ATLANTA, GEORGIA GA, April 25, 2025  –  Ten-Time National AmateurBoxing Champion, Ashton “H2O” Sylve, who made his pro debut at sixteen, is set to make his highly anticipated return to the ring on April 26, 2025, at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, where he’ll face Dominican contender Nicolas “La Pantera” Polanco in a pivotal comeback fight.

This marks H2O’s first bout since his only professional loss to Lucas Bahdi in July 2024 — a humbling moment that sparked reflection, not retreat. This isn’t a comeback. It’s a reintroduction. This lightweight scrap is schedule for ten rounds.

In the co-feature, the “Vargas Dynasty” invades The A.T.L. as middle sibling Amado Vargas will battle Angel “El Gato” Luna, in a featherweight clash scheduled for ten rounds.

The card is presented by Yah Promotions in conjunction with Tsunami Promotions and will be streamed live on BLK Prime free for subscribers which pay a $5.99 monthly fee.

H2O

“These are the kinds of fights I dreamed of when I was a kid. Being the main event of a show and it being out there for the world to watch. This was a good training camp. It seemed like a regular training camp to me; I am going to go in there and be myself. I want to give the fans an exciting fight – never give them a dull moment. I have heard that my opponent is aggressive, so that’s a good thing. My job is to pick him apart and get him out of there. And it could be in one second.

“I want another win on my record. The best result on Saturday night will be a knockout in one second.

His father, trainer, manager and founder of Tsunami Promotions Dr. Ivan Sylve said, “This isn’t about bouncing back — this is about unleashing the next level. H2O is sharper, stronger, and smarter than ever. This fight will make that clear.”

Amado Vargas

“An addition to my regular training for this fight, I have been running on the track every other day. I am ready. I got to do what I got to do and no excuses and I’m going to go get it. It should be a knockout, but if not, a good performance. Regarding my family, I fight this week and I believe Emiliano fights a week after me and I’m just going to keep on going. This boxing game has turned me into a man. There is a lot of pressure just with the last name but at the end of the day my dad doesn’t fight for me. I have to set my own patch. My brothers’ performances also motivate me. We motivate each other, we all hold our own weight, and they do an amazing job.”

Amado is coming off a March 15 majority decision win, and his trainer/father and three-time world champion Fernando Vargas Sr. said, “As a trainer, the quicker getting him back in the ring the better. As a father, it keeps him working with no time to fool around. At this point we are fighting fights to make Amado better and what he needs to do is prepare correctly and get in the ring and take care of business. So far, he has done that, and we just keep going.”

Opening the BLK Prime live stream will be a featured women’s attraction – Amber “LIVE ONES” Summers will fight in a six round bantamweight bout against Kalamazoo, Michigan’s Tarrethia Dixon (2-4, 2 KOs).

Powder Springs, Georgia resident Javon “Javon Woodard” Campbell will battle in a six-round featherweight bout against former world title challenger Jayson Velez.

And finally, leading into the Vargas-Luna bout will be a six-round super lightweight bout between hometown fighter Roddricus Livsey (12-3-1, 9 KOs) from Atlanta, against Lenwood Dozier 10-40-3, 5 KOs) from Belcamp, Maryland.

Ashton “H2O” Sylve (11-1, 9 KOs), born and raised in Long Beach California, made is professional debut in 2020 at the tender age of sixteen and ran off ten consecutive knockout wins. All but three of those opponents had winning records, somewhat of an aberration among boxers in the early stages of their careers. In his first eight bouts his opposition survived past round two just twice. The twenty-one-year-old, who earned the nickname “H2O” from his fluid boxing style, was a ten-time national amateur champion and twice international champion.  He boasts over 900K followers on Instagram and 53K on TikTok, and his uncle is Snoop Dogg.

Nicolas “La Pantera” Polanco (22-8-1, 13 KOs) from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, began his pro career in 2012 and did not lose a fight for five years.  Polanco’s losses came against one world champion and five regional champion and a combined record of 160-14-2 at the time of their bouts.

Amado “AFV” Vargas (12-0, 5 KOs) is the middle son of the ‘Vargas Dynasty,’ which is led, managed and trained  by two-time world champion and Olympic medalist Fernando Vargas. He and his fellow undefeated boxing brothers, Emiliano and Fernando Jr., were each born in the same town where Senior was raised – Oxnard, California – ‘top of the food chain’ as the patriarch had boasted throughout his career. The twenty-four-year-old lightweight Amado made his pro debut at twenty. As the boys’ boxing careers thrived, their out of ring endeavors have also flourished, as they are also content creators, models and reality TV stars. Amado’s April 26 opponent, Angel Luna, will be the most experienced and toughest to date.

Angel “El Gato” Luna (20-15-1, 11 KOs) was born in the Dominican and now resides in The Bronx, NY. The thirty-five-year-old began his pro career in 2011, In a career of streaks, he began undefeated through eleven fights, then lost six of seven, won three, then lost three, won 1 then lost four and most recently won five of his last seven.

Javon “Javon Woodard” Campbell (13-2, 11 KOs) is from Powder Springs Georgia. Following an inauspicious start to his pro career, a decision win and loss 2019, Javon ran off eleven consecutive wins, ten by knockout. That streak ended with a split decision loss in a fight scheduled for eight rounds – it was scored a draw after eight, so it went to ‘overtime’ and Lorenzo Parra won the winner take all ninth round. Campbell rebounded with a second-round knockout in his most recent scrap.

Jayson “La Maravilla” Velez (30-17-1, 21 KOs) from Juncos, Puerto Rico, has won numerous regional titles and fought to a draw in his lone world championship bout. The game Velez won the WBC USA title in 2010, the WBC FECARBOX title in 2011, the WBC Latino title in 2017 and the NABA USA title in 2018. In his lone world title bout, a battle of undefeateds, Velez and Evgeny Gradovich fought to a split decision draw as a co-featured bout on a Terrence Crawford led card.

COLLEGE PARK, GEORGIA GA, April 18, 2025  –  Ten-Time National AmateurBoxing Champion, Ashton “H2O” Sylve, who made his pro debut at sixteen, is set to make his highly anticipated return to the ring on April 26, 2025, at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, where he’ll face Dominican contender Nicolas “La Pantera” Polanco in a pivotal comeback fight.

This marks H2O’s first bout since his only professional loss to Lucas Bahdi in July 2024 — a humbling moment that sparked reflection, not retreat. This isn’t a comeback. It’s a reintroduction

In the co-feature, the “Vargas Dynasty” invades The A.T.L. as undefeated middle sibling Amado Vargas will battle Angel “El Gato” Luna, in a featherweight scrap scheduled for ten rounds.

The card is presented by Yah Promotions in conjunction with Tsunami Promotions and will be streamed live on BLK Prime PPV.

Looking back on his journey, H2O stated, “God’s plan. Everything happens for a reason. You’ve got to take your losses like you take your wins.” Clear in purpose, he added: “First of all, I want to thank my opponent for taking the fight. Thank you to BLK Prime for the opportunity to display my talent again. I don’t have something to prove — I already know who I am. I’ll just be showing the world.”

His father, trainer, and manager Ivan Sylve, also founder of Tsunami Promotions, spoke about the work being done behind the scenes: “This isn’t about bouncing back — this is about unleashing the next level. H2O is sharper, stronger, and smarter than ever. This fight will make that clear.”

BLK Prime shared: “We’re proud to work alongside Yah Promotions and Tsunami Promotions for this event. H2O Sylve has the star power and skill set to lead boxing into its next generation — and April 26th will be proof.”

April 13th. I will be 13-0. Watch me Shine on BLKPRIME Baby!!

Powder Springs, Georgia resident Javon “Javon Woodard” Campbell will battle in a six-round featherweight bout against former world title challenger Jayson Velez;

Ashton “H2O” Sylve (11-1, 9 KOs), born and raised in Long Beach California, made is professional debut in 2020 at the tender age of sixteen and ran off ten consecutive knockout wins. All but three of those opponents had winning records, somewhat of an aberration among boxers in the early stages of their careers. In his first eight bouts his opposition survived past round two just twice. The twenty-one-year-old, who earned the nickname “H2O” from his fluid boxing style, was a ten-time national amateur champion and twice international champion.  He boasts over 900K followers on Instagram and 53K on TikTok, and his uncle is Snoop Dogg.

Nicolas “La Pantera” Polanco (22-8-1, 13 KOs) from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, began his pro career in 2012 and did not lose a fight for five years.  Polanco’s losses came against one world champion and five regional champion and a combined record of 160-14-2 at the time of their bouts.

