host, joined by a world-class team of desk analysts including heavyweight legend Lennox Lewis, undefeated Hall of Famer Laila Ali, and former undefeated world champion Andre Ward.


The ringside team will be led by the iconic voice of Mauro Ranallo on blow-by-blow, with expert analysis provided by former world champion David Haye and Crystina Poncher. Sean Wheelock will serve as the rules and scoring expert. Sibley Scoles will serve as reporter, providing updates from backstage and the crowd, with Ariel Helwani serving as ringside reporter. The night will be emceed by in-ring announcer Kody “Big Mo” Mommaerts.


Ahead of Jake vs. Joshua, Netflix and MVP will host a series of fight week events open to the public.


On Tuesday, December 16, MVP Fight Week Showcase 2 will take place at LIV at Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Kody “Big Mo” Mommaerts will serve as emcee. Commentary and blow-by-blow analysis for the sanctioned, professional fights will be provided by Corey Erdman and Crystina Poncher on the livestream desk. Entertainment personality Sibley Scoles will serve as ringside reporter. The entire showcase event will stream live on stream live on MVP’s YouTube Channel and Netflix Sports’ YouTube Channel, starting at 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT.


On Wednesday, December 17, the final Jake vs. Joshua Press Conference will take place at Fillmore Miami Beach hosted by renowned combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani. The press conference will stream live on stream live on MVP’s YouTube Channel and Netflix Sports’ YouTube Channel, starting at 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT.


On Thursday, December 18, the Public Weigh-Ins will take place at Fillmore Miami Beach, with Kody “Big Mo” Mommaerts  serving as emcee with support from Ariel Helwani as on-stage reporter. The broadcast desk will be hosted by Sibley Scoles with analysis from David Haye and Crystina Poncher.  The weigh-in will stream live on stream live on MVP’s YouTube Channel and Netflix Sports’ YouTube Channel, starting at 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT.


“When you’re delivering a global event of this magnitude on Netflix, every detail matters, especially the voices telling the story,” said Nakisa Bidarian, CEO of Most Valuable Promotions. “This broadcast team represents the absolute best in boxing, sports media, and live television. From legendary champions to world-class broadcasters, this group reflects the standard we’ve set for Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day. Together with Netflix, we’re building a fight week and fight night experience that feels truly historic, and this team is central to bringing that vision to life for fans around the world.”


For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @Netflix, on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @Netflix, or on Netflix’s Tudum.



About Netflix 


Netflix is one of the world's leading entertainment services, with over 300 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films, and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause, and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.



About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)


MVP was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last seven global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Chavez Jr. match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. MVP made history again in November 2024 with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2, the first-ever live professional sports event on Netflix. MVP’s Paul vs. Tyson streamed live globally on Netflix and shattered records, becoming the most-streamed sporting event ever with 108 million live viewers globally. MVP followed that up by Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 in July 2024 the first all women’s boxing card to be featured on Netflix.  Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of Paul vs. Tyson and the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.


Material Courtesy of: Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix Used with permission.


The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.




Thursday, December 4, 2025

Harvey vs. Cervantes Added To Joshua-Paul Card

Credit:Most Valuable Promotions/Netflix 


Press Release: December 4, 2025 By Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix- MVP Fight Week Showcase 2 takes place Tuesday, December 16 at 6pm ET at LIV at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, featuring Jake vs. Joshua open workouts and three sanctioned, professional bouts featuring MVP’s Luan Medeiros, Shannon Courtenay, and Jocelyn Camarillo



MVP Jake vs. Joshua Press Conference takes place Wednesday, December 17 at 6pm ET at Fillmore Miami Beach



MVP Jake vs. Joshua Public Weigh-Ins take place Thursday, December 18 at 6pm ET at Fillmore Miami Beach



All fight week events are free and open to the public to attend on a first-come, first-served basis




MIAMI, FLORIDA – December 4, 2025 – Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix today announced that MVP’s US Olympian, amateur world champion, and 10x US amateur national champion Jahmal Harvey (1-0, 1 KO) will open the main card of MVP’s Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day, live only on Netflix, on Friday, December 19. After a statement knockout in his pro debut, Harvey now steps into the global spotlight on Netflix vs. undefeated prospect Kevin Cervantes (5-0, 5 KOs) in a matchup designed to showcase two of the division’s most promising rising talents. Harvey vs. Cervantes will be a 6-round super featherweight bout contested at 130lbs. Tickets for Jake vs. Joshua are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com



MVP and Netflix today also announced the full fight week schedule for Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day, headlined by the colossal global showdown between boxing’s biggest disruptor, international superstar and WBA #15-ranked cruiserweight Jake “El Gallo de Dorado” Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) and two-time unified WBO, WBA, and IBF heavyweight world champion, Olympic gold medalist and knockout machine Anthony “AJ” Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs). As part of the buildup to the mega-event at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, on Friday, December 19, MVP and Netflix will host three fight week events. Kicking off the week, MVP Fight Week Showcase 2 will feature Jake vs. Joshua open workouts alongside three sanctioned, professional bouts, set to include MVP’s newest signees Luan Medeiros and Jocelyn Camarillo alongside MVP’s Shannon Courtenay at LIV at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, followed by the MVP Fight Week press conference and public weigh-ins at Fillmore Miami Beach. All fight week events will be free and open to the public on a first come, first served basis.



On Tuesday, December 16, MVP Fight Week Showcase 2 will take place at LIV at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, featuring open workouts for Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day and three sanctioned professional fights, starting at 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT. The second installment of MVP’s fight week showcase bouts will be headlined by Brazilian national champion and MVP’s new signee Luan Medeiros (6-0, 4 KOs) vs. Mexico’s Hugo Macias (7-1-1, 5 KOs) in a 6-round lightweight bout at 135lbs. Also on the card will be MVP and England’s Shannon “The Baby Face Assassin” Courtenay (9-3, 3 KOs) vs. Jessica Radtke Maltez (2-2-2) in a 6-round bantamweight bout at 118lbs and MVP’s new signee Jocelyn Camarillo (5-0) vs. Yazmin Martinez Jimenez (3-2-2, 1 KO) in a 4-round light flyweight bout at 108 lbs. These fights will be officially sanctioned by the Florida Athletic Commission. The entire event, including the three fights, will stream live on MVP’s YouTube Channel and Netflix Sports’ YouTube Channel.



