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.

Jabs And Observations July 2025 Update

We would like to let our readers know that an edition of the periodic feature column Jabs And Observations is currently in the works that will cover some of the events that have taken place during the month of July, which will be released here on The Boxing Truth®️ on Monday, August 11th. From that point, we will return with a modified schedule through the remainder of the summer due largely to uncertainty of hurricane season and not wanting to have several unplanned pauses and resumptions in the schedule as has unfortunately been the case in recent years. Although obviously not our intention, we feel such paises is not fair to our loyal readers and we do sincerely appreciate your patience when pauses have occurred that has been beyond our control. We will, however, be active in a modified form which is intended to avoid such pauses in the future. If circumstances deem necessary, however, we will update here on the website if a pause is needed due to mother nature.In the interim, content that is sent in for release from networks, promoters, and others involved in the sport of Boxing will be made available here on the website as they come in as normal .Stay tuned.

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MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS BACK-2-BACK EVENTS IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA

Press Release: July 22, 2025 By Most Valuable Promotions - ORLANDO, FL – July 22, 2025 – Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced that Most Valuable Prospects 14 will return on Friday, August 22 ahead of MVP Fight Night on Saturday, August 23, as part of MVP’s back-2-back events at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. Most Valuable Prospects 14 will be available globally for free on both DAZN.com and the DAZN app with no subscription required. Headlining Most Valuable Prospects 14 will be a 10-round featherweight bout at 126lbs between MVP’s top-15 WBA and WBO contender, Puerto Rican Puerto Rican National Team star Jan Paul Rivera (12-0, 6 KOs) vs. Miami, Florida’s Daniel Bailey (15-2, 8 KOs). In the co-main event, returning series favorite and Orlando, Florida’s own 24-year-old Corey Marksman (11-0-1, 8 KOs) will face Isabella, Puerto Rico’s 28-year old Luis “Bebo” Martinez (9-1, 4 KOs) in a 10 round lightweight bout at 135lbs. Also on the main card, 27-year-old Cuban middleweight Yoelvis Gomez (8-1, 7 KOs) will square off against Haiti’s 24-year-old Edwine Humaine (9-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-round bout at 160lbs in the middleweight division.

Headlining the preliminary card will be Fort Lauderdale, FL’s undefeated 28-year old Tayre Jones (13-0, 7 KOs) vs. St. Cloud, Florida’s 24-year-old Puerto Rican talent Alex Rios (9-2, 3 KOs) in an 8-round bout at 140lbs in the super lightweight division. Also joining the preliminary card will be MVP’s 26-year-old undefeated Nigerian featherweight and IBF #1 contender Elizabeth Oshoba (9-0, 5 KOs) making her promotional debut vs. Springs, TX fighter Melissa Oddessa Parker (6-3-1, 2 KOs) in an 8-round bout at 126lbs. Tickets for Most Valuable Prospects 14 are on sale now at Ticketmaster.

Headlining Most Valuable Prospects 14 will be MVP’s top-15 WBA and WBO contender, Puerto Rican Puerto Rican National Team star Jan Paul Rivera (12-0, 6 KOs) vs. Daniel Bailey (15-2, 8 KOs). Rivera, the 24-year-old featherweight prospect from Salinas, Puerto Rico, was a decorated member of the Puerto Rican national boxing team as an amateur, competing in over 200 bouts. His amateur accolades include winning two straight Puerto Rico Elite National Championships in 2020 and 2021, as well as the Puerto Rico Youth National Championships in 2018 and 2019. He also earned a silver medal at the AIBA Youth World Championships in Budapest, Hungary in 2018. Across his 10-fight professional career to date, Rivera has competed across the USA, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Colombia, furthering his aspirations to become a global star in the sport. He recently took home a knockout win over then-8-0 Justin Goodson in the main event of MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 7  defeated Andy Beltran by unanimous decision in the main event of MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 9 in October 2024, and earned a UD win over Alexis Eduardo Molina Jimenez in April 2024. His opponent, Daniel Bailey, is a 29-year-old contender from Miami, Florida. Bailey most recently earned back-to-back KO wins in 2024.

In the co-main event will be 24-year-old Florida native Corey “2Smoove” Marksman (11-0-1, 8 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight bout at 135 lbs. The talented prospect made a name for himself in his first major PPV appearance on the Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry main card in July 2024 in a rematch against Tony Aguilar. The pair’s first meeting resulted in a well-fought split decision draw, contested during MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 5 in February 2024. In the rematch, Marksman impressed, taking home a majority decision win. He most recently delivered a ferocious TKO of then-undefeated powerhouse Tayden Beltran in the co-main event of Most Valuable Prospects 12 in May 2025. He now takes on 28-year old Luis “Bebo” Martinez (9-1, 4 KOs). Martinez comes to the ring from Isabella, Puerto Rico by way of Aguadilla, PR boasting a current 3-bout win streak, including his most recent second-round KO win over Carlos Manuel Portillo in February 2025. 

Also on the main card of Most Valuable Prospects 14, 27-year-old middleweight Yoelvis Gomez (8-1, 7 KOs) will take on the challenge of Haiti’s 24-year-old Edwine Humaine (9-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight bout at 160lbs. Gomez comes to the ring from Havana, Cuba by way of Las Vegas, Nevada. Gomez began his pro career with five straight knockout wins and most recently has delivered two sensational performances earning him a 6th round TKO win in June 2024 and a 4th round KO win following his opponent retiring in September 2024. Now, he looks to test himself against a fellow young prospect in Edwine Humaine. Humaine comes to the ring from Springfield, Massachusetts by way of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and looks to establish himself in the middleweight division with a win over promising prospect Gomez.