Amado “AFV” Vargas (12-0, 5 KOs) is the middle son of the ‘Vargas Dynasty,’ which is led, managed and trained  by two-time world champion and Olympic medalist Fernando Vargas. He and his fellow undefeated boxing brothers, Emiliano and Fernando Jr., were each born in the same town where Senior was raised – Oxnard, California – ‘top of the food chain’ as the patriarch had boasted throughout his career. The twenty-four-year-old lightweight Amado made his pro debut at twenty. As the boys’ boxing careers thrived, their out of ring endeavors have also flourished, as they are also content creators, models and reality TV stars. Amado’s April 26 opponent, Angel Luna, will be the most experienced and toughest to date.

Angel “El Gato” Luna (20-15-1, 11 KOs) was born in the Dominican and now resides in The Bronx, NY. The thirty-five-year-old began his pro career in 2011, In a career of streaks, he began undefeated through eleven fights, then lost six of seven, won three, then lost three, won 1 then lost four and most recently won five of his last seven.

Javon “Javon Woodard” Campbell (13-2, 11 KOs) is from Powder Springs Georgia. Following an inauspicious start to his pro career, a decision win and loss 2019, Javon ran off eleven consecutive wins, ten by knockout. That streak ended with a split decision loss in a fight scheduled for eight rounds – it was scored a draw after eight, so it went to ‘overtime’ and Lorenzo Parra won the winner take all ninth round. Campbell rebounded with a second-round knockout in his most recent scrap.

Jayson “La Maravilla” Velez (30-17-1, 21 KOs) from Juncos, Puerto Rico, has won numerous regional titles and fought to a draw in his lone world championship bout. The game Velez won the WBC USA title in 2010, the WBC FECARBOX title in 2011, the WBC Latino title in 2017 and the NABA USA title in 2018. In his lone world title bout, a battle of undefeateds, Velez and Evgeny Gradovich fought to a split decision draw as a co-featured bout on a Terrence Crawford led card.

Casey Dixon (5-0, 4 KOs), born in Atlanta will fight in a six-round light heavyweight bout against New Orleans born Donnis Reed (5-18-1, 3 KOs).

In a featured women’s attraction, Amber “LIVE ONES” Summers will fight in a six round bantamweight bout against Kalamazoo, Michigan’s Tarrethia Dixon (2-4, 2 KOs).

The fight card will have sixteen abouts in all.

Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) has announced today that “Prince” Lucas Bahdi (18-0, 15 KOs) will be the newest signee to MVP’s growing roster of world-class fighters. Bahdi, MVP’s first Canadian signee, is a top-ranked lightweight by both the IBF and WBA and recently proved himself among the best title contenders in the lightweight division when he scored a knockout-of-the-year contender win over H2O Sylve on the main card of Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry in July 2024. Most recently, Bahdi further cemented his reputation as a rising force in the division by following up his win over Sylve with a decision victory over previously undefeated Armando Casamonica (14-1, 3 KOs) in a 10-round super lightweight bout, featured on the undercard of MVP’s historic Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano 2 event at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Bahdi, born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, has gone undefeated since making his professional debut in mid-2019, winning his first 11 fights by knockout. The 30-year-old top contender had unanimous decision wins against Diego Fabian Eligio and Diego Andrade Chavez in 2022 before resuming his knockout streak. In May 2023, Bahdi defeated Jesus Amparan to claim the IBF North American Lightweight title. 

“Signing with an innovative promoter, who puts fighters first, is one of the goals I’ve been working towards since I turned professional in 2019,” said “Prince” Lucas Bahdi. “I’m thrilled to be joining the Most Valuable Promotions team because I know that Jake Paul’s vision for boxers’ careers inside the ring and outside the ring will take me to where I want to be… a world champion and a star. Fighting on the Paul vs. Tyson undercard was just the beginning. I’m excited to keep showing the world what I’ve got.”

“Lucas Bahdi is an exceptional talent and a relentless competitor who embodies everything MVP stands for—passion, dedication, and doing the unexpected,” said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “With his impressive knockout power and undefeated record, Lucas has already made waves in the lightweight division, and we’re excited to work with him as he continues his journey toward becoming a world champion and global star. We look forward to Lucas Bahdi headlining an MVP event in Canada in 2025.”

Bahdi joins MVP’s elite roster of superstar athletes and up-and-coming stars including international superstar Jake “El Gallo” Paul, boxing trailblazer and unified featherweight world champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, prolific top boxing prospect H2O Sylve, MVP’S first homegrown champion, the new WBO Super Middleweight Champion, Shadasia “The Sweet Terminator” Green, multi-talented megastar Javon “Wanna” Walton, and India’s most successful professional boxer Neeraj Goyat. 

Founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, with the mission to give athletes creative control, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its talent partners and events. Together, Paul and Bidarian have architected Jake Paul’s meteoric rise in combat sports. In 2021, MVP signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano, who has since achieved historic milestones, including becoming Puerto Rico’s first-ever undisputed champion and competing in the first unified women’s championship fight contested over 12 three-minute rounds—the men’s championship standard—held in October 2023. Her previous historic clash against Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden in 2022 earned recognition as Sports Illustrated’s Fight of the Year, The Ring’s Event of the Year, and was further nominated for Event of the Year by Sports Business Journal. The event marked a pivotal point in women’s sports history as the first time women have headlined a main event at the world-renowned venue in New York City. 

MVP’s recent collaboration with Netflix broke records with the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson mega-event, which is now the most-streamed sporting event ever, peaking at 65 million concurrent streams globally, with 38 million in the U.S. The event drew an average minute audience (AMA) of 108 million live viewers globally, which grew to 125 million (Live+1) over the weekend. Co-headlining the historic card, Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2 became the most-watched professional women’s sports event in U.S. history, with an AMA of 47 million viewers domestically and 74 million globally. The event also ranked as the #1 title on Netflix in 78 countries, including the U.S., UK, Brazil, and India, and trended as the #1 topic worldwide on X during the event. Joe Hand Promotions reported that over 1 million viewers watched from 6,000 bars and restaurants in the U.S., breaking commercial distribution records.

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

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions 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 four global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Fury match, which surpassed 800,000 Pay-per-view buys worldwide. 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, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

NEW YORK, NY – June 27, 2024 – Today, MVP unveiled six additional bouts for “Fear No Man”, the Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry and Amanda Serrano vs. Stevie Morgan marquee event on Saturday, July 20 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, live globally on DAZN pay-per-view. On the pay-per-view card, MVP’s young phenom H2O Sylve (11-0, 9 KOs) will face top IBF and WBA-ranked Lucas “Prince” Bahdi (16-0, 14 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight battle of two of boxing’s top undefeated title contenders as the pair continue breaking the mold by putting their unmarred records on the line early in their careers. The “Fear No Man” pay-per-view card, presented by CELSIUS Live Fit Essential energy, will also feature the return of Mexican cruiserweight and former WBC world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (53-6-1, 34 KOs) vs. MMA star Uriah Hall (1-0 Boxing, 18-11, 14 KOs UFC). Sylve vs. Bhadi and Chavez Jr. vs. Hall round out the five-fight Paul vs. Perry pay-per-view which includes Serrano vs. Morgan and Aguilar vs. Marksman. Leading into the Paul vs. Perry pay-per-view will be MVP’s super middleweight powerhouse Shadasia “The Sweet Terminator” Green (13-1, 11 KOs) as Green makes her first appearance of 2024 against Canada’s Natasha “The Nightmare” Spence (8-4-2, 6 KOs) in an 8 round super middleweight bout. Young talent Angel Barrientes (11-1, 7 KOs) will face Puerto Rico’s Edwin Rodriguez (12-8-2, 5 KOs) over 6 rounds at super bantamweight. Also on the card will be Amanda Serrano’s latest signee, 23-year-old Puerto Rican standout, 3x US amateur national champion, and high fashion model Alexis “Chop Chop” Chaparro (1-0, 1 KO), who thrilled in his professional debut in April 2024 and now will take on Kevin Hill (1-1, 1 KO) in a 4 round middleweight bout. Rounding out the card, Tampa boxer Ariel “The Golden Hulk” Perez (3-0, 2 KOs) will take on Dane Guerrero (0-0-1) in a 4 round light heavyweight fight. 

H2O Sylve (11-0, 9 KOs), MVP’s undefeated 20-year-old phenom from Long Beach, California, returns to the ring following his 10-round bout against Brazil’s Estivan Falcao on MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects V in February 2024. Sylve, ESPN Ringside’s 2022 Prospect of the Year, will look to test himself against a more experienced, fellow contender in Lucas “Prince” Bahdi (16-0, 14 KOs) live globally on the pay-per-view card of “Fear No Man”, as he sets his eyes on becoming a title contender in the near future. Sylve signed with MVP in 2022 and has been training in boxing since age 6 under his father Ivan.

“I’ve been training hard for a fight on Saturday, July 20, and I’m thrilled to still be able to get in the ring as originally planned,’” said H2O Sylve. “My opponent may have changed, but the result will be the same: I will get the W and continue my path to greatness. It’s an honor to be fighting alongside my MVP teammates another time on this electrifying fight card, and I can’t wait for fans in Tampa to see me take care of business on Saturday, July 20, live on DAZN pay-per-view.”