On Wednesday, December 17, MVP and Netflix will host the official final Press Conference for Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day at Fillmore Miami Beach starting at 6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT. The press conference will feature the final war of words between main event stars Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua, co-main event stars Alycia Baumgardner and Leila Beaudoin, main card fighters Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley, as well as additional preliminary card fighters, and will stream live on MVP’s YouTube Channel and Netflix Sports’ YouTube Channel.



On Thursday, December 18, MVP and Netflix will host the Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day public weigh-in, streaming live from Fillmore Miami Beach at 6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT on MVP’s YouTube Channel and Netflix Sports’ YouTube Channel. 



On Friday, December 19, Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day streams live on Netflix from Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. The preliminary card begins at 4:45pm ET / 1:45pm PT on MVP’s YouTube Channel and Netflix’s Tudum, with the main card starting at 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT, live only on Netflix. 



“Being on the main card of Jake vs. Joshua is a massive stage and platform to showcase my talent and really introduce Jahmal Harvey to the world; so I’m grateful to my team, MVP and Netflix for making it happen,” said Jahmal Harvey. “I’m looking to seize the moment and make a big statement to kick off the main card live on Netflix!”



“Jake vs. Joshua fight week builds up to the biggest event in boxing this year, with fight week events hosted at the iconic LIV at Fontainebleau Miami Beach and Fillmore Miami Beach, all free and open to the public,” said Nakisa Bidarian, CEO and co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions. “The week will begin with the return of our signature series of sanctioned, professional fights within our open workouts event, MVP Fight Week Showcase 2, spotlighting three MVP fighters: our newest signings Luan Almeida and US prospect Jocelyn Camarillo, joined by former world champion Shannon Courtenay. The week continues with a massive press conference and our public weigh-in, each bringing together the entire fight card. We also look forward to formally introducing the global Netflix audience to US Olympian Jahmal Harvey, who will open the main card of Jake vs. Joshua, and who we believe is the most promising male boxing prospect to come out of Team USA this decade.”



“MVP keeps raising the bar. Two GOATs in Anderson Silva vs. Tyron Woodley, Alycia Baumgardner ready for a takeover and doing so with men’s rules, and now Jahmal Harvey joining the main card to show the world why he’s America’s next superstar,” said Jake Paul. “Jake vs. Joshua Fight Week is stacked, it’s free for fans, and it’s all building to me shocking the world on Friday, December 19 at Kaseya Center, live only on Netflix.”



US Olympian and amateur world champion Jahmal Harvey (1-0, 1 KO) was introduced to boxing at age 13 by his football coach Darrell Davis, who also owned a boxing gym. After competing in both sports, Harvey, an Oxon Hill, Maryland native, soon went all-in on boxing and immediately proved his elite potential at the junior, youth, and amateur levels, becoming a 10x national champion. By 18, he was training and sparring with Olympians, including Keyshawn Davis and Duke Ragan. That same year, he captured gold at the 2021 Elite World Championships— becoming the first American male to win the world title since 2007, while competing as one of the youngest athletes in the tournament. The next year, he took home silver at the 2022 Continental Championships and continued to dominate at the international level in 2023, winning gold at the Santiago Pan American Games. The finish qualified him for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he finished as a quarter-finalist. The 22-year-old Harvey signed with Most Valuable Promotions ahead of his professional debut–a knockout win–on MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 14 in August 2025, heralded as one of the top prospects in American boxing.



Kevin Cervantes (5-0, 5 KOs) comes to the ring from Los Angeles by way of Barranquilla, Colombia. The 25-year-old prospect holds a perfect undefeated record so far in his pro career, and comes to the ring fresh from his latest first-round TKO win in September 2025. He began boxing at just 11 years old after his parents introduced him to the sport to channel his energy and fighting spirit productively. With an impressive 87-fight amateur background, Cervantes has developed into a relentless brawler known for his aggressive, high-pressure style reminiscent of his idol, Roberto “Manos de Piedra” Durán. Defined by his hard work, discipline, and commitment, Cervantes continues to build his name in the professional ranks as one of the sport’s most determined young fighters. He is managed by Rob Suarez and trained by Oscar Negrete. 



MVP’s new signee Luan Medeiros (6-0, 4 KOs) is an undefeated professional lightweight boxer and the current CNB Super Lightweight Brazilian National Champion. As an amateur, he built an extensive career with close to 150 fights, boasting over 114 wins and becoming a Brazilian National Champion, Copa del Pacífico winner in Ecuador, and a Cheo Aponte Tournament runner-up in Puerto Rico. Domestically, he won multiple regional titles, including 4x Rio de Janeiro state champion, 3x São Paulo state champion, Paraná state champion, Sul-Sudeste champion, and Centro-Oeste champion. He also represented Brazil internationally, winning team challenges against Italy and Argentina. Outside the ring, the 30-year-old Luan is known for his relationship with Brazilian A-list actress Mel Maia, who has over 21 million followers. His opponent, Hugo Macias (7-1-1, 5 KOs), is a 32-year-old prospect from Tijuana, Mexico. Macias most recently earned a 4th round TKO win in September 2025, and now makes his international boxing debut in his first pro bout outside of Mexico against Medeiros.



Former WBA bantamweight world champion at 118lbs and Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire native, Shannon Courtenay (9‑3, 3 KOs) transformed her life and career after discovering boxing in her early twenties, trading in a party lifestyle for intense discipline at Finchley ABC in London. Rising through the professional ranks beginning in March 2019, she claimed the vacant WBA female bantamweight title in April 2021, delivering a fiercely technical and emotional unanimous decision over Australia’s Ebanie Bridges in what many hailed as one of women's boxing’s best fights. Courtenay’s jab proved decisive, and she overcame early cut damage and increasing pressure to outmaneuver Bridges and increasingly exploit a swelling eye that nearly shut by round eight. Unfortunately, Courtenay was stripped of her title ahead of her first defense in October 2021 when she came in 2.5 lb over the limit, an issue she attributed to an unexpected menstrual cycle—a rare moment of honesty that highlighted health over title retention. She subsequently faced Jamie Mitchell at Liverpool’s Echo Arena, losing a hard-fought majority decision in October  2021 despite staying in the ring through adversity. Courtenay returned to the ring in October 2024, edged out with a competitive points decision defeat to Catherine Tacone Ramos in a six-round bout at London’s Copper Box Arena. She most recently defeated Bec Connolly in March 2025. Her opponent, Jessica Radtke Maltez (2-2-2) comes to the ring from Waconia, Minnesota. Maltez most recently earned a unanimous decision win in September 2025.



