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.

Cruz-Roach Preview

On Saturday, December 6th, the Boxing world will focus on the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, TX for a fight, which in all likelihood will have repercussions in the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division heading into 2026 and to be specific, with regard to the World Boxing Council (WBC) Jr. Welterweight ratings. This observer is referring to the battle between top contenders Isaac Cruz and Lamont Roach, a fight that will headline a pay-per-view card promoted under the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) banner and streamed in the United States by Prime Video. What makes this an intriguing battle beyond an interesting clash of styles, which alone should draw interest amongst Boxing aficionados is the stakes of this encounter have potentially increased since the time the bout was announced.

First we have the clash of styles between a come forward pressure fighter in Cruz that tries to break his opponents down gradually in the mold of a Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., in that often from the opening bell, he comes forward and tries to apply constant pressure and back his opponent up with a swarming attack to the body and head. In thirty-two professional bouts, Cruz, who will walk into this fight holding an interim championship designation in the WBC Jr. Welterweight ratings, has a record of 28-3-1, with 18 Knockouts.

Standing across the ring from him on December 6th will be Lamont Roach. Roach, a former longtime top contender in the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division, who briefly held a similar interim designation in the WBA’s rankings in that weight class, is a well-rounded boxer/puncher that can do a little of everything, who will enter the fight with a record of 25-1-2, with 10 Knockouts. Despite the contrast in styles, both fighters share a commonality. Both have previously found themselves in decisions that many feel should have gone their way against the same fighter in Gervonta Davis. Some may recall Cruz putting forth a spirited effort against Davis four years and one day from where this fight will take place against Roach, in December 2021. A fight where many believed he deserved the decision based on the pressure and body work he inflicted on Davis over the course of the fight, but ended up losing a close twelve round unanimous decision. 

More recently, Roach found himself on what many considered to be the wrong end of a decision against Davis in March of this year where he appeared to not have what should have been credited as a knockdown in his favor in the ninth round where Davis took a knee and had one of his cornermen wipe his face with a towel before continuing on. This blown call by Referee Steve Willis by not ruling a knockdown against Davis, as should have been the case when a fighter takes a knee for any reason outside of after suffering an illegal blow, is what many point to in resulting in Roach getting a twelve round majority draw as opposed to a victory that many observers including this one, felt he deserved. Obstacles toward a rematch with Davis, coupled with the latter’s choosing to sign to participate in an exhibition with Jake Paul, before ultimately being removed from that endeavor due to accusations of domestic violence against him, have resulted in Roach now facing Cruz.

What this fight comes down to in my eyes is virtually the same question that is asked of all Isaac Cruz opponents. Can Roach find a way to offset the pressure attack that Cruz will be trying to execute? While Cruz is not known for punching power, his knockouts have come from breaking his opponents down and he tries to more or less pin himself onto an opponent's chest where he not only cuts the ring off, but makes it extremely difficult for that fighter to get any breathing room where they can move, let alone find a consistent rhythm.

Although this has proven to be a difficult task to combat for many opponents, Lamont Roach does have good lateral movement, the ability to use angles, and a good mix of hand speed and accuracy when it comes to counter punching. Whether or not he will be able to set traps for Cruz as he comes forward to set up counter punch opportunities and whether he can evade the pressure and body/head attack of Cruz for all twelve rounds remains to be seen. 

The wrinkle that has emerged since this fight was announced that could potentially raise the stakes is while Cruz’ WBC Interim designation will be at stake in the fight, current WBC World Jr. Welterweight champion Subriel Matias, who has a scheduled title defense in January against Dalton Smith in New York, recently tested positive for the banned substance Ostarine during randomized testing conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) while in training for that title defense. As of this writing, the status of both that fight as well as Matias’ standing as WBC world champion in the Jr. Welterweight division is unknown. 