Canadian boxer Lucas “Prince” Bahdi (16-0, 14 KOs) comes to the ring by way of Niagara Falls, Ontario. The 30-year-old top contender has collected a nonstop string of wins since making his professional debut in mid-2019, winning his first 11 fights by knockout. He fought to unanimous decision wins against Diego Fabian Eligio and Diego Andrade Chavez in 2022 before resuming his knockout streak. In May 2023, Bahdi defeated Jesus Amparan to claim the IBF North American Lightweight title. Bahdi is a top ranked lightweight by both the IBF and WBA. 

“I’m excited for the opportunity to showcase my skills on the undercard of a Jake Paul fight,” said Lucas Bahdi. “This is the type of platform where I belong. July 20 will be my coming out party in the United States and H2O Sylve better be ready for what’s coming.”

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (53-6-1, 34 KOs) returns to the ring to take on UFC star Uriah Hall, who knocked out Chavez Jr.’s former opponent, Anderson Silva. The pair will face off over 6 rounds, contested at cruiserweight. Chavez Jr., the Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico native and son of former three-division world boxing champion Julio César Chávez, “El Gran Campeón Mexicano,” the greatest Mexican fighter of all time. Chavez Jr. went undefeated in his first 47 fights and became the WBC middleweight world champion in 2011, before being defeated by Sergio Martinez in his fourth title defense. Chavez Jr. last fought in his hometown of Culiacan with a UD win over David Zegarra.

“I’m excited to return to the ring still on Saturday, July 20, and I’m ready to reestablish myself as one of the best in this sport,” said Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. “I was the first Mexican middleweight champion in history and I’m ready to prove that I have it in me to become a champion again at cruiserweight. My return to the ring alongside these phenomenal fighters is an honor, and I plan to win by knockout.”

Uriah Hall (1-0 Boxing, 18-11, 14 KOs UFC) moved from Jamaica to Queens, New York as a child, and began training in MMA at age 16. He first made a name for himself on Bellator, and Ring of Combat, when he won the ROC championship. He went on to take second on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen card, before making his debut in the middleweight division of the UFC in 2013, where he secured a record of 18 wins, 14 by KO, including a TKO of Anderson Silva in 2020. Hall retired from the UFC in 2022 in order to make his cruiserweight professional boxing debut against Le’Veon Bell on the undercard of Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva. Hall earned a unanimous decision win in the bout over the NFL running back-turned-boxer. 

“I’m excited to get back to competing in the boxing ring on Saturday, July, 20,” said Uriah Hall. “I’m ready to challenge myself against a well known boxer and former world champion in Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.” 

Joining the “Fear No Man” undercard will be MVP’s super middleweight powerhouse Shadasia “The Sweet Terminator” Green (13-1, 11 KOs), making her first appearance of 2024 in the ring. Green, the former standout college basketball star and Team USA boxing silver medalist, boasts an impressive 13-1 record with 11 KO’s and joined MVP in January 2023 after a trailblazing few years in the sport. Shortly after, Green defeated the former unified world champion Elin Cederroos with a vicious sixth round TKO, marking the first and only time Cederroos was ever stopped in her career. Green’s bout against Olivia Curry in August led to a resounding unanimous decision victory as part of the Paul-Diaz undercard. Green raised to #1 ranking in the WBC, WBO, WBA, and IBF ahead of her latest 10-round women’s championship bout against former undisputed and now-WBC super middleweight champion Franchon-Crews Dezurn for the WBC world and WBA Interim titles. The bout resulted in a disappointing decision loss for Green, and she now returns to the ring to prove her path back to title contender. The Paterson, NJ native will now face Canadian boxer Natasha “The Nightmare” Spence (8-4-2, 6 KOs) on the undercard of Paul vs. Perry and Serrano vs. Morgan on Saturday, July 20. Spence, the 39-year-old experienced fighter from Cambridge, Ontario, will aim to prove her own title aspirations in the ring against Green.

“I faced a disappointing loss, but I’ve taken the time to reflect, learn, and get back to training these past few months, and I’m going to be a brand-new fighter when I step into the ring at Amalie Arena on Saturday, July 20,” said Shadasia Green. “While I’m still working to win a world title, my only focus right now is on knocking out Natasha Spence. Thank you to MVP and my team for their support, and I’m grateful to be fighting alongside Jake, Amanda, and H2O again on this card. I’m going to remind the world that Shadasia Green is their future super middleweight champion.” 

“Fear No Man promises an unforgettable night of challenges for every fighter on the card,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP. “We’re thrilled to announce that H2O Sylve will return to face a dangerous unbeaten title contender, both putting their undefeated records on the line. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will bring his storied Mexican boxing legacy to the ring against Uriah Hall after Hall’s decisive win over Le’Veon Bell at MVP’s Paul vs. Silva in 2022. Shadasia Green returns to pursue her championship aspirations hungrier than ever. Additionally, we look forward to showcasing rising stars and local talents, including Alexis Chaparro, the latest protege of Amanda Serrano. It promises to be an electrifying night of boxing at Amalie Arena in Tampa, available exclusively on DAZN pay-per-view.”

In another thrilling undercard matchup Angel Barrientes (11-1, 7 KOs) will face Edwin Rodriguez (12-8-2, 5 KOs) over 6 rounds at super bantamweight. The 21-year-old Barrientes comes to the ring from Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Honolulu, Hawaii. Barrientes most recently secured a decisive first-round knockout against Ernesto Sebastian Franzolini in late May 2024, building his current win streak to 8 fights. Barrientes now looks to add Rodriguez to his slate of wins. Rodriguez, a native of Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico, has been boxing since age six. In his years as an amateur boxer, Rodriguez was a standout in the Puerto Rican boxing scene, facing notable boxers including Emmanuel “Manny” Rodríguez, Oscar Valdez, Alberto Machado, Jonathan “Bomba” González, and Angel “Tito” Acosta, among others. He accumulated a record of 201 wins and just 25 losses, taking home a silver medal at the Junior Olympics in Quito, Ecuador, and made the second team of the Puerto Rico National Amateur Boxing Team. Rodríguez made his professional debut in 2012, and has since fought 22 times. He trains with the Galarza family at the Los Galarza gym in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico, considered to be a testing ground for rising prospects.

Amanda Serrano’s newest signee, Alexis “Chop Chop” Chaparro (1-0, 1 KO) most recently took home a first-round KO win over Daniel Augare in his pro debut on Most Valuable Prospects 6 in April 2024. The 23-year-old Chaparro, born in Puerto Rico and raised in Ridgewood, New York, is a three-time national boxing champion who competed at both the 2020 and 2024 USA Boxing Olympic trials. The gifted athlete is also a high fashion model, having worked for Versace, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, and Polo Ralph Lauren, among others. Chaparro joins Serrano’s growing roster of Puerto Rican talents including the young undefeated sensation Krystal Rosado (3-0, 1 KO). Chaparro will now face Kevin Hill (1-1, 1 KO) in a four round middleweight bout on the Paul vs. Perry and Serrano vs. Morgan undercard. Hill, the more experienced 35-year-old fighter, comes to the ring from St. Louis, Missouri ready to challenge Chaparro’s speed and skill on Saturday, July 20.

Another Tampa local, Ariel “Golden Hulk” Perez (3-0, 2 KOs) returns to the ring following his crowd-raising performance on Most Valuable Prospects 6 in April 2024, set to take on Dane Guerrero (0-0-1) at light heavyweight. Perez dominated in his latest bout against Steven Motley in April, sending Motley staggering multiple times before locking in a stoppage victory in the fourth round. Guerrero, fighting out of Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, now looks to add his first professional victory to his record after securing a draw in his professional debut in 2023.

Paul vs. Perry and Serrano vs. Morgan: “Fear No Man” is produced and marketed by MVP with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter and is distributed by DAZN pay-per–view. CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, maker of lifestyle energy drink, is the exclusive energy drink sponsor of MVP. Additional information will be announced in the coming weeks. 

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 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 five global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Diaz 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, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of 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.

About Vinik Sports Group/Tampa Bay Lightning/AMALIE Arena:

The three-time Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning (2004, 2020, 2021) of the National Hockey League and the leasehold rights to AMALIE Arena, the 19,092-seat home in which the team plays its games, were purchased by Tampa Bay Sports & Entertainment, an entity established by Chairman and Governor Jeff Vinik, in March of 2010. Since that time, the Lightning and the arena have undergone a complete brand and business transformation, featuring a $100 million dollar renovation of the publicly owned facility as well as back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 2020 and 2021. AMALIE Arena serves as the centerpiece of the vibrant Water Street district of downtown Tampa, a development spearheaded by Vinik, in a partnership with Strategic Property Partners. In February of 2020, the organization announced the creation of Vinik Sports Group, which now serves as the parent company of the Lightning, AMALIE Arena and other sports and entertainment assets, including management of the Yuengling Center on the campus of the University of South Florida, as well as multi-media rights for USF Athletics. AMALIE Arena hosts over 200 events per year with over 2 million guests walking through the doors, while Yuengling Center hosts over 250 events per year with over 1 million guests. Both have the mission to provide world-class entertainment for sports fans and music enthusiasts alike. 

Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced that India’s number one boxer and MVP’s first international signee, Neeraj Goyat (18-4-2, 8 KOs), will make his MVP debut against Brazil’s multi-talented superstar Whindersson Nunes, who holds a cumulative 2-2-1 record in his boxing career with 1 KO, in a professional 6 round super middleweight bout contested at 165 lbs on Saturday, July 20. Goyat vs. Nunes is the latest must-see global fight on the event’s decorated global card, headlined by The Problem Child, Jake “El Gallo de Dorado” Paul vs. The Baddest Man on the Planet Mike Tyson in the 8 round heavyweight main event, and the most anticipated women’s boxing rematch in history between Katie Taylor and Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano in the co-main event, a 10×2 undisputed super lightweight world title fight. Paul vs. Tyson will stream live globally, exclusively on Netflix from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. Tickets for the event are on sale now at seatgeek.comand have broken records already for the highest gate of any boxing or MMA event in Texas’ history, a testament to just how big this event is.

Goyat, one of the most viral boxers in the sport, vs. Brazil’s multi-talented star, Nunes is in addition to the recently announced 10 round lightweight battle between MVP’s undefeated young phenom H2O Sylve (11-0, 9 KOs) vs. fellow undefeated top prospect Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield (17-0, 12 KOs) in a clash of two of boxing’s best prospects. Also on the undercard will be the 6 round 190 lb. cruiserweight bout between veteran Mexican cruiserweight and former WBC middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (53-6-1, 34 KOs) and UK UFC star Darren Till in Till’s professional boxing debut following his tremendous UFC career, which garnered the fighter 18 wins inside the cage, including 10 knockouts and 2 wins by submission. 

Goyat, born in Begampur, Karnal, Haryana, India, began his amateur boxing career in 2006 while attending the Army Sports Institute and quickly began his rise to the top, winning gold in 2008 in the Youth National Tournament. Goyat is a three-time WBC Asia title holder in 2015, 2016, and 2017, was named “Honorary Boxer of the Year” in 2017 by WBC Asia, and was the first Indian boxer ever to make the WBC World Rankings. Goyat was hurt in a car accident in 2019, which postponed a mega fight in the works against Amir Khan, but has since resumed fighting and continues his hunt for greatness. In spring 2024, he surged to the forefront of fighter attention worldwide via his viral social media campaign to fight MVP co-founder and international superstar Jake Paul, which culminated with Goyat traveling to San Juan, Puerto Rico to face off with Paul in person, ultimately signing to MVP. Goyat’s callout and subsequent faceoff set off a seismic wave of engagement across social media, garnering well over 150M views on his social media alone. Goyat will now make his MVP debut on Saturday, July 20 against Nunes. He trains under Kuldeep Keepa.

“I couldn’t be more excited to make my MVP debut on what promises to be the biggest boxing event in history,” said Neeraj Goyat. “With millions of fans back home in India watching my every move, I’m not just fighting for myself; I’m fighting to make history and make my country proud. Thank you to Nakisa and the entire MVP team and of course Netflix for this opportunity to shine on the biggest stage imaginable. I hope all Indians around the world tune in for this historic event.“

Whindersson Nunes, a Brazilian icon and social media superstar, boasts a cumulative 2-2-1 record in his boxing career, with 1 KO. Known for his charismatic presence both inside and outside the ring, Nunes has faced notable opponents, including his 2022 bout against legendary world champion Acelino “Popó” Freitas, which went the distance over 8 rounds and resulted in a draw for the fighters. With a massive following of over 100 million across social platforms, including 59.5 million on Instagram and 44.6 million on YouTube, Nunes is a formidable figure in the digital world. For his upcoming fight, he is sharpening his skills under the guidance of coaches Diego Rodrigues and Caio Franco, and is training alongside Olympic medalist and professional boxing standout Esquiva Falcao, promising his best performance yet. 

“I grew up watching big names in boxing, so having the opportunity to be part of this card and challenge myself in this sport is an honor,” said Whindersson Nunes. “As I’ve said on other occasions, boxing is more than just a fight: it’s an art that requires a lot of technique, timing and strategy. I have been preparing myself daily with my coaches to present my best version of a fighter in Texas and, once again, defend and make my country proud.”

“By featuring two more international stars in Neeraj Goyat and Whindersson Nunes, alongside the rest of our historic card, we’re strategically supplementing Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano 2 to drive patriotic engagement with the event from two of the biggest countries in the world,” said Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “Neeraj Goyat is arguably the greatest Indian boxer of all time and he will now have the opportunity to represent India as a part of one of the biggest boxing events of all time. Whindersson Nunes is returning to the ring against a much more experienced boxer and it shows what a Brazilian badass he is, ready to take on the challenge – you have to respect that. These two fighters are viral content machines and boast incredibly loyal supporters and massive reach across India and Brazil. This isn’t just about the thrilling matchups; it’s about uniting fans from around the world for an unforgettable experience and to grow the sport of boxing.”

Additional information, including further undercard bouts, will be announced at a later date. Tickets are on sale now at seatgeek.com. 

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions 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. Since inception MVP has consistently produced the biggest combat sports pay-per-view events. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. The company 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, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which is the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About Netflix

Netflix is one of the world’s leading entertainment services, with 270 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 AT&T Stadium

AT&T Stadium is the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venue in the world. Designed by HKS and built by Manhattan Construction, the $1.2 billion stadium features two monumental arches, the world’s largest HDTV video board cluster, an expansive retractable roof and the largest retractable end zone doors in the world. Features of the stadium include seating for 80,000 and expandability for up to 100,000, over 300 luxury suites, club seating on multiple levels and the Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop, open to the public year-round. Outside the stadium, the Miller Lite® House is a branded destination that boasts a 70-yard Cowboys turf field featuring field games, four video boards and over 60 television screens, two fantasy football screen walls and over 87,000 outdoor square-footage for event day experiences. The space also features two beer gardens and a walk-in beer cooler. The stadium is also home to a world-class collection of contemporary art, made up of over 92 works of art by 62 established and emerging artists displayed on the walls and in the grand public spaces of the venue. In addition to being the home of the Dallas Cowboys since opening in 2009, the stadium has hosted Super Bowl XLV, the 2010 NBA All Star Game, the annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, the 2014 NCAA Men’s Final Four, the 2015 inaugural College Football Playoff Championship Game, the 2015 50th Anniversary Academy of Country Music Awards show and WrestleMania 32 & 38. The venue has also played host to high school and college football, concerts, championship fights, international soccer matches and other special events. For more information, go

Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced that MVP’s undefeated young phenom H2O Sylve (11-0, 9 KOs) will face fellow undefeated top prospect Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield (17-0, 12 KOs) in a clash of two of boxing’s best lightweight prospects. The 10-round lightweight battle will take place on the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano undercard on Saturday, July 20 as the two up-and-coming stars put their undefeated records on the line early in their careers, breaking the boxing mold to differentiate themselves and help grow the sport. Joining Sylve vs. Schofield on the undercard will be veteran Mexican cruiserweight and former WBC middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (53-6-1, 34 KOs) vs. UK UFC star Darren Till in Till’s professional boxing debut following his tremendous UFC career, which garnered the fighter 18 wins inside the cage, including 10 knockouts and 2 wins by submission. The fight will be a 6 round cruiserweight bout, contested at 190lbs. Paul vs. Tyson will stream live globally, exclusively on Netflix from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. Over 120,000 fans have signed up for presale access, a testament to the unprecedented immense global demand and excitement for the Paul vs. Tyson heavyweight mega-fight and Taylor vs. Serrano, the most-anticipated rematch in women’s boxing history. Fans can still sign up for advance presale access here.  

H2O Sylve, MVP’s undefeated 20-year-old phenom from Long Beach, California, returns to the ring following his 10-round bout against Brazil’s Estivan Falcao on MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects V in February 2024. The fight marked a step up in class for Sylve and followed his thrilling knockout of veteran William Silva on the Paul vs. Diaz card in August of 2023. Now, Sylve, ESPN Ringside’s 2022 Prospect of the Year, will look to test himself against a fellow world-class boxing prospect in Schofield, as both set their eyes on becoming a title contender in the near future. Sylve signed with MVP in 2022 and has been training in boxing since age 6 under his father Ivan.