Headlining the preliminary card will be undefeated 28-year old Tayre Jones (13-0, 7 KOs) vs. 24-year-old Puerto Rican talent Alex Rios (9-2, 3 KOs) in an 8-round super lightweight bout at 140lbs. Jones comes to the ring from Fort Lauderdale, Florida fresh from his latest KO win in February 2025, and will make his Most Valuable Prospects debut, while Rios returns to the series for his fourth appearance. Rios, who comes to the ring from St. Cloud, Florida by way of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, most recently earned a unanimous decision over Felix Santana Jr. in November 2024.

Also on the preliminary card, IBF #1 contender and MVP’s Nigerian featherweight signee Elizabeth Oshoba (9-0, 5 KOs) will make her promotional debut over 8 rounds at 126lbs vs. Melissa Oddessa Parker (6-3-1, 2 KOs). Oshoba, the undefeated 26-year-old, grew up in a challenging neighborhood in Lagos, inspired by her older brother in the Nigerian Army to become tough and succeed despite all odds. She began boxing at age 13, quickly distinguishing herself with a relentless work ethic and powerful punches, the start of a decorated amateur career with over 70 fights, including becoming a 6x Nigerian national amateur champion, a bronze medal at the 2019 All African Games, a gold at the 2020 African Zone 3 Championships, and winning silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Oshoba relocated to the UK to make her pro debut in September 2022 and has maintained an unblemished record since. In November 2023, she clinched the IBO female super featherweight title, defeating Martina Reighi via unanimous decision. In January 2024, Oshaba made history with a dominant performance against Italy’s Michela Braga, winning by 10th round knockout to become Nigeria’s first female world title holder and the WBC Silver featherweight champion. She has continued to build her undefeated record, most recently defeating Agustina Rojas in June 2024 and Lenka Volejnikova in March 2025. Outside the ring, Oshoba balances academic commitments with her deep commitment to mentoring young female boxers in Nigeria, providing support and guidance to aspiring athletes and aiming to inspire and cultivate the next generation of champions. She is managed by Lee Eaton. Her opponent, Melissa Odessa Parker, comes to the ring from Springs, Texas looking to halt Oshoba’s rise. Parker most recently contested for the North American Boxing Federation featherweight title against Hannah Noelle Rapp, fighting to a split decision draw in March 2025.

“Most Valuable Prospects 14 will kick off our first ever back-2-back events with Most Valuable Prospects 14 MVP on Friday, August 22, followed by MVP Fight Night on Saturday, August 23, and we’re thrilled to showcase another stacked lineup of MVP talent,” said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of MVP. “Jan Paul Rivera continues to climb the ranks as one of Puerto Rico’s next big stars, and we’re introducing the world to Nigeria’s Elizabeth Oshoba–who has the knockout power to put the entire 126lb division on notice–as she makes her MVP debut. Thank you to Boxlab Promotions and DAZN for their continued support to bring these cards to fans in Orlando at the Caribe Royale and around the world.”

“Caribe Royale is once again pleased to partner with Most Valuable Promotions on this 14th installment of the Most Valuable Prospects series,” said Amaury Piedra, President of Boxlab Promotions and Managing Director of the Caribe Royale Resort. “What started close to three years ago has blossomed into the premier showcase for up and coming talent in boxing! This card is no exception, with young stars showing off their talents for the viewing audience at home and the Central Florida fans that have come to expect these great events!”

Most Valuable Prospects 14 on Friday, August 22 will precede the Saturday, August 23 MVP Fight Night headlined by MVP’s Puerto Rican Olympian and the WBA’s #1 ranked flyweight contender Yankiel “El Doctorcito” Rivera (7-0, 3 KOs) vs. WBO international flyweight titleholder Angelino “Huracan” Cordova (19-0-1, 12 KOs) in a 12-round bout at 112 lbs for the WBA interim flyweight world title. MVP Fight Night will stream live globally as part of the DAZN subscription package. Tickets for MVP Fight Night are also on sale now at Ticketmaster.

The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and marketed by MVP, promoted by MVP and Boxlab Promotions, and distributed globally by DAZN. The 14th event in the series, hosted by the Caribe Royale Resort, will continue the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, maker of lifestyle energy drink, is the exclusive energy drink sponsor of MVP and the Most Valuable Prospects series. Fansly, TORKLAW, and Event Tickets Center have also joined on to sponsor the Most Valuable Prospects series.

For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @DAZNBoxing.

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 returns 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 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.

About DAZN

DAZN is the home of European football, women’s football, boxing and MMA, and the NFL (excl. USA). We are building the ultimate sports entertainment platform, based on premium sports rights, world-leading tech, and multi-platform distribution. DAZN believes that fans from across the globe should be able to watch, read, bet, play, share, socialise, buy tickets and merchandise, all in one place, with one account, one wallet and on one app.

For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit dazngroup.com.

Material Courtesy of: Most Valuable Promotions Used with permission.

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

Usyk-Dubois 2/Barrios-Pacquiao July 19th PPV Events Now Available For Purchase

Two Boxing pay-per-view events scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 19th are now available for preorder for those looking to purchase either event individually or to purchase both events.

WBC Welterweight world champion Mario Barrios will defend his title against recent inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame  and former eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, who will be attempting a comeback at age forty-six . Barrios vs. Pacquiao, which will headline a pay-per-view card promoted by the Premier Boxing Champions group of promoters from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV is now available for purchase on Prime Video for $79.95 and can be purchased either through the Prime Video app on mobile, tablet ,connected streaming devices/Smart TVs, or by clicking the following link: Barrios vs. Pacquiao. (*North American Price Only* Consult Prime Video for local pricing information local start times, and availability around the world.) The latest edition of the documentary style program Gloves Off: Barrios-Pavquiao/Fundora-Tszyu 2 is also available on Prime Video and is included with a Prime Video subscription.