The possibility certainly exists, however, that the WBC could strip Matias of the title per the testing results either before or shortly after the Cruz-Roach fight takes place, which would obviously either elevate this fight to a world title bout or create a situation where the winner of it will be named world champion and possibly be mandated to fight Dalton Smith in 2026 assuming that Matias would not be permitted to fight due to possible suspension both by the WBC as well as the Association of Boxing Commissions that has both state and international membership due to the failed test.

Either way one chooses to look at this situation, the stakes are high for both Cruz and Roach regardless of a world title is on the line here as regardless, the winner will be in a position for potential lucrative fights going into 2026 and even though world championships still mean something and will always hold value in the sport, the possibility for more lucrative paydays often man as much or more than the championships themselves. Which fighter will find himself in such a position remains to be seen.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

Cruz vs. Roach takes place on Saturday, December 6th at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, TX. The fight as well as its undercard can be seen in the United States on Prime Video Pay-Per-View beginning at 5:30 PM ET/2:30 PM PT with free preliminary bouts with the pay-per-view portion beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT for $79.95. To order this pay-per-view event download the Prime Video app on mobile, tablet, or connected streaming devices and smart TVs and find Premier Boxing Champions in the Sports section or click the following link : PBC: Cruz vs. Roach

(*Card And Start Times Subject To Change.”

(*Check your local listings and Prime Video for availability and pricing internationally.*)

For more information about Premier Boxing Champions please visit: www.PremierBoxingChampions.com 

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

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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.

Paul-Davis Cancelled

Press Release: November 3 , 2025 By Most Valuable Promotions - Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix have announced that Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis, originally scheduled for Friday, November 14 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, will no longer be moving forward.

“Our team has worked closely with all parties to navigate this situation responsibly,” said Nakisa Bidarian, CEO of Most Valuable Promotions. “While we will not be moving forward with this event, our plan still remains for Jake Paul to headline an event on Netflix in 2025. Details regarding a new date, location, Jake’s opponent, and additional bouts will be shared as soon as they are finalized. We thank Netflix, the Kaseya Center, and the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for their partnership.”

Most Valuable Promotions appreciates the continued support and understanding of our athletes, partners, sponsors, and fans as we work to finalize updated event plans.

Fans who purchased tickets via Ticketmaster for the Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis event will get an automatic refund through their original point of purchase within 14-21 days. Fans who purchased through secondary markets should contact them. For ticket assistance, please contact Ticketoffice@heat.com.

MVP thanks everyone for their patience and looks forward to delivering an extraordinary boxing event in 2025, live globally only on Netflix.

Material Courtesy of:Most Valuable Promotions Used with permission.

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

Official Statement From Most Valuable Promotions Regarding Status Of Paul-Davis

Press Release: November , 2025 By Most Valuable Promotions -  

Credit:Most Valuable Promotions 

Material Courtesy of:Most Valuable Promotions Used with permission.

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

MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS SIGNS ENGLAND’S THREE-DIVISION CHAMPION AND CURRENT WBO LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION TERRI HARPER

Press Release: August 1, 2025 By Most Valuable Promotions - MVP signs Terri Harper, England's 3-Division champ and current WBO lightweight world champion

Britain’s first-ever three-division female world champion Harper joins MVP’s growing roster of elite UK talent alongside Ellie Scotney, Chantelle Cameron, Savannah Marshall, Ramla Ali, and Shannon Courtenay

NEW YORK, NY – July 31, 2025 – Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced that England’s first-ever three-division female world champion and current WBO lightweight world champion Terri “Belter” Harper (16-2-2, 6 KOs) is the latest elite boxer to join MVP’s decorated roster of current and former champions and all-star prospects. Earlier this week, the company also announced the signings of unified Australia’s 160lb unified world champion Desley Robinson, Tampa, Florida’s 115lb WBA world champion Jasmine Artiga, Mexico’s former 108lb unified world champion Yesica Nery Plata, England’s former 118lb WBA world champion Shannon Courtenay, and 19x US amateur national champion Sa’Rai Brown-El.