“I can’t wait to step into the ring with ‘Kid Austin,’” said H2O Sylve. “He’s just another stepping stone on my path to greatness and when I’m done with him, he’ll wish he never signed the contract. It’s an honor to fight on this historic card and on Saturday, July 20th, over 270 million fans can tune in on Netflix and 80,000 more fans live at AT&T Stadium will have the opportunity to see me take care of ‘Kid Austin’ once and for all. Thank you to MVP and Netflix for this once in a lifetime opportunity.”

No stranger to overcoming adversity, 21-year-old Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield Jr. battled through poverty and homelessness to become one of the hottest world title contenders in the lightweight division. A pugilist working out of Davies Boxing and Fitness in San Antonio, Texas, his training and sparring resume features a long list of current and up-and-coming world champions. Schofield made his professional debut on October 9, 2020, with a skilled knockout over Richard Esquibel. Since then, he has quickly built out his undefeated, professional portfolio with a series of knockout wins. In March 2024, Schofield successfully defended his WBA International Lightweight title against the unconventional Esteuri Suero, who was disqualified in the fifth round for a low blow, point deductions and poor sportsmanship in the bout.

“Being on a card of this magnitude is very important to me,” said Floyd Schofield Jr. “I’ve worked super hard to get to fights like these, and now it’s time to show what I got. I step into that ring undefeated, and I will leave undefeated. H2O may doubt me, but he’ll soon realize he is facing an unstoppable force. This is my moment, and I look forward to showing the world what Kid Austin is capable of.”

Joining Sylve vs. Schofield on the undercard will be a 6-round Mexico-UK battle between boxing veteran Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and UK UFC star Darren Till who will make his professional boxing debut on Saturday, July 20. Chavez Jr., the Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico native and son of former three-division world boxing champion Julio César Chávez, “El Gran Campeón Mexicano,” the greatest Mexican fighter of all time. Chavez Jr. began his professional career with an impressive undefeated streak across his first 47 fights. Chavez Jr. climbed the rankings and became the WBC middleweight world champion in 2011, before being defeated by Sergio Martinez in Chavez’s fourth title defense in 2012. Chavez Jr. went on to reclaim regional titles and later won the WBC Continental Americas Super Middleweight title and last fought in his hometown of Culiacan with a UD win over David Zegarra. In June 2021, Chavez squared off with MMA star Anderson Silva, suffering a narrow split decision defeat and now looks to set the record straight as he takes on another MMA star in Till. 

“I’m excited to return to the ring after some time off, and I’m motivated and eager to reestablish myself as one of the greats,” said Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. “I was the first Mexican middleweight champion in the history of Mexico and want to prove that I can again become a champion. My return to the ring at this historic event is an honor. On Saturday, July 20, I’m going to win by KO and continue my journey.”

“I am confident that my son Julio is focused, and I’m excited about that,” said “El Gran Campeón Mexicano,” Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. “This is his moment to make a statement,  together on the same card with my friend Mike Tyson. I will be there by my son’s side when he wins. He has a lot of boxing left in him and he will prove it on July 20th!”

Facing down Chavez Jr. on Saturday, July 20 will be UK UFC legend Darren Till, who will make his professional boxing debut on the Paul vs. Tyson undercard. Till, the 31-year-old star from Liverpool, England turned pro in Muay Thai at just age 15 and went on to train across Brazil and the UK in MMA. From 2015-2022, Till was a standout in the UFC, collecting 18 wins inside the cage, with 10 coming by way of knockout and two by submission. Till fought in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions and challenged for the UFC Welterweight Championship in September 2018. In February 2023, Till requested release from the UFC to pursue his interest in boxing and now trains with UK boxing legend and former WBO light-middleweight title holder Liam Smith. He is managed by three-time super-middleweight world title contender Paul Smith. Till will make his professional boxing debut in a 190lb cruiserweight bout against Mexican star Chavez Jr.

“I’m very happy to be a part of this event. Paul vs. Tyson is going to be one of the biggest events of our generation, and to make my professional boxing debut on it is brilliant, said Darren Till. “I’m very happy with my opponent. I’ve been a fan of his father for many years and I’ve been a fan of Chavez Jr. too – he is a great fighter who I respect, but make no mistake about it, I am coming to knock him out in the first round. I am happy with where I am in life, and I am coming to make a statement on Saturday, July 20th in Texas.”

“Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano will be epic bouts that captivate audiences worldwide, and we’ve worked diligently to create an unforgettable event that will leave fans on the edge of their seats. We’re thrilled to announce two additional fights that perfectly complement our main card,” said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “H2O Sylve vs. ‘Kid Austin’ Floyd Schofield will be a battle showcasing the future stars of boxing. These two young stars are disrupting the sport of boxing by putting their undefeated records on the line against each other so early in their careers, to evolve the sport and set an example for other prospects. We are also excited to have Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. make his long-awaited return against UFC star Darren Till, in a Mexico vs. UK showdown. Chavez Jr. will be looking to silence the critics following his loss to Anderson Silva, while Till, training with UK boxing great Liam Smith, intends to show the world he’s a real threat inside the ring. The biggest event in modern boxing history just got bigger, and we can’t wait for fans to watch on Saturday, July 20 live, exclusively on Netflix from AT&T Stadium.”

Additional information, including further undercard bouts, will be announced at a later date. 

About Netflix

Netflix is one of the world’s leading entertainment services, with 270 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions 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. Since inception MVP has consistently produced the biggest combat sports pay-per-view events. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. The company 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, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which is the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About AT&T Stadium

AT&T Stadium is the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venue in the world. Designed by HKS and built by Manhattan Construction, the $1.2 billion stadium features two monumental arches, the world’s largest HDTV video board cluster, an expansive retractable roof and the largest retractable end zone doors in the world. Features of the stadium include seating for 80,000 and expandability for up to 100,000, over 300 luxury suites, club seating on multiple levels and the Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop, open to the public year-round. Outside the stadium, the Miller Lite® House is a branded destination that boasts a 70-yard Cowboys turf field featuring field games, four video boards and over 60 television screens, two fantasy football screen walls and over 87,000 outdoor square-footage for event day experiences. The space also features two beer gardens and a walk-in beer cooler. The stadium is also home to a world-class collection of contemporary art, made up of over 92 works of art by 62 established and emerging artists displayed on the walls and in the grand public spaces of the venue. In addition to being the home of the Dallas Cowboys since opening in 2009, the stadium has hosted Super Bowl XLV, the 2010 NBA All Star Game, the annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, the 2014 NCAA Men’s Final Four, the 2015 inaugural College Football Playoff Championship Game, the 2015 50th Anniversary Academy of Country Music Awards show and WrestleMania 32 & 38. The venue has also played host to high school and college football, concerts, championship fights, international soccer matches and other special events. For more information, go to attstadium.com.

NEW YORK, NY – January 23, 2024 – Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced the full card and special broadcaster for Most Valuable Prospects V, the first prospects event of 2024, taking place on Friday, February 2 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL available globally on DAZN subscription. Most Valuable Prospects V, headlined by H20 Sylve (10-0, 9KOs) vs. Estivan Falcao (13-2, 7KOs) for the WBC Youth World Championship and presented by CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, will feature super lightweights Orestes Velazquez (8-0, 7KOs) vs. Julian “The Quiet Storm” Smith (7-2, 5KOs) for the WBA International Title. Famed Filipino fighter Ninito Donaire will also join the event as an analyst and expert commentator, bringing his significant experience, success, and signature “flash” to the DAZN broadcast team. 

Tickets for Most Valuable Prospects V are available now via Ticketmaster. 

H2O Sylve and Estivan Falcao will headline Most Valuable Prospects V with a 10-round lightweight bout on Friday, February 2nd, for the WBC Youth World Championship. The 19-year-old phenom Sylve returns to the ring for his very first 10-round fight against Brazil’s Falcao. This fight marks a step up in class for Sylve, after his victory over Adam Kipenga, and his thrilling knockout of veteran William Silva on the Paul vs. Diaz card in August of 2023. With six years of professional fighting under his belt, Falcao will prove a challenge after back to back wins in 2023.

The highly anticipated WBA International Title super lightweight battle between Orestes Velazquez and Julian Smith will take place over ten rounds. Velazquez (8-0, 7KOs), from Cuba, triumphed over Mohamed Soumaoro in September of last year for the WBA International Super Lightweight title with a TKO in the eight round. The Las Vegas-based fighter gained this win six months after going the distance with Marcelino Lopez on the Benavidez-Caleb Plant undercard in Las Vegas, NV, in March of 2023. The inspirational Illinois native Smith (7-2, 5KOs), who is deaf, is a Chicago Golden Gloves champion and will be making his third appearance in the prospects series, where he most recently defeated Julio Rosa (8-3, 4KOs), by majority decision (59-55, 57-57, 60-54). Smith found out he won via sign language and celebrated his hard-fought victory with a heartfelt moment where his mom joined him in the ring.