MVP’s new signee Jocelyn Camarillo (5-0) is a 3x amateur national champion, former #1-ranked US amateur in the light flyweight division, and a proud training partner for Team USA Youth & Elite. She proudly represents Indio, California as one of the brightest young talents coming out of the Coachella Valley boxing community. Jocelyn grew up watching boxing and developed a natural passion that eventually led her to train at the historic Coachella Valley Boxing Club, where she built a strong amateur foundation and sharpened her skills among some of the region’s best athletes. Known for her speed, accuracy, and high-IQ pressure style, Jocelyn has quickly developed a reputation as a disciplined athlete with true star potential. Both inside and outside the ring, she brings charisma, professionalism, and a growing fanbase that continues to follow her journey. As she enters the next chapter of her career with MVP, standing 5-0 on her pro career, Jocelyn is focused, hungry, and ready to take on bigger challenges. She will face Yazmin Martinez Jimenez (3-2-2, 1 KO) over 4 rounds at light flyweight. Jimenez, the 24-year-old prospect, fights out of Mexico City, Mexico and most recently earned a TKO win in March 2025 and a split draw in October 2025 against highly touted and undefeated prospect, Perla Bazaldua.



For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @Netflix, on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @Netflix, or on Netflix’s Tudum.




About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)


MVP was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last seven global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Chavez Jr. match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. MVP made history again in November 2024 with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2, the first-ever live professional sports event on Netflix. MVP’s Paul vs. Tyson streamed live globally on Netflix and shattered records, becoming the most-streamed sporting event ever with 108 million live viewers globally. MVP followed that up by Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 in July 2024 the first all women’s boxing card to be featured on Netflix.  Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of Paul vs. Tyson and the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.



About Netflix 


Netflix is one of the world's leading entertainment services, with over 300 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films, and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause, and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.



About Fontainebleau Miami Beach


A spectacular blend of Golden Era glamour and modern luxury, Fontainebleau Miami Beach merges striking design, contemporary art, music, fashion, and history into a vibrant guest experience. A revered landmark and symbol of style and sophistication since its opening in 1954, Fontainebleau Miami Beach boasts 1,504 guestrooms and suites appointed with lavish amenities; the world-renowned LIV™ Nightclub, 12 restaurants and lounges including AAA Four Diamond signature restaurant Hakkasan and Mirabella, celebrating coastal Italian cuisine; the 40,000-square-foot Lapis Spa with mineral-rich water therapies and invigorating treatments; a dramatic oceanfront pool-scape offering lush cabanas; and is home to BleauLive, the innovative concert series that combines intimate performances with memorable weekend escapes. For general information or accommodations at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, visit fontainebleau.com or call 1.877.512.8002. 



About Fillmore Miami Beach


Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater, located in the heart of Miami Beach, is one of South Florida’s premier live entertainment venues. For more than 70 years, the 2,400-seat theater has helped shape Miami’s vibrant entertainment culture by hosting many of the world’s most celebrated artists and performances across concerts, comedy, and special events. Operated by Live Nation, Fillmore Miami Beach continues to deliver world-class live experiences for fans throughout the region and beyond.



About Kaseya Center


Located in the center of booming downtown Miami and the Entertainment District, Kaseya Center—home of the NBA Champion Miami HEAT—hosts 80+ non-basketball events each year including A-list concerts, family shows, sporting events, national conferences and more. Built with state-of-the-art sound and lighting and HD and electronic media signage inside and out, the impressive 19,600-seat Kaseya Center is currently ranked the #1 arena in Florida for the 10th consecutive year—and the 13th time during the past 14 years—according to Billboard’s 2024 year-end rankings. Kaseya Center is also among the leading facilities in the country for hosting Latin entertainment. The Center has led the renaissance of downtown Miami over the past two decades, helping to transform the area into a thriving arts and entertainment district. The facility has hosted more than 1,200 events including diverse musical superstars such as Marc Anthony, Celine Dion, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, The Killers, Bad Bunny, Carrie Underwood, Dua Lipa, Tool, Imagine Dragons, Kane Brown, Karol G, Drake, Andrea Bocelli and Paul McCartney, just to name a few. In 2009, Kaseya Center became among the first existing buildings in the country to have achieved LEED certification by the United States Green Building Council for its commitment to sustainability practices. More recently, in 2021, the Arena achieved its second LEED gold recertification. For more information about Kaseya Center, visit kaseyacenter.com.



Material and Photo Courtesy of: Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix Used with permission 


The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.



Tuesday, December 2, 2025

MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS ANNOUNCES COMMERCIAL DISTRIBUTION PARTNERSHIP WITH EVERPASS MEDIA FOR HIGHLY ANTICIPATED JAKE VS. JOSHUA: JUDGMENT DAY EVENT

Press Release: December 2, 2025 By Most Valuable Promotions- EverPass holds the exclusive commercial rights to sell and distribute the upcoming Jake vs. Joshua event to bars, restaurants and casinos nationwide



Boxing’s biggest disruptor Jake Paul challenges heavyweight powerhouse Anthony Joshua in a colossal global showdown at 8pm ET / 5pm PT on Friday, December 19, 2025 on Netflix



NEW YORK – December 2, 2025 – Most Valuable Promotions (“MVP”), the trailblazing boxing promotion founded by Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, and EverPass Media (“EverPass”), the premier media platform delivering premium live sports content to commercial businesses, today announced a commercial distribution partnership providing EverPass the exclusive right to sell and distribute MVP’s upcoming boxing mega-event between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua and also featuring a matchup between two MMA legends in Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley, to bars, restaurants and other commercial businesses in the United States. The event will take place on Friday, December 19, at Kaseya Center in Miami, FL and stream globally on Netflix.



“At Most Valuable Promotions, our mission is to bring premium, must-see fight nights to fans wherever they choose to watch,” said Nakisa Bidarian, CEO of Most Valuable Promotions. “Partnering with EverPass Media for Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day ensures that fans have the chance to experience one of the biggest boxing events in a decade, in the shared energy of bars, restaurants, casinos, and commercial venues nationwide.”