WBO lightweight world champion Terri “Belter” Harper fights out of Doncaster, England. During her brief career at the amateur level, competing only 17 times, she earned three national titles and won silver at the 2012 European Junior Championships. Harper went on to make her professional debut in 2017 at age 21. Less than two years later in July 2019, she found her first world title opportunity in the super featherweight division at 130lbs, defeating Nozipho Bell by TKO to earn the previously vacant IBO world title. Following a successful first defense, Harper quickly unified her titles against then-WBC champion Eva Wahlstrom in February 2020, winning by unanimous decision. She successfully defended her unified titles twice more before facing a challenging loss to Alycia Baumgardner in November 2021. An unshaken Harper returned to the ring just four months later to earn her next win before moving up four divisions to 154lbs to challenge Hannah Rankin for the WBA and IBO super welterweight world titles, winning by UD. After contesting for the WBO world title at 154lbs, Harper moved down to 135lbs in September 2024, defeating Rhiannon Dixon to capture the WBO lightweight world title. With the win, she became Britain's first-ever three-division women’s world champion. Harper made her first title defense at 135lbs in May 2025, besting Natalie Zimmermann by unanimous decision. The 28-year-old is currently ranked as ESPN’s #2 lightweight in the world. 

“I am excited to join the movement of women’s boxing at MVP,” said Terri Harper. “Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul are doing great things for the sport of boxing and for women in particular. I’m looking forward to some big nights and big fights ahead. Let’s go!”

“Terri has proven herself as a world champion across three weight classes, cementing her status as both a highly-versatile pound-for-pound athlete and one of the most respected names in British boxing,” said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “The UK is a top priority for MVP, and Terri’s pedigree and power are a perfect fit for our growing international platform. With her addition alongside Ellie Scotney, Chantelle Cameron, Savannah Marshall, Ramla Ali, and Shannon Courtenay, we’re assembling a powerhouse roster of British talent that will command global attention and deliver some of the biggest fights in women’s boxing.”

MVP’s latest wave of commitments to women’s boxing follows MVP’s historic Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 on Netflix, the first all-women’s card in Madison Square Garden history. The card showcased five undisputed and unified women’s world championship fights, earning a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the most world championship belts ever contested on a single fight card, male or female, with 17 world titles from the four major boxing sanctioning bodies across the bouts. The main event garnered nearly 6 million global viewers, with an AMA audience of over 4.2 million in the US (Live +1), making it the most-watched professional women’s sports event of 2025. A sold-out crowd of 19,721 people were in attendance, generating a $2.63M gate at Madison Square Garden, the highest gate ever for a women’s boxing card and the highest gate for a female sporting event in MSG history. The event also garnered record paydays, making Serrano the highest-paid women’s athlete in history for a single event.

For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions, @JakePaul, and @TerriHarper96 or on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions, @JakePaul, and @terri_harper96.

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 have produced Jake Paul’s last six global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Perry 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. 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.

Belated: Wilder Successfully Starts Rebuilding Process/Paul Has A Workout For Eight Rounds Then A Fight Starts

The final weekend of June 2025 in the sport of Boxing was highlighted by two events that for different reasons drew significant interest. First on June 27th, it was the return of former WBC World Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder in Wichita, KS as he faced veteran Tyrell Hearndon in a fight scheduled for ten rounds. In the interest of full disclosure with the reader, this fight, which was broadcast worldwide by digital subscription streaming entertainment platform BLKPrime, was riddled with technical issues, which unfortunately necessitated a delay in this column’s release due to this observer being unable to access the broadcast. While this unfortunately is not the first time that the upstart network/platform has had issues broadcasting their Boxing events after initially making a splash upon its entry into the sport just a few years ago, I felt it important to state not only why there was a delay in this column’s release, but also to illustrate that much like several folks who reached out to yours truly across social media platforms as this fight took place to share their experiences with me, those of us who cover the sport, are at times in the same boat as a fan might be when it comes to technical issues that can befuddle a broadcaster/network’s ability to successfully air events. Although the issues, which seem to be an ongoing problem with regard to BLKPrime, as the network has seen several starts and stops since their initial entry into the sport, is likely worthy of a column of its own, it is not a subject I want to spend too much time on at the present time. 