Rounding out Most Valuable Prospects V will be lightweight undefeated Florida natives Benigno Aguilar (13-2-0, 7KOs) and Corey Marksman (8-0) as they battle over six rounds, and Maricela Cornejo (14-6, 5KOs) will take on Kandi Wyatt (10-4, 3KOs) in a welterweight bout across eight rounds. Cornejo fought Claressa Shields in June of 2023, with only two weeks’ notice before the bout. Despite the short notice, Cornejo took Shields the distance, ultimately losing via unanimous decision. Cornejo has decided to take a new path toward becoming a world champion, competing at welterweight, with Most Valuable Prospects marking only her second fight in this class. 

Providing commentary on these fights will be Nonito Donaire, the former boxing champion in four weight classes from flyweight to featherweight, and the oldest boxer in history to win a bantamweight world title – while being the first three-time champion in that weight class. Donaire also holds the distinction of gaining world championships in three consecutive decades, and is the sixth boxer to do so alongside legends like Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Serving as analyst and expert commentator, Donaire will bring his incredible and unique POV to the DAZN broadcast team alongside Wade Plemons, Dan Canobbio and Sibley Scoles, and to fans around the world. The full card will be offered globally via DAZN subscription.

“In May of 2023, I headlined MVP’s very first Most Valuable Prospects event, and now I’m battling for the WBC Youth World Championship less than a year later. It’s an honor to come back to Orlando and represent the series for a second time,” said H20 Sylve. “Most Valuable Prospects has provided so many fighters – myself included – with a platform and opportunity in this sport and I’m looking forward to headlining for a second time. Thank you to MVP, Boxlab, Caribe, and DAZN for the opportunity and make sure to tune in on Friday, February 2nd to watch me give the WBC Youth World Championship belt a new home.”

“Most Valuable Prospects was introduced last year, and since that time we’ve provided up and coming fighters with a platform to display their skills and build their names. We couldn’t be more excited by this first installment of 2024, where we’ll see MVP phenom H20 Sylve battle Estivan Falcao for the WBC Youth World Championship in H20’s first 10-round bout, and Orestes Velazquez and Julian Smith fight for the WBA International Title,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP. “It’ll also be a big night and test for Maricela Cornejo, as she forges her path towards becoming world champion at welterweight against Kandi Wyatt, an important bout which continues Most Valuable Promotions’ support of women’s boxing. It’s truly a card created for the fans, and another great representation for Most Valuable Prospects. Thank you to DAZN, Boxlab, Caribe Royale Resort, and CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy for another year of partnership.”

The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and promoted by MVP with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter and is distributed globally by DAZN. The fifth event in the series will continue the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. All events within Most Valuable Prospects will take place on Friday nights in 2024. CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, maker of lifestyle energy drink, is the exclusive energy drink sponsor of Most Valuable Promotions and the Most Valuable Prospects series. 

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

How to watch DAZN  

• Visit DAZN.com and follow the steps to sign up now
• Once signed up, download the DAZN app to watch on any device
• Go to the app store on your chosen device, search ‘DAZN’ and download the DAZN app  
• DAZN is available on your phone, tablet, smart TV, streaming devices such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and gaming consoles. 
• Connect multiple devices to your account to watch at home or on the go  

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions 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 five global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Diaz 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, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of 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 a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.? 

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.?

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DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.?

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to a ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.   

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.??

Jake Paul won a 10-round unanimous decision over Nate Diaz in an entertaining cruiserweight bout in front of a capacity crowd at The American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas.

In round one, Paul hurt Diaz with a left to the top of the head and had him reeling to ropes as he landed a hard flurry of punches. Diaz made a stand in round four as he landed some shots that drove Paul back. In round five, Paul dropped Diaz with a short left hook to the side of the head.

The second half of the fight saw Diaz be more competitive as he was able to get to Paul several times by landing short shots on the inside that snap the head of Paul. There were several toe-to-toe exchanges that thrilled the boisterous crowd at The American Airlines Arena. The battled it out until the final bell.

Paul landed 174 of 491 punches. Diaz was 143 of 392.

Paul, 185 lbs of Cleveland won by scores of 98-91 twice and 97-92 and is now 7-1. Diaz, 184.9 lbs of Stockton, CA was making his professional boxing debut.

Jake Paul Quotes

On his training camp for this fight: “I’m a new fighter. The new team we brought in, the new strength and conditioning—- everything was new and I worked harder this camp. It pushed me to my limits. There were moments in the gym where I thought, ‘Damn I don’t even know if I can do this,’ but I just kept on believing in myself and now my gas tank is crazy. I could have kept on going. I could have gone 12 rounds and we are just stepping up and up, and after doing it in three years- I’m happy with myself.”

On what it’s like to fight Nate: “It was fun and I knew he was trying to take breaks so I would pounce on him when he was doing that. We were talking to each other the whole fight.” 

“When you’re in there with another dog, you can sense it. It just makes the sport more fun and this fight was probably the most memorable yet.”

On his previous loss: “The loss was seriously the best thing. It set me on the path I was supposed to be on and you can’t cut corners in this sport. I was in the gym the day after the loss. I flew back from the Middle East and went to the gym every single day up until this fight.”

Nate Diaz Quotes:

On Jake Paul: He needed a takedown. He needed a choke. He did a good job. He’s a fucking athletic, strong dude and he hits hard and fast, but it ain’t nothing I hadn’t seen before, and I trained with people who were [like that]. These guys can throw down. It’s good shit. […] I should have been throwing punches, keeping him on the outside. I’m not trying to make an excuse, but about a month back I hurt my […] right arm, a bit. I think I should’ve kept to the outside and circled, and done better stuff. But it’s all good. There’s no way I [wouldn’t] show up for a fight because of something like that. You gotta go regardless, no matter what. 

[The chokehold was a] done deal. In a real fight, the fight’s over, and I would have secured the win, but we were participating in a boxing match, and it was a good time, and now I know… I’ve trained my whole career in boxing with pro boxers on the highest level, high as I could get, and I’ve done really well. I’ve never fought in a pro fight, so I thought I’d fuck up anybody. The guillotine… that was too easy. The takedown was too easy too – I got the punch, his whole weight was in my chest. In MMA they smash my head and fuck me up. 

I didn’t think I won. I knew he got the knockdown, but I figured I won a good amount of rounds. 

On his boxing debut: I would’ve liked to have trained like I do – when I’m smaller. I was kind of concerned with getting bigger. I didn’t think he was much bigger than me. 

On facing off with Jake Paul in MMA: Yeah, I think I would fight him. It’s easy to take him down. Two, three, four months [from now], I’m ready to rock. We’re going to talk. 

On returning to boxing: 100%. Talk about experience. […] I didn’t even get cut today. I get cut in every MMA fight I fight in. I have nobody’s [name] in mind right now, but […] next week, get back to me. I’m sure I’ll have a list full of motherfuckers’ asses to whip.

Serrano Defends Undisputed Title with Another Decision over Hardy

Amanda Serrano retained the Undisputed Featherweight Title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Heather Hardy in a rematch of a bout that had the same result in 2019.

Serrano battered and bloodied a tough-as-nails Hardy, who took many hard shots. She was able to get through all 10-rounds.

In round one, Serrano came out ripping hard shots to the body and head that made the nose of Hardy to start bleeding.

In round nine, Hard began to bleed from a big gash in her forehead from an accidental headbutt.

Serrano landed 278 of 739 punches. Hardy was 149 of 557.

Serrano, 124.6 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91 and is now 45-2-1. Hardy, 125.8 lbs of Brooklyn is 24-3-1.

Amanda Serrano

On how tonight went: “It’s another day at the job. It feels good, I wanted to be on this card because I knew there would be a lot of people here wanting to see Jake vs Nate Diaz and that’s why we chose Heather. I just wanted to be here.” 

On Jake Paul: “He’s very on the job. When I was training down in Puerto Rico, I saw him training in the gym. I saw how much he improved. I saw it tonight, he went ten rounds —  he’s a real fighter now.

Chris Avila Decisions Jeremy Stephens

In a battle of former MMA fighters, Chris Avila pounded out an six-round unanimous decision over Jeremy Stephens in a super middleweight fight.

Avila landed 141 of 377 punches. Stephens was 81 of 267.

Avila, 170.3 lbs of Stockton, CA won by scores of 60-54 and 59-55 twice and is now 4-1. Stephens, 167 lbs of Chula Vista, CA is now 0-1-1.

Chris Avila

On the sold-out crowd and live audience energy: It was cool. It was motivating. And it was cool to see a bunch of people out there. And it made me feel good to go out there and show off. And yeah, it was fun.

And it shows you how much Nate brings to the fucking table. That was all Nate Diaz right there. This fan base is crazy. 