“This partnership with MVP underscores EverPass’ role as the leader in bringing premium live events to the commercial market,” said Alex Kaplan, CEO of EverPass Media. “Jake Paul events reliably bring fans through the door, and EverPass turns that demand into real business impact by aggregating must-see sports and making access simple for bars and restaurants.”



Kaplan continued, “The commercial ecosystem is moving fast, and EverPass sits at the center of it. Our platform gives businesses one place and one partner for premium sports, backed by a growing slate of marquee events. Events like this are meant to be experienced together, and that shared atmosphere is what sets the commercial market apart. We are proud to work with MVP and Netflix to deliver this event to audiences nationwide.”



Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day will be headlined by boxing’s biggest disruptor, international superstar and WBA #14-ranked cruiserweight Jake “El Gallo de Dorado” Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) and two-time unified WBO, WBA, and IBF heavyweight world champion, Olympic gold medalist and knockout machine Anthony “AJ” Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs). The matchup unites Paul, the sport’s most-watched fighter, whose showmanship has redefined modern boxing and shattered records at every turn, with Joshua, one of boxing’s most accomplished, respected, and feared punchers, a global icon who has headlined sold-out stadiums across the UK and beyond. The event marks Paul’s second live event on Netflix in just over a year, following his record-breaking victory over Mike Tyson in November 2024. In the co-main event of Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day, MVP’s undisputed super featherweight world champion Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner (16-1, 7 KOs) will make a unified WBA, WBO, and IBF world title defense at 130lbs against Canada’s #2 IBF, #3 WBO and WBA contender Leila Beaudoin (13-1, 2 KOs). Tickets for Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com. The event will also feature MVP’s exclusive VIP experiences, including the MVP Owner’s Experience.



Additional EverPass sports offerings include Netflix’s exclusive NFL 2025 Christmas Day games, NFL Sunday Ticket, Peacock Sports Pass (Premier League, Big Ten football and basketball), UEFA Champions League (Paramount+) and more. To learn more about how EverPass can bring premium live sports to your business, visit https://everpass.com/.



About EverPass Media


EverPass Media is a premier streaming platform dedicated to commercial businesses, that aggregates, distributes and enables streaming of live sports and entertainment content, and offers a wide array of consumer engagement and performance marketing tools for bars, restaurants, hotels and other commercial venues. Launched initially as the exclusive distributor of NFL Sunday Ticket to commercial establishments in the United States, EverPass partners with rightsholders, distribution partners and business owners to unlock greater access to premium live events and drive business growth. EverPass was founded in 2023 in partnership with RedBird Capital Partners and 32 Equity, the strategic investment arm of the National Football League. TKO Group Holdings, parent company of UFC and WWE, joined as an investor in 2024.



About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)


MVP was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last seven global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Chavez Jr. match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano, in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, earning a nomination for Event of the Year by Sports Business Journal. MVP made history again in November 2024 with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2, the first-ever live professional sports event on Netflix. MVP’s Paul vs. Tyson streamed live globally on Netflix and shattered records, becoming the most-streamed sporting event ever with 108 million live viewers globally. MVP followed that up by Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 in July 2024, the first all-women’s boxing card to be featured on Netflix. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of Paul vs. Tyson and the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.


Material Courtesy of: Most Valuable Promotions Used with permission 


The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.




Saturday, November 22, 2025

Joshua-Paul Press Conference Quotes

Credit: Eva Marie Uzcategui / Getty Images For Netflix


Press Release: November 22, 2025 By Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix - MIAMI, FL – November 21, 2025  –  Today at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, MVP’s international superstar and WBA #14-ranked cruiserweight Jake “El Gallo de Dorado” Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) and Matchroom’s two-time unified WBO, WBA, and IBF heavyweight world champion, Olympic gold medalist and knockout machine Anthony “AJ” Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) met face to face ahead of their upcoming fight. Most Valuable Promotions’ (MVP) Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day will be a sanctioned, professional heavyweight bout contested over 8, three-minute rounds with 10oz gloves. The fight is set to take place on Friday, December 19, at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, and will stream live globally, only on Netflix at no additional cost to its 300+ million members. 



MVP and Netflix today announced the greatest MMA fighter of all time and Brazilian legend Anderson “The Spider” Silva (3-2, 2 KOs boxing, 34-11, 22 KOs MMA) makes his return to combat sports to face American MMA champion and combat sports icon Tyron Woodley (0-2 boxing, 19-7-1, 7 KOs MMA) will also join the main card of Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day. In the co-main event of Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day, MVP’s undisputed super featherweight world champion Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner (16-1, 7 KOs) will make a unified WBA, WBO, and IBF world title defense at 130lbs against Canada’s #2 IBF, #3 WBO and WBA contender Leila Beaudoin (13-1, 2 KOs). Baumgardner vs. Beaudoin will be contested over 12 three-minute rounds, equal to the men’s championship standard. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com. 



For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @Netflix, on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @Netflix, or on Netflix’s Tudum.



Visit the official Netflix page and click 'Remind Me' to ensure you're notified on Friday, December 19, when the action begins. Visit Tudum.com for up-to-date information about the event.



JAKE PAUL QUOTES




On why he’s fighting Anthony Joshua: I like to challenge myself. I like to take on the biggest, the best. I said anyone, anytime, any place - I truly mean that. No one ever thought that this would be possible, that we would be here when I first started boxing, and no one thinks I'm going to win. So join the list and be ready to be shocked.




On dealing with critics and the idea he’s in a lose-lose situation: I've never been knocked down or knocked out, even in sparring, but I'm in a sport where that happens. This is not a one-sided fight as people think. And I have power, I have the ability to put people to sleep. That's why I took this challenge - and I know it's crazy and all of that, but I'm excited. I'm genuinely excited. My team's excited and everyone believes in me, and that's all that matters.




On what makes him confident he can beat Joshua: He's one of the best heavyweights ever, but I believe that fighting a smaller man is oftentimes harder as a heavyweight because of the speed difference and because of the foot speed, because of the angles, because of the head being off of the center. And so all of that power is great, and he's knocked people out. I just have to avoid that one shot for eight rounds, and I believe that I can do that. So when I'm bouncing around the ring, jabbing, weaving, and doing all of these things, I know I can pick him apart and score points and make this a very, very big contest. People say, “Oh, I respect Jake Paul for getting in there.” No, respect me because I'm about to win.




