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.

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.

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.

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.

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." 

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

Follow Beau Denison on the following Social Media Platforms:

X: (Formerly Twitter) www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison   

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BeauDenison1     

Threads: www.threads.net/@BeauDenison1  

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/BeauDenison1  

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.*)

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

Follow Beau Denison on the following Social Media Platforms:

X: (Formerly Twitter) www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BeauDenison1 

 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/BeauDenison1

Threads: www.threads.net/@BeauDenison1  

Harrison On Dubois-Joshua And Wilder's Future

Press Release: June 6, 2024 By Bettingsites.co.uk - Bettingsites.co.uk recently interviewed former Olympic Gold medalist and former Heavyweight contender Audley Harrison where he shared his thoughts on a potential bout between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois as well as gave his opinion as to what former World Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder should do following his recent loss.

Audley Harrison

Daniel Dubois Will Get Caught By AJ If He Doesn’t Take My Advice

Audley Harrison: “Dubois needs a finisher. That’s the kind of trainer I am, I can see straight away what somebody is doing wrong. I know if I had him in the gym, the stuff I’d have him doing would clean him up. I can see what he needs just to finish him off and it would help him against somebody like Joshua. Even Joshua, I can watch him and see what he needs to complete his style.”

“There’s a few things he’s going to have to clean up to go through Joshua. I’m very technical. Defensively his hands have got to come up just a little bit more. He wants to roll his shoulders. He needs to keep his hands higher. If AJ throws quick punches, he’s going to get caught. His shoulders want to be a bit looser and just come up a little, so that he can ride the shots a little better.”

Deontay Wilder Should Quit Now – He Has Nothing To Prove

Audley Harrison: “There’s nothing more for him to achieve. He moved to Malik (Scott) but they’re not going to be able to change his style. His style is to go forward and you can’t learn to fight on the backfoot. He’s an Olympic Bronze Medalist, he’s been a World Champion. He changed his life around, financially for his daughter. Technically he didn’t finesse it, but he defended his world title many times and changed his life. He should walk away with his head held high.”

Material Courtesy of: Bettingsites.co.uk  Used with permission.

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

Anthony Joshua Makes A Statement In Knocking Out Ngannou

The Heavyweight fight between two-time World Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and former UFC Heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou was a spectacle that was right in line with several of what this observer refers to as “Novelty" fights featuring either the top stars of the sports of Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) or celebrities from other realms that for one reason or another decide to enter Combat Sports. What made this particular encounter different was the fact that Francis Ngannou had proven in his previous foray into Boxing that he had the potential to transition to a career as a professional boxer in October of last year in putting forth an impressive showing against undefeated current WBC Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury.

Not only did Ngannou score a shocking knockdown of Fury, a two-time world champion, who was expected to outclass Ngannou primarily based on the significant experience gap between the two, but by the time the fight was over, Ngannou had succeeded in turning many skeptics into believers in dropping what was seen as a controversial ten round split decision that many, this observer included, felt he deserved the victory. It was off of that performance that the term “Novelty" was removed regarding Ngannou and the question of how he would do in his next fight in the Boxing ring began to stir and over the ensuing months gained more and more buzz.

Although he would have been justified to seek what some might call lesser opposition, if nothing else, as a means of gaining more experience in what was and is a new sport for him, Ngannou chose to face another proven commodity in the form of former two-time Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua on March 8th in the same location as his bout with Fury, The Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Even though there was no world title at stake in this fight, the atmosphere was one that some Boxing fans might associate with some of the major Boxing events that have taken place in Las Vegas.

Despite his impressive showing against an under-prepared champion, who underestimated him, Ngannou faced a similar challenge in this fight in going against a two-time world champion, who is still a top contender and one might even say had a higher overall pedigree than Fury. It was also worth noting, despite suffering some setbacks in his career, Anthony Joshua has always been a well-conditioned fighter who was not likely to make a similar error in treating his bout with Ngannou with a seemingly “Kid Gloves" approach as Furry did.

Joshua made it a definite that this would be a different flight and it took only a short time for him to show that he did take Ngannou seriously and prepared accordingly. The approach Joshua implemented in this fight was one of fundamentals and patience. Upon the opening bell, the former two-time Heavyweight world champion established that he would vary his approach of Ngannou by looking to land jabs to the body as well as changing levels and looking to maintain distance between himself and the former UFC Heavyweight world champion.

As he had done last October in his fight against Tyson Fury, Francis Ngannou attempted to land hooks and tried to set up opportunities for himself to counter Joshua. The primary difference between Joshua and Fury however, was one fighter had a lackadaisical approach, was not disciplined, and left opens that frankly made him look amateurish that Ngannou was able to exploit to a certain degree. Joshua's approach meanwhile had discipline at its core, and Ngannou was not able to take advantage of openings because there were not as many opportunities as there were when he fought Fury. Joshua was also defensively responsible in doing what he could to try and avoid the majority of wide hooks thrown by Ngannou, which were mostly blocked or deflected by Joshua's gloves and defensive guard.