The delay for yours truly notwithstanding, as well as the justifiable frustration amongst fans who tried to tune in on fight night, it was a fight that symbolized what could be a new beginning for the former World Heavyweight champion in Wilder, who was looking for his first win since a first round knockout of Robert Helenius in October 2022 and was coming off two losses, the most recent a brutal knockout loss at the hands of Zhilei Zhang in June of last year. 

If one is honest, they would say first that this fight was designed for Wilder to have an edge with the goal of trying to restore confidence after those two setbacks,but quite frankly, this was likely also used as an evaluation of sorts by Wilder and his team to see what he has left. Although the knockout at the hands of Zhang was the most recent setback, one needs to keep in mind that Wilder has sustained punishment throughout his career, most notably in his trilogy with Tyson Fury in which Fury, who also suffered punishment over the three encounters, was able to score two knockout wins. After openly questioning whether Wilder’s career had come to an end after the loss to Zhang in a fight where he looked lethargic and was dominated by Zhang before being knocked out in the fifth round, I did not know what to expect going into this fight.

 In 30 years of writing about combat sports with Boxing as my primary, this observer has covered and written about countless fighters who I felt had come to a point where their best days were behind them. I often hesitate to use the term “Shot Fighter" when such situations occur because there are occasions where, despite how a fighter might look in one fight or over a stretch of several bouts where the results indicate a decline, some fighters are able to bounce back. Though I approached this fight with an open mind, I would be lying if I said I felt that the answer would be established in one fight as to whether Wilder could be one of those fighters to do so. 

The reason for this is his opponent Tyrell Hearndon, a veteran of twenty-nine professional bouts leading up to this fight had a decent record in earning twenty-four wins, but those victories came against relatively unknown opposition and seemingly any time Hearndon attempted to step up in competition, he has come up short. Perhaps another reason I felt that an answer regarding Wilder would not necessarily come in this fight was the knowledge that Wilder is among the most devastating punchers in Boxing history with a near perfect career knockout percentage. Unless Hearndon were able to provide what some would call an unlikely test out of the gate, it would be difficult to surmise where Wilder was at given that he had forty-two knockouts in his forty-three career wins and had the capability to end a fight at any moment.

There was one thing, however, that stood out to me when the fight began. To sum it up in a word, “Patience." The patience of Deontay Wilder. Despite his devastating punching power, Wilder has never been known as the most technical fighter and there have been times throughout his career where he has relied on that power perhaps too much, with mixed results. As one who has covered Wilder since his Olympic days where he won a Bronze medal in 2008, this was the first time I can recall seeing Wilder in such a relaxed state in simply being patient. One aspect that was also new at least in terms of degree in which it was used was Wilder’s jab. From the outset Wilder worked behind his jab maintaining a distance with it where the conditions of combat were favorable to him. 

While there were times where Wilder would throw occasional wide, looping punches, he generally relied on his jab and kept Hearndon on the end of his jab. It was this approach by the former world champion that led to Wilder scoring a knockdown of Herndon with a short left hook to the head that countered him as he attempted to press forward. Although a short knockdown where he was able to catch his opponent off balance, this was not the power first type of approach that has been identifiable throughout Wilder’s career.

A calculated, measured approach that Wilder stayed consistent throughout this fight. As the fight progressed Wilder began also landing his trademark right hand, gradually breaking Herndon down, scoring a second knockdown in round six before ultimately getting a stoppage in the seventh round.