On who has more pressure going into the fight: Anthony. Yeah, 1000%. This is something that's going to weigh on him, right? Because of what you said. I'm going in there, I can fight free. If he starts getting touched up and losing rounds, I think the cookie will crumble.




On the significance of fighting Joshua in just his 14th pro fight: We've been pushing boundaries, and that's what I'm really here is to be a beacon for kids out there to take inspiration from. That's one of the biggest things and goals I have in my life, is to show people what the power of self-belief, manifestation, hard work, discipline, and where it can take you, and to take risks…..I'm here to inspire kids and do things differently, and be a disruptor.




On his official prediction for the fight: Official prediction: I think a fourth or fifth round knockout by me. Damn. There it is.




ANTHONY JOSHUA QUOTES




On how the Jake Paul fight came together and his reaction to it: It's great. I think it's massive. It's colossal. It's making big news. We're bringing marketability together with ability. Those two worlds collide. You've got Jake Paul versus Anthony Joshua, and we're here in Miami. We're bringing Europe, Africa, Asia, and Nigeria, the whole world together to watch this show on Netflix; it's going to be phenomenal. And that's how we ended up here. Basically, two guys that just want to put on a good show.




On critics saying this fight could stain his legacy: I just focus on people that believe in me, that are supporting me, and that's it, if I'm honest. So I ain't got nothing to say to those people because they don't even come into my psyche.




On what he sees when he looks at Jake Paul: Talent focus, good team - nothing negative. He's here to do his job. I could sit up here and try and address all the things that Jake doesn't do good, but I'm fighting the Jake that's going to do everything good on December 19th. So let me focus on that. He's a good person, does his thing, great team around him, puts in the work, and that's why he's sitting here now. Anyone out there in the world that works harder than the next person deserves to be a frontrunner, and he's a frontrunner in the boxing game right now.




On changing trainers for this fight: I won't be trained by Ben Davidson. I said that London's a bit distracting for me, so I was invited to train with Team Usyk. We've been doing some good training out in Spain, and I think he's [Oleksander Usyk] one of the best in the world. And it's not all down to him; it's also down to his team that surrounds him. So I linked up with them and [I’m] getting insight into how someone who's achieved so much. It's been phenomenal, man. It's been a great experience, and it's very challenging.



On how seriously he’s taking Jake Paul: He's been professional now, what, four years? Five, I do believe, right? Five years. So after three years, I was the underdog and no one believed in me - I came up fighting the best in the world. You can't underestimate anyone.



On what he’ll bring to the fight: I'm going to bring him to another school of boxing that I don't think he's been exposed to yet. So there's a few tricks I have up my sleeve to show Jake on December 19th.




About MVP


MVP was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last seven global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Chavez Jr. match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano, in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head-to-head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. MVP made history again in November 2024 with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2, the first-ever live professional sports event on Netflix. MVP’s Paul vs. Tyson streamed live globally on Netflix and shattered records, becoming the most-streamed sporting event ever with 108 million live viewers globally. MVP followed that up by Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 in July 2024 the first all-women’s boxing card to be featured on Netflix.  Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of Paul vs. Tyson and the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.



About Netflix 


Netflix is one of the world's leading entertainment services, with over 300 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films, live events and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause, and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time. 




Material Courtesy of: Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix/ Photo Courtesy of: Eva Marie Uzcategui / Getty Images for Netflix Used with permission.


The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.



Monday, November 17, 2025

Anthony Joshua -Jake Paul Set For December 19 In Miami On Netflix

Credit: Netflix/Most Valuable Promotions 


Press Release: November 17, 2025 By Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix- Jake Paul faces the most dangerous and defining fight of his career against Britain’s two-time unified heavyweight world champion and Olympic Gold medalist Anthony Joshua in a professional heavyweight megafight scheduled for 8, three-minute rounds with 10oz gloves



Jake vs. Joshua Kickoff Press Conference will take place Friday, November 21 at 1pm at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, hosted by renowned combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani. All media interested in being credentialed to cover the press conference must apply here.



Tickets for Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day go on sale Friday, November 21 at 12pm ET at Ticketmaster.com and fans can sign up for pre-sale now at jakevsjoshua.com 



Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix today announced Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day, a colossal global showdown between boxing’s biggest disruptor, international superstar and WBA #14-ranked cruiserweight Jake “El Gallo de Dorado” Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) and two-time unified WBO, WBA, and IBF heavyweight world champion, Olympic gold medalist and knockout machine Anthony “AJ” Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs). Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day will be a sanctioned, professional heavyweight bout contested over 8, three-minute rounds with 10oz gloves. The fight is set to take place on Friday, December 19 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, and will stream live globally, only on Netflix at no additional cost to its 300+ million members. 



Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day represents the most dangerous test of Jake Paul’s nascent career. The matchup unites Paul, the sport’s most-watched fighter whose showmanship has redefined modern boxing and shattered records at every turn, with Joshua, one of boxing’s most accomplished, respected, and feared punchers, a global icon who twice unified the heavyweight division, and has headlined sold-out stadiums across the UK and beyond. This will be Paul’s second live event on Netflix in just over a year following his record-breaking victory over Mike Tyson in November 2024. Tickets for Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day will go on sale Friday, November 21 at 12pm ET at Ticketmaster.com, and fans can sign up for presale now at jakevsjoshua.com. The event will also feature MVP’s exclusive VIP experiences, including the MVP Owner’s Experience.



Paul and Joshua will meet face-to-face for the Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day Kickoff Press Conference on Friday, November 21 at 1pm ET at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida and will be free and open to the public on a first come first served basis. The press conference will be hosted by renowned combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani and will stream live on MVP’s YouTube Channel and Netflix Sports’ YouTube Channel. All media interested in being credentialed to cover the press conference must apply HERE.



The American pride of Puerto Rico, Jake “El Gallo de Dorado” Paul has shown tremendous growth as a boxer on his path to becoming a world champion, and now will look to prove he has what it takes against one of the most feared punchers in boxing and greatest pound-for-pound heavyweights in the world, Anthony Joshua. 