The patience Joshua showed in simply biding his time and waiting for an opening came late in the first round when he dropped Ngannou hard with a perfectly timed and beautifully thrown straight right hand down the middle, which hit Ngannou flush on the chin and sent him down to the canvas. Despite being dropped, to his credit, Ngannou was able to get up from the knockdown and did connect with a hook to the head of Joshua before the round was over.

Nevertheless, a point had been proven in the opening round that unlike Fury, the still unbeaten holder of the WBC world championship in the Heavyweight division, Anthony Joshua took his assignment more seriously against Ngannou and was intent on making a statement in this fight. It would not be long before Joshua would accomplish what seemed to be a clear mission to send a message to not only Fury, not only Oleksandr Usuk, who ended his second reign as a world champion and retained his portion of the World Heavyweight championship over Joshua in a hotly contested rematch, but to the whole Heavyweight division.

As he had done in the first round, Joshua maintained his patience at the start of round two and did not recklessly approach Ngannou in trying to force a finish to the fight. A change for Joshua who has been susceptible to being caught when he has gotten overly aggressive in the past. This time, he simply waited for his opportunity. When the opportunity arose, Joshua dropped Ngannou for the second time with a right hook to the jaw. Although he was clearly stunned and had a look on his face that indicated that he did not know what hit him, Ngannou showed his heart by once again getting up from the knockdown. Joshua, one of the most devastating finishers in the sport, quickly walked across the ring and ended matters by decking Ngannou with a brutal straight right hand that momentarily knocked Ngannou out cold. The fight was over.

As brutal and infatic as Joshua's knockout of Francis Ngannou was in only taking a round and a half to end the night for a fighter who may still go on to be a player in the division if he chooses to remain in Boxing, the reality is, this is what Anthony Joshua as a world-class boxer, who is a two-time world champion should have been expected to do against a fighter in Ngannou, who only had one professional fight as a boxer. If one is being honest, they would also say that the same was expected of Tyson Fury, a man who is still atop the division, despite turning in what frankly should be viewed as an embarrassing performance as well as questionable scoring, which allowed him to remain unbeaten when he fought Ngannou.

While this does not take anything away from Francis Ngannou, ultimately, another point was proven in this fight that has been proven several times when Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters step into a Boxing ring against boxers who are primarily trained for Boxing, and when boxers choose to venture into an MMA ring or cage. Not only are Boxing and MMA two different sports and should be viewed as such, despite Boxing being a martial art/discipline, but also regardless of whether it is a Boxing ring or under an MMA format, a fighter venturing into a sport that is not their primary discipline in which they compete. will be at a competitive disadvantage both in terms of experience as well as overall skill compared to an opponent that primarily competes in that sport most of the time.

Francis Ngannou deserves all the credit in the world for rolling the dice and venturing into a different sport in the middle of his competitive prime. It is something that takes guts and one should also not underestimate the learning curve that is involved for a fighter switching sports at an advanced age. While we live in a time where anyone, regardless of background or credibility can share their point of view and are likely voicing opinions that may mock him based on the end result of this fight, the fact is Francis Ngannou has stepped in the ring with two of the best Heavyweight boxers in the world in his two fights as a professional boxer. Although he has yet to score an official victory, credit should be given where it is due. 

While there will also likely be calls for him to return to MMA, Ngannou still has value in Boxing and will likely still be able to secure significant paydays off of his name value. What this knockout loss should show him however, is he needs time to polish and refine his Boxing skills. No different than any other fighter just starting in the sport. If he remains committed to Boxing, gives himself adequate time to learn and is able to face opponents that one would expect to face as they develop, who range from just starting their careers to those fighters with some experience that can serve as helping a fighter in their development/learning process, and if he is able to develop under the guidance of experienced Boxing trainers, Francis Ngannou could still end up being a player in the Heavyweight division.

As is being learned by the various YouTubers/Influencers and others that venture into Boxing from other realms, very seldom is one able to start their career at the very top and succeed. Some may choose to try and take shortcuts, but ultimately the process of learning the fundamentals of the sport, polishing and refining one’s skills, which will always be a work in progress even for those at the very top of the sport, as well as a fundamental understanding of how the sport is structured, needs to be respected. Francis Ngannou has nothing to be ashamed of. If he is truly committed to Boxing and is willing to take the time required to go through the aforementioned learning process that the sport demands, his knockout at the hands of Anthony Joshua will be a chapter of his career as a boxer, not the end of the story.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

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

Follow Beau Denison on the following Social Media Platforms:

X: (Formerly Twitter) www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BeauDenison1    

Threads: www.threads.net/@BeauDenison1 

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/BeauDenison1