An impressive performance marked more by the approach to victory than the fact that Wilder gained his forty-third knockout in forty-four career wins. What is next remains to be seen, but the key will be for Wilder to stay active and continue not only rebuilding his standing in the Heavyweight division, but also continuing to polish and refine the more technical approach he implemented in this fight, which could make him even more of a threat to the upper echelon of the division if he continues to win and gets back in contention.

This leads us to the second half of this column, a look at the Cruiserweight bout that took place in Anaheim, CA on June 28th that saw social media influencer turned aspiring boxer Jake Paul meet former WBC Middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. in a scheduled ten round bout, which was seen worldwide on DAZN Pay-Per-View. Those who have read this observer’s previous coverage of Jake Paul’s career up to this point know that I have openly questioned whether one can establish not only a legitimate Boxing career, but more specifically, get into position to challenge for a world championship by taking an unconventional route by fighting either people with little to no Boxing experience such as fellow influencers, or athletes from other sports such as basketball or the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, or as recently as last November when Paul scored a victory over a 58 year old Hall of Famer in Mike Tyson, who had not competed in an official fight in twenty years prior to that event, and not by facing fighters who are working their way up towards prospect/contender status with an eye towards fighting for a world championship. 

Much as was the case prior to his sharing the ring with Tyson, there was criticism of this bout primarily because Chavez though in his 40’s was years removed from competitive action and was only competing for the second time at Cruiserweight following a return to the ring last year after being off for nearly three years. What resulted did not quell the criticism.

For eight rounds of the scheduled ten, Paul faced little resistance from Chavez, who chose to sporadically throw any punches and to be frank, moved around the ring with his guard up to more or less serve as a moving heavy bag as Paul put round after round in the bank. It was only towards the end of round eight and into the final two rounds that Chavez began to open up and to his credit put pressure on Paul and was able to connect more than occasionally with a few solid punches. To Paul's credit he withstood the blows well and held on for a convincing ten round unanimous decision victory.

Quite frankly, there is not much one can write or analyze about a fight that resembles a workout or a light sparring session for 80% of the fight. Paul, however, did what he had to do and has been officially added to the World Boxing Association's  Cruiserweight rankings at number fourteen. While that will open both the WBA and Paul to more criticism and keeping in mind that regardless of what one might think of Paul as a fighter at this stage, he has proven to be a solid promoter within the sport. Having said this, the period of these type of curiosity events has passed and if Paul wants to finally silence the criticism, he needs to fight fighters who are at or near him in the rankings. If he can continue to win and work his way up either through the WBA or through another sanctioning organization, the criticism will stop and he will earn the respect of even the most jaded amongst Boxing fans, experts and those of us who cover the sport, but it is time for the standards of the sport in which fighters get into position to fight for a world title to be respected. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

UPDATE: While this column was in preparation for publication, it was reported by various news outlets including ABC News here in the United States that Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. was arrested by federal authorities in the days following his loss to Jake Paul.and is facing several criminal charges and deportation to his native Mexico. Chavez and his team have denied any wrongdoing. For more detailed information about this ongoing story refer to ABC News at the following link.

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Wilder-Hearndon/Paul-Chavez Feature Update

We here at The Boxing Truth®️ would like to let our readers know that due to circumstances beyond our control, we are between rounds and the planned feature looking at the recent return of former World Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder as well as the recent bout between Jake Paul and former World Middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has been delayed until Tuesday, July 8th. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this might cause, but due to circumstances out of our control, we have had to push this feature, which was planned for this week off until the aforementioned date. From Tuesday, July 8th, we will be back to our regular schedule. In the interim, if anything is sent in from promoters, networks, and others involved in the sport of Boxing, they will be made available for readers as they come in. Once again we apologize for the delay and any inconvenience caused. Stay tuned.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Paul-Chavez Preview