"This isn’t an AI simulation. This is Judgment Day,” said Jake Paul. “A professional heavyweight fight against an elite world champion in his prime. When I beat Anthony Joshua, every doubt disappears, and no one can deny me the opportunity to fight for a world title. To all my haters, this is what you wanted. To the people of the United Kingdom, I am sorry. On Friday, December 19, under the lights in Miami, live globally only on Netflix, the torch gets passed and Britain’s Goliath gets put to sleep. I KNOWWWW YOU GOT EM PICKED HAHAHHA"



Ahead of his showdown with Jake Paul, Anthony “AJ” Joshua enters the ring as one of the most accomplished heavyweights of his era. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist and two-time unified world champion has headlined stadiums across the globe, battled legends like Wladimir Klitschko and Oleksandr Usyk, and most recently delivered a devastating knockout of Francis Ngannou before facing IBF titleholder Daniel Dubois in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.



“Jake or anyone can get this work. No mercy,” said Anthony Joshua OBE. “I took some time out and I’m coming back with a mega show. It’s a big opportunity for me. Whether you like it or not, I’m here to do massive numbers, have big fights and break every record whilst keeping cool, calm and collected. Mark my words, you’ll see a lot more fighters take these opportunities in the future. I’m about to break the internet over Jake Paul’s face.” 



“Everyone laughed when Jake Paul said in March that he wanted to fight AJ in 2026,” said Nakisa Bidarian, CEO of Most Valuable Promotions. “Well, plans changed, and in under two weeks, MVP and Netflix have made one of the biggest fights of all time. Now, as only Jake Paul could and would do, he’s fighting one of the most fearsome boxers in the world. Joshua has every advantage in this fight, except one - the delusional confidence of Jake Paul, and if anyone can shock the world, it’s him. This is a global clash between two of the most recognizable figures in the sport, Jake, the face of boxing’s new era, and Joshua, the King of UK boxing."



“Anthony Joshua is one of the most formidable and decorated heavyweights in the world – the ultimate test for any fighter,” said Gabe Spitzer, Vice President, Sports, Netflix. “We have immense respect for Jake Paul's decision to take this challenge; it demonstrates the fearless ambition he has for his career. This is exactly why Netflix is in the live business: we love taking big swings and delivering the biggest, must-watch cultural spectacles.”



"They say be careful what you wish for, kind of feel like that’s all I need to say,” said Eddie Hearn, Chairman Matchroom. “Two of the biggest names in the sport will collide on Dec 19. Whilst I admire Jake’s balls, he’s going to find out the hard way in Miami.” 



Additional information, including undercard bouts and co-main event details, will be announced in the coming weeks.”



For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @Netflix, on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @Netflix, or on Netflix’s Tudum.



Jake vs. Joshua will be the latest large scale live event to air on Netflix. This past September, over 41 million people watched Terrence Crawford defeat Canelo Álvarez for the super middleweight championship. With WWE Raw continuing to air every week globally, upcoming live events include NFL Christmas Gameday returning to Netflix with two matchups on Christmas Day: the Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings. 



About Jake Paul


The American pride of Puerto Rico, Jake “El Gallo de Dorado” Paul has shown tremendous growth as a boxer on his path to becoming a world champion, and now will look to prove he has what it takes against one of the most feared punchers in boxing and greatest pound-for-pound heavyweights in the world, Anthony Joshua. In just five years since turning pro, Paul has made his impact in the ring, earning high-profile victories over names like Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva, and Nate Diaz. His viral knockouts and headline-grabbing performances have breathed new life into boxing, drawing millions of fans and setting records. In November 2024, Jake Paul defeated the Baddest Man on the Planet, Mike Tyson in a heavyweight bout in the first-ever live professional sporting event on Netflix. Paul vs. Tyson shattered records, becoming the most-streamed sporting event ever with 108 million live viewers globally. Paul most recently returned to the ring in June 2025 to face former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., earning a unanimous decision victory and entering the WBA cruiserweight rankings at #14 with the win. Paul has collected multiple accolades for his commitment to the sport of boxing, including ESPNRingside’s 2021 Knockout of the Year, Sports Illustrated’s 2021 Breakout Boxer of the Year, ESPNRingside’s 2022 Viral Moment of the Year, and was the cover of Sports Illustrated’s “The 50 Most Influential Figures in Sports” issue, awarded specifically for his groundbreaking work to revolutionize the sport through equitable pay, providing a platform for young fighters, and his support of female boxers. Paul also partnered with USA Boxing ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, continuing his mission to elevate the sport and its future champions. 



About Anthony Joshua


Anthony “AJ” Joshua claimed Olympic gold for Team Great Britain at London 2012 before becoming one of the biggest heavyweight stars in the world. In April 2016, he destroyed then-IBF titleholder Charles Martin to win his first world title, successfully defending it twice before defeating legend Wladimir Klitschko in an unforgettable battle in front of 90,000 at England’s national stadium in April 2017 to unify the division and earn the WBA title. He unified the division again in March 2018 by defeating Joseph Parker to become the WBO, IBF and WBA world champion, successfully defending the belts against Alexander Povetkin at Wembley Stadium in September 2018. In his American debut at Madison Square Garden, he lost his unbeaten record to Andy Ruiz Jr, but avenged the loss in Saudi Arabia in December 2019 to become a two-time unified WBO, IBF, and WBA heavyweight champion. The now-36-year-old followed that up with a KO victory over mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev at Wembley Arena a year later before testing himself on two occasions against pound-for-pound powerhouse Oleksandr Usyk. Still hungry, Joshua moved to Dallas, Texas to work under new trainer Derrick James before returning to the UK to fight Jermaine Franklin at the O2 in April 2023, earning his 25th career victory with a wide points decision in his first fight back at the dome since 2016. AJ then fought Robert Helenius on short notice, earning a devastating knockout of the year contender in the seventh round, then landed a headline slot in Saudi Arabia in December 2023 against Otto Wallin, who retired on his stool at the end of the fifth round. In March 2024, Joshua delivered a devastating second-round Knockout of the Year against MMA star Francis Ngannou. In pursuit of becoming a three-time heavyweight world champion, Joshua most recently took on then-IBF title holder, fellow Brit and former sparring partner Daniel Dubois in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in September 2024.



About MVP


MVP was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last seven global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Chavez Jr. match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. MVP made history again in November 2024 with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2, the first-ever live professional sports event on Netflix. MVP’s Paul vs. Tyson streamed live globally on Netflix and shattered records, becoming the most-streamed sporting event ever with 108 million live viewers globally. MVP followed that up by Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 in July 2024 the first all women’s boxing card to be featured on Netflix.  Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of Paul vs. Tyson and the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.