Also on July 19th is the Heavyweight unification grudge rematch for the Undisputed Heavyweight championship of the world between current world champions Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Duvois, which will be taking place at the legendary Wembley Stadium in London, England. The fight, which will headline a pay-per-view card that will be broadcast globally on DAZN Pay-PerView for $59.99. The event can be purchased exclusively on www.DAZN.com and be accessible on the DAZN streaming app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices and Smart TVs. (*North American Price Only* Consult DAZN for local pricing on your region of the world, local start times, and availability.)

We will have post-fight coverage of these events here on The Boxing Truth ® ️ scheduled for the week of July 26th and will update readers here on the website on when the feature covering both events will be scheduled in terms of the exact day of release once it is firmly scheduled. Stay Tuned.

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Taylor-Serrano 3 Weights From New York City

Credit: Sarah Steir / Getty Images for Netflix)

Press Release: July 10, 2025 By Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix - NEW YORK, NY –  July 10, 2025  – Today at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Ireland’s undisputed super lightweight champion Katie Taylor (24-1, 6 KOs), and Brooklyn’s Puerto Rican boxing trailblazer, unified featherweight world champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (47-3-1, 31 KOs) stepped on the scales ahead of their highly anticipated Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix showdown.

The first-ever live official weigh-in on Netflix was hosted by Ariel Helwani, with on-stage coverage from Sibley Scoles, and expert commentary from Andre Ward, Seniesa Estrada, and Laila Ali on the eve of this historic night for women’s boxing. See below for all official weights ahead of tomorrow’s fight night. For additional details on the final weights, please refer to the attached bout sheet.

MAIN CARD – 8:00 PM EDT

Undisputed Super Lightweight World Championship (140 lbs)
Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano
Bray, Ireland | Carolina, PR
23-1 (6 KOs) | 47-3-1 (31 KOs)
135.8 lbs | 136.0 lbs

Undisputed Super Featherweight World Championship (130 lbs)
Alycia Baumgardner vs. Jennifer Miranda
Detroit, MI | Madrid via Cadiz, Spain
15-1 (7 KOs) (1 NC) | 12-0 (1 KO)
130.0 lbs | 129.4 lbs

IBF/WBO/Ring Super Middleweight World Titles (168 lbs)
Savannah Marshall vs. Shadasia Green
Hartlepool, England | Paterson, NJ
13-1 (10 KOs) | 15-1 (11 KOs)
167.0 lbs | 167.2 lbs

IBF/WBC/WBO/Ring Super Bantamweight World Titles (122 lbs)
Ellie Scotney vs. Yamileth Mercado
London | Cuauhtemoc, MX
10-0 | 24-3 (5 KOs)
121.6 lbs | 119.6 lbs

PRELIMS – 5:00 PM EDT

Undisputed Bantamweight World Title (118 lbs)
Cherneka Johnson vs. Shurretta Metcalf
Gold Coast, Australia via Tauranga, NZ | Dallas, TX
17-2 (7 KOs) | 14-4 (2 KOs)
116.8 lbs | 117.0 lbs

WBC Interim World Title – Super Lightweight (140 lbs)
Chantelle Cameron vs. Jessica Camara
Northampton, England | Montreal, Canada
20-1 (8 KOs) | 14-4-1 (4 KOs)
139.0 lbs | 139.4 lbs

Super Bantamweight Bout (122 lbs)
Ramla Ali vs. Lila Furtado
London via Mogadishu, Somalia | Guarulhos, Brazil
9-2 (2 KOs) | 11-2 (2 KOs)
121.6 lbs | 121.2 lbs

Middleweight Bout (160 lbs)
Tamm Thibeault vs. Mary Casamassa
Shawinigan, Quebec | Pittsburgh, PA
2-0 (1 KO) | 6-0 (1 KO)
159.6 lbs | 156.8 lbs

Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano will stream LIVE on Netflix exclusively on Friday, July 11, from Madison Square Garden in New York City. In the first-ever all-women’s boxing card in Madison Square Garden history, Ireland’s undisputed champion Katie Taylor faces Brooklyn’s Puerto Rican boxing trailblazer and seven-division champion Amanda Serrano in a historic trilogy fight no one will want to miss. The event is produced, marketed, and promoted by Most Valuable Promotions and distributed by Netflix.

Fight night coverage will be anchored by host Kate Scott and boxing legend Laila Ali. Sean Grande will call the blow-by-blow ringside, joined by former undisputed world champion Seniesa Estrada and former world champion Andre Ward for in-fight analysis. Ariel Helwani and Sibley Scoles will provide ringside interviews and reporting, with Kody “Big Mo” Mommaerts serving as the in-ring announcer and rules/scoring analysis from Sean Wheelock. 

Taylor vs. Serrano 3 will be available to stream live globally on all Netflix plans, at no additional cost to subscribers. The broadcast will feature live commentary in English, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America), Brazilian Portuguese and French. Click HERE to set a reminder to watch. 

Follow Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano's intense journey and preparations as they train for their historic trilogy fight with the sports documentary, Countdown: Taylor vs. Serrano, narrated by Uma Thurman, now streaming on Netflix. 

For more information on Taylor vs. Serrano 3 visit Tudum.com/tvs. Those who do not have a Netflix account can visit netflix.com/signup. 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 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 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 Taylor vs. Serrano 2, the first-ever live professional sports event on Netflix, which became 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., 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.