On getting ready for this fight with Nate as he got ready for a big fight: It was a long camp so we had a lot of boxing going on and a lot of high level boxing throughout the week. So it was a good camp and everyone got good work and everyone was leveled up. We’re on a good schedule. We’re locked for months. We’re always on the same schedule, but we were locked in. Everyone performed good tonight. It was a good camp.

Sylve Stops Silva with a Body Shot in Round 4

Ashton Sylve remained undefeated with a fourth round stoppage over William Silva in a lightweight contest.

At the end of round two, Sylve landed perfect left to the body tat put Silva on his back. In round four, Sylve landed another crushing left to the body, but this time Silva did not get up and the fight was over at 2:59.

Sylve,134.5 lbs of Long Beach, CA is 10-0 with nine knockouts. Silva, 134.6 of St. Petersburg, FL is 30-5.

H2O Sylve

On what he wants going forward: “I definitely want to be the best. I think that’s what the majority of the fighters want to be- a world champion.”

On fighting other top fighters in his weight class: “I definitely want to put my name out there. I think after this performance it makes sense, but at the same time I’ll see you when I see you. They are the top guys in the division, so they sort of have the shots now.”

On fighting at AAC in front of a sold out crowd: “It’s always a blessing to fight in front of a crowd and get myself out there and expose myself to a crowd like that. Being comfortable fighting in front of a crowd of, I think they said 20,000 people in attendance. It’s sort of destined for me to be on a big stage and everytime I’m under the lights like that my performance is high class.”

Shadasia Green Decisions Olivia Curry

Top-Ranked super middleweight contender Shadasia Green won a 10-round unanimous decision over Olivia Curry.

Curry had some success early by boxing and moving, but Green took over the second half of the fight as she landed some booming right hands that Curry took but marked up her face.

Green landed 179 of 385 punches. Curry was 99 of 495.

Green, 166.9 lbs of Paterson, NJ won by scores of 100-89, 100-90 and 99-91 and is now 13-0. Curry, 166.7 lbs of Chicago is 7-2.

Alan Sanchez Decisions Angel Beltran

Alan Sanchez scored an eight-round unanimous decision over Angel Beltran in a welterweight bout.

Sanchez landed 149 of 439 punches. Beltran landed 130 of 451.

Sanchez, 147 lbs of Fairfield, CA won by scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75 and is now 23-5-1. Beltran, 144.4 lbs of Indio, CA is 17-2.

Kevin Newman II won a ight-round unanimous decision over Quilisto Madera in a super middleweight bout.

In round two, Madera began to swell under his left eye.

In round seven, Madera was deducted a point for hitting on the break.

Newman, 161.8 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 80-71 and 79-72 twice and is now 15-3-1. Madera, 164.9 lbs of Stockton, CA is 14-4.

Jose Aguayo won a four-round majority decision over Noel Cavazos in a welterweight bout.

In round three, Aguayo was cut over his left eye.

Aguayo, 148.6 lbs of Ventura, CA won by scores of 39-37 twice and 38-38 and is now 1-1. Cavazos, 149.4 lbs of San Ramon, CA is 2-2.

Luciiano Ramos won a four-round unanimous decision over Cee Jay Hamilton in a junior welterweight bout.

Ramos, 140 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG won by scores of 40-36 twice and 39-37 and is now 2-3. Hamilton, 136.9 lbs of Hartwell, GA was making his pro debut.

Alan Sanchez

On the crowd and energy: Yeah, it was great to see a lot of people support. A lot of people from Stockton too come over here and support us. It’s motivating to see a lot of people here.

On getting ready for this fight with Nate as he got ready for a big fight: Well, it’s great, you know, we have a great camp. Everybody’s trained hard. We trained with Robert Garcia, we have good sparring over there. It was a great camp.

Tampa, FL (July 5, 2023) – On Saturday, August 5, lightweight contender Willian “Babyface” Silva meets highly-touted Ashton Sylve at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, TX as part of a DAZN pay per view card headlined by Jake Paul against Nate Diaz.

The card is presented by Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Real Fight Inc (RFI). Headed by Jake Paul, MVP promotes Sylve and believes he’s one of boxing’s next superstars.

A native of Los Angeles, CA, Sylvie’s 9-0 with 8 of his victories coming by knockout. Sylvie, who has a massive following on social media, served as the co-main event to the Jake Paul-Anderson Silva fight October 29, 2022, in Glendale, AZ. With 14,000 fans in attendance and 300,000 watching on pay per view, Sylvie scored a first round knockout of Braulio Santos. In his last bout, Sylvie went the distance for the first time, shutting out Adam Kipenga over eight rounds in Orlando, FL.

Training out of Florida and representing his native Brazil, Silva’s an excellent 30-4 with 16 KO’s. He’s faced the likes of Felix Verdejo, Teofimo Lopez, Arnold Barboza and Cletus Seldin. Since returning to the lightweight division in 2022, Silva’s displayed an aggressive style and scored back-to-back knockouts.

“Sylve is a young and hungry fighter,” said Silva. “He has a good record but I am for sure going to be the toughest opponent he’s faced. I’ve been in with world champions and top contenders, so I know what it’s like at that level. I’ll be well prepared for Sylve and hope he’s ready for August 5.”

Silva’s promoter, Jody Caliguire of Reyes Fire Fist Boxing, believes this high-profile opportunity is perfect for Silva and a victory will lead him to bigger opportunities in the lightweight division.

“Willian’s a better fighter today than when he faced guys like Lopez and Seldin. He’s made drastic changes in camp with his head trainer Jim McLaughlin and is hungrier than ever before. I believe Sylve is a good prospect but he’s biting off more than he can chew against Willian!”

DALLAS – June 28, 2023 – Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Real Fight Inc. (RFI) announced that undefeated lightweight Ashton “H20” Sylve (9-0, 8KOs) will face off with the much more experienced veteran lightweight William “Baby Face” Dos Santos Silva (30-4, 18 KOs) on the Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz pay-per-view card live from the American Airlines Center on August 5th in Dallas, TX. Sylve is coming off a dominating win over Adam Kipenga as the main event of MVP’s inaugural Most Valuable Prospects event, while Silva is fresh off a TKO victory over Diego Gonzalo Luque. The two will take the ring in an action packed eight-round matchup contested at 135 lbs. The Paul vs. Diaz pay-per-view will be distributed globally by DAZN PPV. In the US and Canada in addition to DAZN PPV, Paul vs. Diaz will be available on all major cable and satellite pay-per-view providers. All tickets can be purchased at https://www.ticketmaster.com/mvp-jake-paul-v-nate-diaz-dallas-texas-08-05-2023/event/0C005EA581B12549

Sylve, the first prospect signed by MVP and ESPN Ringside’s 2022 prospect of the year, has knocked out eight of his nine opponents and has not shied away from fighting more experienced names in the ring, leveraging his formidable pound-for-pound power and fast twitch agility to deliver decisive victories in each of his professional bouts. The Long Beach, California native was a gifted amateur who turned pro at 16 with over 100 wins and 10 national titles to his credit. Sylve first rose to fame as an eight-year-old when a training video made by his father, Ivan, went viral, leading to an invite to Floyd Mayweather’s storied gym in Las Vegas.

“It has always been a dream of mine to fight among legends and shine under the brightest lights,” said Ashton Sylve. “MVP has continually given me the opportunity to do so, and I couldn’t be more excited about stepping back into the ring in what promises to be the event of the year. “I’ve been grinding like crazy to get ready for this fight, and trust me, my technique and skills will be on full display on August 5th. Dallas, get ready ’cause I’m coming for you! See you soon!”

Silva, a Brazilian native from Sao Paolo, and current resident of St. Petersburg, FL, holds the impressive title of former WBO Latino welterweight and WBO Latino lightweight champion. In 2016, Silva put his lightweight championship on the line, but was defeated by the powerful Felix Verdejo, but has since won a regional belt for the IBO. Silva continues to fight the best in the game with only four losses in his 17 year career by Verdejo, Arnold Barboza, Cletus Seldin, and two-weight world champion Teofimo Lopez who all had a combined record of 75-1 at the time of their fight against Silva. Silva steps into the ring with Ashton Sylve coming off two straight wins, most recently a TKO against Diego Gonzalo Luque. He is training under Jim McLaughlin, a member of the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame and is promoted by Reyes Boxing and Fire Fist Promotions. 

“There will be fireworks during this fight,” shared William Silva. “I’m fighting for my family and country.”

Most Valuable Promotions, founded by Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, and Real Fight, Inc., founded by Diaz, are partnering to bring Paul vs. Diaz to global audiences. The strategic partnership will combine the star power and international reach of both fighters to promote the year’s biggest fight. The event will be distributed globally by DAZN PPV. In the US and Canada in addition to DAZN PPV, Paul vs. Diaz will be available on all major cable and satellite pay-per-view providers.