About Netflix 


Netflix is one of the world's leading entertainment services, with over 300 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films, live events and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause, and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time. 


Material and Photo  Courtesy of: Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix Used with permission.


The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.



Thursday, September 26, 2024

Dubois Batters Joshua, Should Joshua Fight On?

The encounter between IBF Heavyweight world champion Daniel Dubois and former two-time Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua on September 21st was one rhat had a bit of controversy attached to it. After all, it was one that came about in part because of the politics of the sport that be forced the recent undefeated Undisputed Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk to decide to relinquish the IBF crown due to a contractually mandated rematch with former two-time Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury, which will come on December 18fh in Saudi Arabia.


Often times, when such decisions are made that causes a fighter who was in position to challenge a world champion who is either stripped or relinquishes a championship where the top contender, in this case Dubois, is named world champion, the criticism and yes, vitriol of Boxing fans are aimed squarely at the new champion. All too often, the response is to try and discredit the champion even though, the fighter is not the one responsible for such decisions that are made on the business side of the sport of Boxing.


While Dubois had this scenario placed upon him, his first title defense against a proven stalwart of the Heavyweight division in Joshua offered a chance to make a statement to the cynics and the keyboard warriors that be that he should not be discredited. For Anthony Joshua, this fight not only offered an opportunity to regain a portion of the World Heavyweight championship, but if he were successful, he would add his name to a specific group in Boxing history of being part of a select group of fighters that have won the World Heavyweight championship on three separate occasions. A list that includes Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko, and Wladimir Klitschko. 


A world champion seeking to make a statement and a former champion looking to add his name to a category in Boxing history. Normally, this alone would be enough to draw interest. When you throw in the legendary Wembley Stadium in London, England and a record crowd of 96,000 spectators, you have the definition of an event. The very definition of “Big Fight Atmosphere." 


What stood out to me was not what happened at the opening bell, but rather the ring walk of the champion. From the moment Daniel Dubois emerged from the locker room, he had the look of a fighter on a mission. Some may even go as far as to call him " A Man Possessed." In contrast to Dubois, Joshua emerged looking as though this was another day at the office for a fighter who has taken part in many of these types of events in sold out stadiums over the last decade. Although there was not something that appeared to be unusual, perhaps Joshua was giving a vibe of one who was comfortable, despite being in the role of the challenger.


Dubois took the initiative by immediately taking the center of the ring and putting Joshua on the defensive. It was evident quickly that Dubois, one of the Heavyweight division’s “Knockout Artists" was putting everything he had behind every punch he threw. The champion staggered Joshua with a right hand to the head that had him hurt early in round one. 


Perhaps not expecting Dubois to come out as fast as he had, Joshua did not keep his hands up and was open for the right hand. It would be a right hand thrown by the champion as Joshua was backing straight up against the ropes that would knock the former world champion down in the first round.


From this point in the fight, Joshua was on unsteady legs. When a fighter is hurt as Joshua was, normally the tactical thing to do if you are the hurt fighter is to try and hold your opponent and try to buy yourself time to recover. Joshua not only did not try to clinch Dubois, but he also kept his hands down, seemingly inviting more punishment. Joshua's inability to make tactical adjustments to not only try and give himself time to recover, but also not adjusting himself where he could try and avoid the punishment Dubois was dishing out, resulted in more knockdowns in the third and fourth rounds.


Frankly after the second knockdown in round three, this observer wondered aloud what was keeping Joshua up as he was taking a beating, but also to his credit, trying to fight back in spots. Following a third knockdown in the fourth round, I was surprised the fight was allowed to continue even though Joshua subtly was starting to land some heavy punches of his own.


Going into the fifth round, I felt that if Joshua had any chance of turning things around, he would at minimum have to try and slow the pace of the combat down, if not land something that would turn things dramatically in his favor. At the same time, though Daniel Dubois was clearly dominating the fight and showing he was a Heavyweight champion, in spite of his critics, I wondered whether there would come a point where he would punch himself out.


A problem for some fighters who are labeled as “Knockout Artists" have is they tend to fall in love with the idea that their punching power will always be the component that will lead them to victory. While it is indeed true that a fighter that can score knockdowns has a way at least in theory to dig themselves out of a hole on the scorecards if they can land cleanly due to their power, or build a lead on the scorecards with the same attribute, the danger often is they forget to pace themselves and by throwing everything they have into every punch, if an opponent can find a way to avoid most of those punches or withstand a good majority of them, the asset of having punching power can go from an asset to a detriment that can work against them. 


In this case, Daniel Dubois was clearly dominating the fight, but seemed to be starting to show slight signs of fatigue. It should also not be dismissed as to the potential psychological affect it can have on a fighter when they continue landing hard shots on their opponent round after round and despite all that effort, the opponent is still there. For a brief moment in the fifth round, it appeared as though there was a glimpse of a potential shift in the fight as Joshua connected with a flush right hook to the head of the champion that had Dubois hurt and moving backwards as Joshua pressed forward, he did so recklessly and ended up walking into a flush counter right hook, sending the former champion down for the fourth time. This time, Joshua was not able to beat the count. The fight was over. 


If one were to draw up an ideal scenario for a world champion in their first title defense, this was the type of emphatic statement-making performance you would want to see if you're in the Daniel Dubois camp. Simply put, it was nearly perfect and devastating. While Dubois seemingly put himself in position to challenge the winner of the upcoming Usyk-Fury rematch, it is worth noting that there is a rematch clause here and it would seem that Anthony Joshua has every intention of invoking it.


After the second knockout loss in his career, however, the question is should Joshua continue on? Anthony Joshua is a future Hall of Famer, there is no doubt about it, but there are likely some who are at least suggesting that this could be the end of the road for him. This observer has never been one to tell a fighter when it's time because it is not my place to do so, but longtime readers should know that I have frequently voiced and written of my concerns for fighters health as obvious signs of decline and eroding skills become evident.


This does not appear as though this might be a case of a fighter’s skills eroding, but it is clear something went wrong for Joshua in this fight. Whether that was in preparation for the fight in terms of strategy or not being prepared for the pace that Dubois established, something was not there. While it's important to remember that fighters, like the rest of us, are human and are as prone to a bad night as anyone, there is one thing that I did notice. 