Material Courtesy of: Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix/ Photo Courtesy of: Sarah Steir / Getty Images for Netflix) Used with permission.

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

MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS’ TAYLOR VS. SERRANO 3 WOMEN’S MEGACARD SET TO BREAK GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™

Press Release: July 9, 2025 By Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix -NEW YORK, NY – July 8, 2025 – Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced it is set to break the official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the most world championship belts ever contested on a single fight card, male or female, with 17 world titles on the line across five bouts. The historic moment is set to take place during MVP’s highly anticipated Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano trilogy megafight, streaming live globally on Netflix from Madison Square Garden on Friday, July 11. The record attempt from Most Valuable Promotions exclusively includes world championship titles from the four major boxing sanctioning bodies (WBA, WBO, WBC, and IBF) and will be officially judged on Taylor vs. Serrano 3 fight night. The historic night will feature 3 undisputed championship bouts and 2 unified championship bouts total, while the main card will feature entirely women’s undisputed and unified championship fights. The announcement of this record attempt was made today at the Empire State Building by MVP co-founder and CEO Nakisa Bidarian.

Headlining the historic night is the highly anticipated trilogy bout between Ireland’s pound-for-pound great, undisputed super lightweight champion Katie Taylor (24-1, 6 KOs), and Brooklyn’s Puerto Rican boxing trailblazer, unified featherweight world champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (47-3-1, 31 KOs). They will go head to head in a women’s super lightweight undisputed championship fight contested over 10, two-minute rounds. Also included in the record attempt is MVP’s reigning undisputed super featherweight champion Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner (15-1, 7 KOs) as she faces Spain’s undefeated WBA Interim world champion Jennifer Miranda (12-0, 1 KO) in a 10-round undisputed super featherweight championship fight contested at 130 lbs during the co-main event. From the main card, IBF super middleweight world champion Savannah “The Silent Assassin” Marshall (13-1, 10 KOs) will take on WBO super middleweight world champion Shadasia “The Sweet Terminator” Green (14-1, 11 KOs) in a highly anticipated 10 round, 168lbs world title unification bout. Also attempting to set the record is MVP and England’s unified super bantamweight champion Ellie Scotney (10-0) as she faces Mexico’s WBC super bantamweight world champion Yamileth “Yeimi” Mercado (24-3, 5 KOs) on the main card in a women’s unified championship fight at 122 lbs. Rounding out the record attempt is MVP’s reigning WBA bantamweight world champion Cherneka “Sugar Neekz” Johnson (17-2, 7 KOs) as she faces MVP’s IBF bantamweight world champion Shurretta “Chiccn” Metcalf (14-4-1, 2 KOs) on the preliminary card in a 10-round undisputed bantamweight world title bout at 118 lbs. 

“This is exactly the kind of history we set out to make when we founded Most Valuable Promotions,” said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of MVP. “Breaking a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for most world championship belts ever contested on a single fight card this Friday at Taylor vs. Serrano 3 would be a landmark moment for both boxing and women’s sports. There’s no place more fitting for this moment than the world’s most iconic arena, Madison Square Garden. With a global platform on Netflix and the best women’s fighters on the planet, Friday, July 11 is set to be a record-breaking night the world will never forget.”

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 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 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 Taylor vs. Serrano 2, the first-ever live professional sports event on Netflix, which became 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., 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.

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

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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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Happy 4th of July

We here at The Boxing Truth®️would like to wish our readers a very Happy and safe 4th of July. We are between rounds and will be resuming our regular schedule on Tuesday, July 8th. Stay tuned.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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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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The Rebuilding Process Begins For Deontay Wilder

There is little doubt that over the last decade and a half few fighters have had the type of success as Deontay Wilder. An Olympic Bronze medalist in the 2008 Summer Olympics, Wilder took that accomplishment and made it part of his identity “The Bronze Bomber." An appropriate moniker given his reputation as a true " Knockout Artist” and having a five year reign atop the Heavyweight division as the WBC’s World Heavyweight champion from 2015-2020 where he successfully defended his crown ten times. The end of that run of dominance in being stopped in his second encounter with Tyson Fury in February 2020, however, began a slow, but consistent decline for Wilder including being on the receiving end of a second stoppage at the hands of Fury in their thrilling third enclosure in October 2021. Since that fight, Wilder has only won one of his last three fights. 

In his last outing in June of last year, Wilder was the victim of a one sided fifth round knockout at the hands of top contender Zhilei Zhang. It was after that fight that many, including this observer, questioned whether that fight would be the end of Wilder’s career. The reason for that is not only due to the losses he has suffered and the toll the trilogy with Tyson Fury took on him, but also the stretches of inactivity in recent years, which also had to have impacted him in those defeats. Now one year removed from the loss to Zhang, Wilder prepares to re-enter competition as he will face veteran Tyrell Herndon on Friday, June 27th at the Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, KS in a fight that can be seen on digital subscription general entertainment network BLK Prime and as a pay-per-view offering across cable/satellite providers and PPV.com. 

If one were objective as this observer fortunately is, they would be honest as I will be with the reader in saying that this has all the appearance of a “Comeback Fight" designed to serve as a confidence builder for Wilder and more specifically as a way to both work off ring rust and to evaluate where Wilder is at this stage in his career. While this is not a fight that will put Wilder back in the discussion of top Heavyweight contenders, these types of fights are vital not only as a means of staying active, but also as a way to get a fighter like a former world champion as Wilder is, in the best possible form before trying to get back to the top. 