It seems as though it has become an annual tradition of sorts when social media influencer turned aspiring boxer Jake Paul is preparing to step back into the Boxing ring. Despite taking an unconventional route towards his stated goal of becoming a world champion, by fighting either folks with little or no Boxing experience or fighters who are long past their prime, rather than working his way up the ladder of prospects and contenders to get into a position where he could challenge for a world title, the one thing that is indisputable is whenever Paul steps into the ring, it becomes an event. This was proven in November of last year when the Cruiserweight boxer moved to Heavyweight to share the ring for eight rounds with former two-time Heavyweight world champion and Hall of Famer Mike Tyson. An event that marked streaming giant Netflix's entry into the sport of Boxing.

Despite the fact that Tyson, was fifty-eight years old and a shell of what he was when he was an active fighter, for better or worse, the bout proved to be a success for Netflix, despite technical issues with the live broadcast of the event, as it looks to increase its involvement in Boxing with two major events scheduled in the coming weeks and months, as well as a financial success in selling it the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium.

In reality, however, sharing the ring with a legend who was in no realistic position to compete and if one were honest, probably should not have been in the ring both due to his age as well as being retired for nearly twenty years since his last competitive fight, did little to quell the criticism of Paul and the victory over a shell of a once great fighter did not move him any closer to that goal of fighting for a world championship, and frankly it would be a travesty if it had.

Now Paul prepares to return to the ring on Saturday, June 28th at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA as he will face former WBC Middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. in a fight that can be seen worldwide on DAZN Pay-Per-View. While this is a similar scenario as Paul's last outing in that he is facing a boxer with name recognition value and a former world champion that is past his prime, has not been as active as one would expect of a competitive fighter trying to work his way back into contention, the one thing that makes this a little difference is Chavez is nearing his fortieth birthday, and at least in theory, should be closer to what he was when he was competing regularly at least in terms of age.

In his last outing, Chavez scored a six round decision over former MMA fighter Uriah Hall on the undercard of Paul’s fight against Mike Perry in July of last year. Although Chavez did what was expected and scored a victory over a novice boxer, some may have expected him to be more convincing in a fight where he looked sluggish at times, which was attributable to inactivity. Immediately after defeating Hall, the seeds were planted for Chavez as a potential opponent for Paul following the Tyson event. In this aspect, it is not a surprise that Chavez will now be the opponent as Paul seems intent on continuing to forge an unconventional path towards what he hopes will lead to a shot at a world championship.

Despite the fact that Chavez is significantly closer to his athletic prime than what Tyson was, and keeping in mind that like Tyson, he has significantly more experience than Paul as a world-class boxer, this is another scenario where Paul will be facing someone with name recognition clout, but not one that is currently ranked and one would be justified to wonder whether a win for Paul will be enough to place him in the rankings of the Cruiserweight division even though he has yet to face a ranked boxer in any of the respective sanctioning organizations rankings.

This fact will likely mean regardless of what happens in the ring, criticism of Paul will continue win or lose. Meanwhile, for Chavez, if he has approached this fight seriously, which became an issue for him throughout his career, lead to some setbacks, and stretches of inactivity, this could for better or worse and for lack of a better term, serve as a way to reboot his career and try to use a victory here to try and get one more opportunity at a world championship at an advanced stage of his career.

Frankly, we will have to wait and see whether this is a fight or as was the case last November, more of an event rooted in the curiosity of the casual sports fan than the expectation and anticipation of a competitive fight. For the moment, this observer cannot give an answer.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.*

Paul vs. Chavez takes place on Saturday, June 28th at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. The fight as well as it's full undercard can be seen worldwide on DAZN Pay-Per-View for $59.99. The card will begin with preliminary bouts at 3PM ET/12PM PT. This will be followed by the main pay-per-view card, which will begin at 8PM ET/5PM PT.

(*North American Price Points and Start Times Only. Card and Start Times Subject to Change.*)

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, region-specific pricing, to subscribe, and purchase this pay-per-view event please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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