Some might recall Joshua's first encounter with Andy Ruiz in June 2019. A fight that ended his first reign as a World Heavyweight champion. In the third round of that fight, Joshua scored a knockdown of Ruiz with a left hook to the head. Upon the fight resuming following the knockdown, Joshua pressed forward in a manner similar to how he approached Dubois in the fifth round. Ruiz subsequently caught an over aggressive Joshua with a hook of his own and knocked the then champion down to the canvas. Joshua did get up from that knockdown, but he was never the same after he got caught and Ruiz was able to stop him in the seventh round. Although some may view the similarity as purely coincidental, the commonality between the two fights is Joshua did not approach either Ruiz or Dubois with a tactical Boxing mentality once he had his opponent hurt and both were able to exploit vulnerabilities that Joshua has in terms of defense.


If Anthony Joshua is going to continue on with his career, he will need to correct his mindset, be more tactical and wait for opportunities for potential knockdowns and knockouts to come to him rather than recklessly pursuing an opponent looking for the kill. He and his team should have the evidence to suggest that the latter approach is not one that often leads to success. In terms of if he can come back and once again regain his standing in the Heavyweight division, it will take time, but fighters through the entire sport have suffered knockout losses similar to and in some cases worse than the one he suffered here against Daniel Dubois and were eventually able to bounce back. It may be a question of whether Joshua has the commitment to retool his skillset, really focus and refine his defense, and whether he's willing to fight his way back up the ranks if a rematch with Dubois does not happen immediately. 


“And That's The Boxing Truth." 



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Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Dubois-Joshua Preview

 On September 21st, the Boxing world will converge on the legendary Wembley Stadium for a significant event in Boxing’s Heavyweight division. Before we can talk about this event, however, we must briefly go back to the recent history of the sport to the last major event in the Heavyweight division. This observer is referring to the much-anticipated unification bout between undefeated world champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, which took place in Saudi Arabia on May 18th.


A unification bout, which saw Usyk emerge as the Undisputed Heavyweight champion of the world, becoming the first fighter in Boxing history to successfully unify all five major sanctioning organizations to become a fully undisputed champion. As monumental as that moment in history was in seeing the first undisputed champion in the division crowned in twenty-five years, an element of the business of the sport loomed over the occasion. The fact that there was both a mandatory rematch clause as well as a separate mandatory title defense obligation by the International Boxing Federation (IBF), which conflicted with each other. 


Unfortunately, conflict would mean that there would only be one world champion in the division for several months as Usyk would be contractually unable to fulfill his obligation to the IBF due to his upcoming rematch with Fury in December, which resulted in him relinquishing the IBF crown and IBF number one mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois being named the IBF Heavyweight world champion. Dubois, who nearly dethroned Usyk when they fought in August 2023 now prepares to make the first defense of his world title in Wembley Stadium against former two-time Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua in a showdown that can be seen globally on DAZN Pay-Per-View.


While some have already chosen to discredit this encounter as a legitimate world championship fight, a point of view not shared by yours truly for the obvious reasons of regulations and policies needing to be followed and per those policies, this is a legitimate world championship fight, it does nevertheless bring together two of the division's feared “Knockout Artists." 


For the champion Daniel Dubois, he will enter this title defense having scored two impressive knockout wins in his two bouts since he lost to Usyk against Jarrell Miller in December of last year and Filip Hrgovic in June of this year. Dubois has scored knockouts in twenty of his twenty-one career wins registering a 95% career knockout percentage. The criticism of the champion, however, has been what happened to him in his two losses to Joe Joyce and Usyk where he suffered knockout losses.


 Despite suffering a broken left eye socket in his fight with Joyce in November 2020, and being broken down by Usyk, the perception of some was that Dubois quit under pressure in those fights. Although Dubois has shown the ability to bounce back well from those setbacks, he still has to combat that perception. 


If one is looking for Dubois to be tested under circumstances where the pressure will be high due in part to the “Big Fight Atmosphere," that test will likely come against Anthony Joshua.


By now, the story of Anthony Joshua is well known. A former Olympic Gold medalist and two-time unified Heavyweight world champion who is a future Hall of Famer and has spent most of his career competing in the “Big Fight Atmosphere." Much like Dubois, Joshua has suffered setbacks along the way and has also suffered two losses to Oleksandr Usyk.


Manny Boxing fans will recall that Usyk ended Joshua's second reign as a world champion in September 2021 via decision and then lost a decision in their rematch in August 2022. Since those setbacks, Joshua has rebounded winning his last four fights, three coming via knockout. In his last outing in March, Joshua scored a second round knockout of former UFC Heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou.


While the victory over the novice boxer in Ngannou was not surprising to menu given the significant difference in experience between the boxer Joshua and the MMA star Ngannou, the third consecutive knocked in the span of less than a year showed that Joshua is still a force in the division and will enter this fight rated number three in the IBF ratings. What this fight represents for Joshua is not only an opportunity to regain a version of the World Heavyweight championship, but if he were to be successful, to enter his name into a select group of fighters in the history of the sport to have won the World Heavyweight championship on three separate occasions.


It is logical based on the styles of the two fighters to think of the possibility of a short, but potentially explosive fight given the power each fighter has. The question this observer has is whether the knowledge each fighter has of what the other can do will cause them to take a more tentative approach early on. Both fighters are capable of ending a fight with one punch so the possibility of one or both being gun shy at least early is a real one. An additional thing one should keep in mind is both champion and challenger have been known to fatigue the longer a fight goes on. While that has not always translated into losses for either, it is nevertheless, something to keep an eye on. 


Beyond a version of the World Heavyweight championship being at stake in this fight, what looms ahead also seems obvious for the winner. To put themselves in position to potentially fight the winner of the Usyk-Fury rematch to once again determine one Undisputed Heavyweight champion of the world. So much is at stake for both fighters, not just in terms of the often debated term “Legacy,” but also significant money to be made. We will see who will be able to take a step forward and move himself into the position to potentially fight for “Undisputed.”



“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”


Dubois vs. Joshua takes place on Saturday, September 21st at Wembley Stadium in London, England. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen globally on DAZN Pay-Per-View for $19.99. The broadcast will begin at 10:30AM ET/7:30AM PT with The DAZN Boxing Show previewing the event with the Boxing action beginning at 11:30AM ET/ 8:30AM PT. (*U.S. Start Times Only*)


For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, to subscribe, for region specific pricing, and to order this pay-per-view event please visit: www.DAZN.com


(*Card and Start Times Subject to Change.*)


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