Frankly, it is a method of gaining and maintaining a fighter’s activity and sharpness that is rarely seen in present times particularly as notable fighters with name recognition, like Wilder, opt to compete sporadically, in part because of the lucrative paydays attached to it, which removes the necessity to remain consistently active at least from a financial standpoint. The obvious flaw, however, despite the fact that those fighters at or near the top of the sport are in a position to make significant money by waiting for the most lucrative opportunities, is that over time inactivity will have a negative impact on those fighters inside the ring. In Wilder’s case, his inactivity has been due both a bitter split with his former manager Al Haymon and the Premier Boxing Champions group of promoters as well as needing to recover from losses, including the knockouts at the hands of Fury and Zhang. At his best, however, Wilder is a devastating puncher that is capable of ending a fight at any time with either hand as illustrated by his forty-two knockouts in forty-three career wins and near 90% career knockout percentage.

How likely are we to see glimpses of that version of Wilder? In Tyrell Herndon, the former world champion will face a veteran of twenty-nine professional fights with a respectable 24-5, with 14 Knockouts record coming into this fight. Although most of Herndon’s victories have come against relatively unknown opposition, he will enter this fight riding a three fight win streak. A red flag as to Herndon’s potential chances, however, and a likely reason he was selected as the opponent for Wilder on this occasion is he has been stopped in four of his five losses, most notably at the hands of unbeaten rising Heavyweight contender and former Olympic Silver medalist Richard Torrez, who stopped him in the second round in October 2023.

What Herndon can point to as something in his favor going into this fight is he has been considerably more active than Wilder, albeit against a lower level of competition since his loss to Torrez. Whether that will be enough to compete effectively with a fighter with the type of power that Wilder has remains to be seen. Herndon is not known for his punching power and some might suggest that his best chance for success here in this fight will be to try and implement a boxer’s approach similar to the one that former WBO Heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker was able to implement when he faced and defeated Wilder in December 2023 in scoring a wide twelve round unanimous decision victory.

As Wilder now tries to bounce back from his third knockout loss, there may be some who believe that he might be damaged after what was a brutal knockout at the hands of Zhilei Zhang. Although that possibility should not be dismissed, it would be ill advised for Herndon to go in with the mentality of trying to get Wilder out of there as Wilder has done to many of his opponents throughout his career. 

While this indeed has all the appearance of a “Comeback Fight" and keeping in mind that there are indeed levels to combat sports and seemingly every metric tips in Wilder’s favor, we won't know what Wilder has until he and Herndon are in the ring and whether this is the start of a rebuilding process of one of the most devastating fighters in the history of the Heavyweight division.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Wilder vs. Herndon takes place on Friday, June 27th at the Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, KS. The fight can be seen globally on digital subscription entertainment streaming network and platform BLK Prime beginning at 9PM ET/6PM PT. The card will also be available on a pay-per-view basis across cable/satellite providers throughout the United States and Canada as well as PPV.com and it's streaming apps on mobile, tablet and connected streaming devices, platforms, and Smart TVs for $24.99. (As of this writing, it appears the event will be available to subscribers of BLK Prime at no additional cost, but is unconfirmed at the time of publishing of this column.)

To subscribe to BLK Prime and for information about where you can download the BLK Prime app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices, and Smart TVs please visit: www.BLKPrime.com  

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

(*North American Start Times displayed only, visit BLKPrime.com the local start times internationally.*)

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Hitchins Makes A Statement With KO of Kambosos

On June 14th Brooklyn-born undefeated IBF Jr. Welterweight world champion Richardson Hitchins returned to New York City for his first title defense as the headliner of a card at The Theater inside of Madison Square Garden. For a fighter in Hitchens, who won the IBF world championship in the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division with a twelve round split decision over Liam Paro in December of last year, to make his first title defense inside of Madison Square Garden alone was a motivator. To be in the headline position, however, a solid performance in the theater inside of Madison Square Garden, which in itself is a historic Boxing venue, would be an obvious step towards eventually headlining in the Garden’s main arena.

Hitchins’ opponent also offered a dynamic of youth versus experience in the form of former two-time Lightweight world champion George Kambosos, who was no stranger to Madison Square Garden's theater having become Undisputed Lightweight champion of the world by decisioning Teofimo Lopez in the same ring in which this fight would take place in November 2021. Despite having a brief reign as undisputed Lightweight champion and then winning the IBO Lightweight world championship down the road in his career, much as was the case leading up to the Lopez bout, Kambosos was viewed as a significant underdog going against a young and unbeaten world champion.

Unlike Kambosos’ major accomplishment in dethroning Lopez, there would be no dramatic moments that would tip the scales in the challenger’s favor. For the champion Richardson Hitchins put on a performance that can be summed up in one word, “Dominant." 

From the opening bell, the champion used his height, reach, ability to use angles, and hand speed to keep Kambosos from being able to have any sustainable success beyond landing an occasional single punch. As the fight went on, the effects of the punishment dished out by the champion began to show on the former two-time world champion who gradually had all the visual signs of a fighter that though determined, had no answers and was taking a beating to the body and head. 

It would be Hitchins’ ability to change levels and make the body a focal point for his offense that would ultimately bring an end to this fight as a flush left hook to the body forced Kambosos to crumble to the canvas in the eighth round. The always “Game" Kambosos showed his mettle by trying to get up and to his credit, did seem to beat the count at the count of nine, but was in no condition to continue and the fight was promptly stopped.

If you were to draw up an ideal scenario for Richardson Hitchins in his first title defense and his first time as a main event in Madison Square Garden, you would be hard pressed to find one that would be better or one that was executed as perfectly as this performance was for the champion. In simple terms, Hitchins simply took his time and broke down a very " Game” opponent in George Kambosos. What might the future hold for this 27 year old champion who might just be entering his athletic prime? It is at times too easy to anoint a fighter as the next superstar in the sport after a performance like this where there were no flaws and a fight plan was carried out perfectly with almost surgical precision, but Hitchins does have star quality both in his skillset and the way he conducts himself and if he continues to produce these types of performances going forward, the label of "Superstar” will indeed be appropriate.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Former Two-Division World Champion Boxer Paulie Malignaggi Signs Three Fight Deal With BKB Bareknuckle Boxing

Credit: BKB Bareknuckle Boxing 

Press Release: June 17, 2025 By BKB Bareknuckle Boxing - Miami, Florida - Former IBF junior welterweight and WBA welterweight champion Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi announced today his return to fighting, signing a three-fight deal with BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing in hopes of becoming a 2-sport world champion and adding the historic Police Gazette Diamond Belt to his collection.

 

Malignaggi, who has served as BKB’s color commentator and lead analyst since 2021, will fight in the BKB Super Welterweight division and is slated to return to action and make his Trigon debut at BKB 45 on September 6 in Bristol, England.

 

Malignaggi, born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Sicily, holds a professional boxing record of 36-8 and has fought some of the biggest names in the sport including Miguel Cotto, Shawn Porter, Adrian Broner, Ricky Hatton and Zab Judah.

 

He notes that while it would be easy to leverage his name for an immediate shot at a BKB Bare Knuckle title (currently held by Wales’ Liam Rees), his desire is to first fight a contender and work his way to a shot at the title rather than leapfrogging fighters who have put in their time into the sport.

 

Said Malignaggi, “ I could easily use my position to jump right back into a title fight. But you know what? That's not what I'm going to do. I respect the fighters too much. Here at BKB, there's really good contenders in the super welterweight division. I know that I when this announcement gets around to the contenders, they're all going to want a piece of me. I want to fight one of those top contenders and earn my spot. I don't want to jump the line.  I still got what got the goods and I'm chasing that title.”

 

BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing consists of 5 3-minute rounds (6x3 for title fights) and is fought in the patented triangular ring, the Mighty Trigon - the smallest fighting surface in combat sports. Malignaggi feels that both the Trigon and the number of rounds best suit him at this stage of his career, and that his experience will be advantageous to his success. 

 

“Having sat ringside at BKB for three years, taking in these amazing fights, I'm always thinking, ‘These guys are impressive, but you know what? I think I can still do that.’ I used to fight 10, 12 rounds. I can still do 5 or 6 rounds.

 

“Ultimately, I want to prove something to myself.  I’m in the best shape I’ve been in in years, and being able to say I’ve been at the top of the game in two sports would just solidify my legacy in fighting. I don’t know who my first opponent will be yet, but I am confident that BKB will give me someone I can really test myself against.”

 

BKB’s next event will be this Saturday at 6 CT when Bare Knuckle Boxing makes its Tennessee debut at The Pinnacle in Nashville for BKB 42 Musich City Brawl. BKB then returns to the UK July 5 for BKB 43 in Bristol, England.  BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing airs live exclusively on VICE TV in the US and Canada and on talkSPORT in the UK and Ireland.  Visit bkbbareknuckle.com for tickets, information and all ways to watch.

 

About Paulie Malignaggi

 

One of the biggest personalities in combat sports, Paulie Malignaggi, a former 2-division boxing champion (having held the IBF junior welterweight and WBA welterweight titles), currently serves as BKB’s lead color commentator.  In addition to BKB, Malignaggi calls fights for ProBox TV and hosts his on YouTube show, Paulie TV.  Previously, he was part of Showtime’s boxing broadcast team. He has appeared in numerous television programs and movies including Gravesend, Bluebloods, and Undefeated, and had a feature documentary on his life leading up to his fight with Miguel Cotto, entitled Magic Man, which later aired on Showtime.

 

About BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing

 

In the past two years, BKB (originally BYB) has purchased the UK-based BKB, the world’s oldest professional bare knuckle boxing company, and in doing so merged the organizations to create the largest bare knuckle boxing company in the world in terms of roster, library and distribution; ushered in ethical and legalized gambling to the sport; acquired the rights to the historic and prestigious Police Gazette Diamond Belt which now serves as the Bare Knuckle Boxing World Championship; and brought bare knuckle boxing to lineal television in the United States with the recent deal with VICE TV, and to mainstream in the UK with a recent partnership with News UK’s talkSPORT.  For more information, visit bkbbareknuckle.com or follow @bkbbareknuckle on all social media platforms.

 

Material and Photo Courtesy of: BKB Bareknuckle Boxing  Used with permission.

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

Champion Unites with Boxing Icon Katie Taylor in a Bold, Multi-Year Partnership

 

Credit: Champion Brand 

Press Release: June 13, 2025 By Champion Brand- The global sportswear brand Champion has announced a new multi-year deal with the iconic Irish fighter Katie Taylor ahead of her trilogy fight against Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden, airing live on Netflix July 11th. A force in the ring, Katie has become synonymous with grit, greatness, and unshakable belief and is considered by many to be the greatest female fighter of all-time.

The partnership includes a limited-edition KT Reverse Weave t-shirt which pays tribute to her extraordinary career, as well as a bespoke fight kit and team gear for the Serrano encounter and will lead to the launch later this year of a next-generation combat sports range, shaped by deep collaboration and insights from Taylor. Following the signing in May of UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall, this collaboration supercharges Champion’s commitment to the world of combat sports, a space defined by discipline, intensity, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.

From the invention of the hooded sweatshirt, created to keep athletes warm, to pioneering mesh nylon jerseys for football players, Champion has consistently delivered functional, performance-driven gear rooted in athlete insight. Many of these innovations have transcended sport to become cultural icons.

“Every boxer dreams of being a Champion and I was no different as a child. I've been lucky enough to realise those dreams over the years in the amateurs at world level and the Olympics and now as a professional boxer in becoming a two weight Undisputed Champion so to partner with Champion just seems like the perfect fit,” said Taylor.

She continued, “Champion is such an iconic brand and known around the world. It has such a rich history in sport going back over one hundred years so it's fantastic to partner with them. I'm really excited to be hands-on in helping to develop Champion's boxing range by drawing on my own experience in the sport and helping to create a product range that lives up to the Champion name and our shared values.”

Lorenzo Moretti, President of Champion EMEA, said: “This is a proud moment for our brand as we align with a sporting pioneer, and a fighter who’s done more than anyone as a role model for female boxers around the world. She’s not just a great female fighter; she’s a great fighter, full stop. Katie’s incredible will to prevail, her incredible grace and pure boxing ability are remarkable, and we couldn’t be more excited to continue her journey, as she helps us move forward too with our combat sports proposition.”

Taylor (24–1, 6 KOs) fights Serrano on July 11 at Madison Square Garden, eight months after the pair’s second clash, at Paul vs. Tyson, which Taylor won. The rematch wasn’t just a fight, it was a global moment, drawing 74 million viewers, rewriting the narrative of what women’s sports can achieve, and becoming the most watched professional women’s sports event in US history.

Taylor, from Bray, Co Wicklow, was the undisputed and undefeated world lightweight champion from 2019 to 2024 and has held the undisputed and world super lightweight championship since 2023. A former Ireland international soccer player, Taylor won five consecutive gold medals at the Women's World Championships, gold six times at the European Championships, and gold five times at the European Union Championships. She was the flag bearer for Ireland at the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony before going on to win the gold medal in the lightweight division. Katie is widely credited with being the driving force behind getting women’s boxing added into the Olympics and unlocking the commercial viability for professional women’s boxing globally.

About Champion

Since 1919, Champion has offered a full line of innovative athletic apparel for men and women, including activewear, sweats, tees, sports bras, team uniforms, footwear and accessories. Today, as a lifestyle brand born from sport, Champion uses innovative design and state-of-the-art product testing to ensure uncompromised quality and innovative apparel for consumers. Beyond its products, the brand’s mission is to provide every Champion a canvas to live their true purpose; rooted in the belief that Champions are defined not by what they make, but by what they do with it. Champion wants to inspire others to not just win, but to Champion a better tomorrow, and is dedicated to supporting creators by giving them a platform to tell their stories, support their values, and communities.

Learn more at championstore.com.

Material, Photo, and Trailer Courtesy of: Champion Brand Used with permission.

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

talkSPORT Becomes Exclusive Home of BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing in the United Kingdom and Ireland

Press Release: June 11, 2025 By BKB Bareknuckle Boxing -

Credit: BKB Bareknuckle Boxing

Partnership to include live streaming of BKB events, and features, promotion and coverage across talkSPORT’s diverse media platforms.
 

MIAMI, FLORIDA – BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing CEO Greg Bloom announced today that the world’s leading bare knuckle boxing company has signed an exclusive broadcast partnership with talkSPORT to air BKB live bare knuckle boxing events on talkSPORT Boxing.

talkSPORT is part of News UK, one of the leading media businesses in the UK and Ireland whose newsbrands include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Sun on Sunday and The TLS, and national broadcast brands including Times Radio, Talk and Virgin Radio UK.

Said Bloom, “talkSPORT is a globally recognized leader in boxing coverage, analysis and opinion, not to mention having a massive sport footprint with more exclusive English football than any other UK broadcaster.  As one of the world’s preeminent voices in boxing, its commitment to BKB and the sport of bare knuckle is a testament to the sport’s growing mainstream popularity across the world.”

Bloom added, “From our acquisition of the London-based BKB promotion in 2024 to hosting shows in and opening new regions across England in 2025, BKB has made a strategic commitment and investment in growing bare knuckle in Europe.  We view its fans and athletes among the most passionate in combat sports. Now, with this partnership with talkSPORT, we are able to further bolster our presence, provide more exposure to our athletes, and build a sustainable model to expand around the continent and beyond.”

Dennie Morris, Director of Audio, News Broadcasting, said, “I’m delighted to welcome BKB to the home of sport broadcasting in the UK. talkSPORT’s Boxing channel is one of the fastest-growing sports YouTube channels in the UK and will continue to go from strength to strength with this new partnership.”

In the past two years, BKB (originally BYB) has purchased the UK-based BKB, the world’s oldest professional bare knuckle boxing company, and in doing so merged the organizations to create the largest bare knuckle boxing company in the world in terms of roster, library and distribution; ushered in ethical and legalized gambling to the sport; acquired the rights to the historic and prestigious Police Gazette Diamond Belt which now serves as the Bare Knuckle Boxing World Championship; brought bare knuckle boxing to lineal television in the United States with the recent deal with VICE TV; and launched its gloved developmental league Trigon Combat.

In addition to the largest roster of fighters across the globe, BKB boasts a who’s who of broadcast talent on both sides of the Atlantic including Mike Goldberg, recognized as the golden voice of combat sports, Paulie Malignaggi, one of the biggest personalities in combat sports and a former IBF junior welterweight and WBA welterweight champion, Gareth A. Davies, one of the leading global voices in boxing with 30 years with The Telegraph, 20 years on radio with talkSPORT, as well as two decades working on television with BBC iPlayer, BT Sport, FOX, ESPN and Setanta Sports, veteran Midlands-based writer and commentator Tom Ross, Danielle Moinet, the former "Summer Rae" in the WWE, and one of the top ring announcers in boxing, Kody "Big Mo" Mommaerts.

To learn more about BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing visit bkbbareknuckle.com.  For more information on Trigon Combat, visit trigoncombat.com.

UPCOMING BKB SCHEDULE
Broadcast on VICE TV and talkSPORT

BKB 42: Music City Brawl, Nashville, TN, USA, June 21
BKB 43: Bolton Brawl, Bolton, UK, July 5
BKB 44: Denver Brawl V, Denver, CO, USA, August 16


About talkSPORT
talkSPORT, part of News Broadcasting, is the UK's leading sports radio network and the Global Audio Partner of the Premier League.

We don’t just cover sport. We live, breathe, love and talk all about it. The build up, the anticipation and the excitement, with more football on radio than anywhere else.

So far in 2025, talkSPORT’s unrivalled output has already taken home two Sports Journalism Awards, winning gold for its coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympics, beating the BBC, and another gold for White & Jordan. talkSPORT was honoured with the Judge’s Award at the ARIAs, and was nominated for its first-ever Sports Industry award.

talkSPORT Boxing is one of the fastest-growing sports YouTube channels, with close to a quarter of a million subscribers.

You can tune in to talkSPORT and talkSPORT2 via our free online streaming service at talkSPORT.com talkSPORT is widely available across the UK via DAB digital radio and on 1089 or 1053 AM. You can also download the talkSPORT app, or ask your smart speaker to play talkSPORT.

talkSPORT is now available on the big screen, on your Smart TV. Go to talksport.com/watch for more details.

Material and Photo Courtesy of: BKB Bareknuckle Boxing Used with permission.

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

On The Brink Of Defeat: Wardley Finds KO Punch

The circumstances that led to the Heavyweight bout between unbeaten top Heavyweight contenders Fabio Wardley and Justis Huni on June 7th at the Portman Road Football Ground in Ipswich, England was not ideal for either boxer. Due to the fact that it was made on short notice where Huni stepped in for the injured Jarrell Miller, neither man had the type of preparation that they would likely prefer going into a fight. 

When one throws into the equation rainy conditions outdoors, one may not have known what to expect. In terms of styles, this was an adjustment for Wardley, who had been preparing to face a power puncher like himself in Miller, now tasked with facing a more balanced boxer/puncher in Huni. While the perception when fights like this are made on short notice is the fighter stepping into a fight is at a disadvantage, this was a case where one could say it was truly unknown as to having an idea of what could happen with one fighter having the type of punching power that is sudden and devastating going against a fighter that could do a little of everything.

For a significant portion of this bout, it was Huni’s Boxing ability that was on full display. Consistently getting his punches off first, often throwing in combination, and backing the power puncher Wardley up, Huni dictated the combat and frequently landed flush right hands to the head. Gradually, it appeared that it was Huni that had the edge and if one were unaware of the circumstances, they might have assumed that it was Wardley, who stepped into the fight on short notice and not the other way around. 

With each passing round, Huni continued to dominate the action. After eight rounds, this observer, as I often do, shared how I was seeing things in real time on X (Formerly Twitter) and said that Huni had won the fight on my unofficial scorecard having won seven of eight rounds of the scheduled twelve round bout. In terms of points, Wardley was behind to a point that he would likely need a knockout to win the fight. Yours truly commented that  Wardley might have a punch in him to turn things around, but it also appeared that he was struggling due to both fatigue and the punishment that Huni had dished out and I questioned whether he would be able to go the distance.

If one were objective, there was little evidence that there would be a sudden change as Huni continued to bring the fight to Wardley in the ninth round. Having covered thousands of fights on every level of the sport over the last three decades and being a Boxing lifer long before I began my journey as a writer and began covering combat sports, I had learned long ago that you can never truly dismiss the possibility of a sudden turn, but with Huni dominating to the degree he was, it seemed unlikely that Wardley would be able to land that fight changing punch. 

What by all accounts looked to be certain victory for Huni would change in the type of fashion that should remind even the most jaded cynic what makes Boxing great. In an exchange of punches at the midway point in the tenth round, Wardley connected with an overhand right that came out of nowhere and seemed to be thrown in desperation, which landed flush and sent Huni down hard on the canvas. Huni struggled and was unable to beat the count. On the brink of what appeared to be certain defeat, Fabio Wardley found the knockout punch that gave him the most dramatic win of his career. 

The certainty that Wardley needed a knockout to remain unbeaten can be illustrated in the official scorecards in that he was down by six points on two official scorecards and on five on the third entering the tenth round. As dramatic a victory and an illustration of the type of power Wardley is blessed with, if one is objective, they would say that Wardley, his handlers, and supporters got a legitimate scare.

Although Wardley maintained his number one ranking in the WBA’s Heavyweight ratings having retained Interim/Regular champion status as the contender currently in position as the World Boxing Association’s mandatory challenger with this victory, he was unable to make the type of statement that would give the impression that he is ready to fight for a world title. Yes, he did get a knockout in the purest sense of the word, however, one might argue that it is Justis Huni who comes out of this fight having made a convincing argument as a potential challenger down the line for either of the Heavyweight division’s two world champions Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois.

 With Usyk and Dubois preparing for their rematch for the Undisputed Heavyweight championship of the world on July 19th, and assuming that there might be a third fight between the two in the future per a rematch clause, Waedley may not get an opportunity to fight for the title in the near future. If Wardley is going to fight again before the end of 2025, an obvious option would be to give Justis Huni a rematch. As brutal as the knockout was, Huni has earned another opportunity and Wardley and his team will likely want to quell the questions that will likely be asked coming out of this fight and the best way to do that is by giving Huni a rematch.

“And That's The Boxing Truth," 

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

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