“Ashton continues to impress and entertain at such a young age and will bring his unique combination of knockout power and agility to the ring on August 5th,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions. “This fight represents his toughest test to date against a battle tested and dangerous Silva, who has only lost to some of the best fighters in the game. Sylve vs Silva is just one of many thrilling bouts on this card that promises to keep fans in the arena and at home on the edge of their seats, and we are thankful to our partners Real Fight, Inc., DAZN, and the American Airlines Center for their consistent hard work as we continue to build out an unforgettable night.”

For more information, follow on Twitter via @MostVPromotions, @realfightinc, @AshtonSylveh2o, @WillBabyFace, and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @ashtonsylveh2o, @willbabyface, @MostValuablePromotions, and @DAZNBoxing.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions 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 four global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Fury match, which surpassed 800,000 Pay-per-view buys worldwide. 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, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About Real Fight, Inc.

Founded by mixed martial arts legend Nate Diaz, in 2022, Real Fight Inc. promotes exactly what the name suggests — the fights people want to see, featuring the realest fighters from all over the world. Since his departure from the UFC, Diaz is extending his business empire with a true all-around combat experience that will focus on boxing, MMA, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The inaugural event under the Real Fight, Inc. banner is set to take place on August 5, 2023, when Diaz makes his long-awaited professional boxing debut against Jake Paul at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.  The card will also feature RFI fighters, Chris Avila, Alan Sanchez, Jose Aguayo and Luciano Ramos

About DAZN:

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, La Liga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.?

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.?

?

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.?

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to a ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.  

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.??

About American Airlines Center:

Designed by architectural wizard David M. Schwarz and Dallas based HKS, Inc., American Airlines Center is considered one of the nation’s top arenas. Since opening its doors in 2001, the Center has been setting the precedent for sporting and live entertainment events. Bringing in a wide variety of big name shows as well as being home of both the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars, American Airlines Center consistently displays its unique versatility. Billboard Magazine named American Airlines Center the 6th busiest arena in the world in 2022.

NEW YORK, NY – May 25, 2023 – Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced that Adam Kipenga (11-3-1, 7 KOs) will now take on Ashton H2O Sylve in Most Valuable Prospects’ headlining bout for its inaugural event. Kipenga will replace Angel Rebollar who was forced to pull out of the event due to an eye injury. Created to highlight the next generation of the sport’s best male and female athletes, Most Valuable Prospects’ inaugural event will take place this Friday, May 26 live from Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL. DAZN will air Most Valuable Prospects across its platforms as a part of its subscription package and tickets are on sale now at https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/22005E9AD958CFC5.

Kipenga, the southpaw out of Tanzania, began boxing at the age of 13 following in the footsteps of his two older brothers. He has had 40 amateur fights under his belt and holds the title of Tanzania National Champion. The 24-year old lightweight is signed to Reyes Boxing Promotions and is fighting out of Boston, MA. Sylve will go face to face with Kipenga for the first time at the official weigh-ins taking place this Thursday, May 25 at 5pm ET at the Caribe Royale Resort. The faceoff will be streamed live on DAZN Boxing’s YouTube. 

May 26th’s full card includes Kevin Brown vs. Julian Smith as the Co-Main Event fighting for the WBA Super Lightweight Continental Americas Title and a heavyweight battle between two undefeated fighters, Lorenzo Medina and former Cuban National Boxing Team member, Angel Y. Napoles (1-0, 1 KO) who will be replacing Andrey Mangushev. Mangushev had to pull out of the fight due to a hand injury. Napoles is from Miami by way of Camaguey, Cuba and has won gold medals at the Pan-Am Games and the Central American and Caribbean Games. Undefeated two-time national amateur champion Jamar Pemberton will also take on fellow undefeated fighter Bryce Henry in an action-packed four-round middleweight matchup.

YouTube boxing commentator Wade Plemons and Jomboy Media personality Dan Canobbio will be co-commentators for Friday night, while hard-hitting analysis will be provided by retired two-weight-class world champion Paul Malignaggi. Sibley Scoles will serve as the ringside reporter and YouTube boxing and Esports MC Akinola Verissimo will serve as the in-ring announcer. 

The “Most Valuable Prospects” card is produced by Most Valuable Promotions, with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter. The Caribe Royale Resort will be the series’ official title sponsor and host for each event, while DAZN will air Most Valuable Prospects across its platforms as a part of its subscription package. MVP’s co-founder Jake Paul and world-renowned undisputed featherweight world champion Amanda Serrano will be in attendance for the inaugural event. 

For more information, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @MostVPromotions, @DAZNBoxing, @Boxlab_AP, and @cariberoyale or on Instagram via @JakePaul, @MostValuablePromotions, @DAZNBoxing, and @cariberoyaleorlando.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) 

Dedicated to brand building, content creation, promotion, and strategic advisory, Most Valuable Promotions 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. Already making a name for itself in the sport of boxing and the overall industry, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. The promotion company has co-produced and co-promoted all of Paul’s latest matches including both fights against Tyron Woodley and his most recent fight against Anderson Silva, which included a co-headlining bout with MVP’s youngest signed talent, Ashton Sylve. 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. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of 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 a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US, and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.? 

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.?

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.?

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs, and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony, and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.??

About Caribe Royale Orlando Resort

Located just minutes from the Walt Disney World® Resort in the nation’s number one convention and tourist destination, Caribe Royale Orlando is the only AAA Four Diamond all-suite meetings resort in Orlando. A TripAdvisor 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award winner – among just 10 percent of hotels worldwide to receive the distinction – the upscale Caribe Royale is emerging from a $140 million renovation that includes fully remodeling all of its one-bedroom suites, an all-new 50,000-square-foot grand ballroom (bringing the total meeting space to 220,000 square feet), and an inviting new lobby. Being privately-owned, Caribe Royale offers meeting planners faster approval cycles and more flexibility to create stand-out events. To learn more or to book a visit, event or meeting, visit www.cariberoyale.com. Follow the all-suite convention hotel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (@cariberoyale), LinkedIn and Pinterest. #cariberoyaleorlando 

NEW YORK, NY – May 15, 2023 – Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced Most Valuable Prospects’ full fight card and star-studded broadcast team for its inaugural event on Friday, May 26th in Orlando, Florida. In the main event, lightweights Ashton “H20” Sylve (8-0, 8 KOs)and Angel Rebollar (6-2, 3 KOs)will face off alongsidethe newly announced co-main event featuring Kevin Hayler Brown vs. Julian Smith at the Caribe Royale Resort. Brown and Smith will go head-to-head in a 10-round fight contested at 140 lbs. for the WBA Super Lightweight Continental Americas Title.

Produced and promoted by MVP, with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter and distributed by DAZN, Most Valuable Prospects will hold four Friday night events in 2023. The Caribe Royale Resort will be the series’ official title sponsor and host for each event, while DAZN will air Most Valuable Prospects across its platforms as a part of its subscription package. MVP’s co-founder Jake Paul and world-renowned undisputed featherweight world champion Amanda Serrano will be in attendance for the inaugural event. Tickets are now on sale at https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/22005E9AD958CFC5

Providing the crucial play by play for the event will be famed YouTube boxing commentator Wade Plemons alongside co-commentator and Jomboy Media personality Dan Canobbio, current co-host of Inside Boxing Live alongside Chris Algieri. Spearheading the hard-hitting analysis for fans will be retired two-weight-class world champion Paul Malignaggi, one of the most respected on-air analysts in all of boxing, while 2023 NFL Pro Bowl host Sibley Scoles will serve as the ringside reporter, delivering interviews and post-fight discussions bringing the fighters’ unfiltered reactions straight to fans. The in-ring announcer will be YouTube boxing and Esports MC Akinola Verissimo who will announce the main and co-main events, along with the undercard matches.

“We’re thrilled to finally bring fans a series that highlights the future of boxing. Our inaugural event is sure to deliver a night full of high energy matchups and we are incredibly thankful to our broadcast talent for joining us on Friday, May 26th,” said Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “Ashton Sylve, is just 19 and has been a star since we first signed him to MVP last year. We look forward to watching as he spearheads this new series alongside so many other young fighters. Thank you to the Caribe Royale Resort and the city of Orlando for hosting Most Valuable Prospects, and to our distribution partner DAZN for its commitment to delivering high quality events to global audiences.”

“On behalf of the Caribe Royale Resort we’re excited to bring this new series to Orlando,” said Amaury Piedra of Boxlab Promotions. “Caribe Royale is the premier all-suite resort in Orlando and this is another way of bringing entertainment via world class boxing featuring the future of boxing to the guests of the resort and locals as well. Between the combined teams and talent of MVP and Boxlab Promotions we expect this event to just be the first of what will be an exciting series for years to come.”

Viewers at home will see four fights total on the 26^th, with some of the world’s hottest boxing prospects ready to make a name for themselves. The co-main event features a 10-round, WBA Super Lightweight Continental Americas title match as ex-Cuban national boxing team fighter Kevin Hayler Brown (2-0, 2 KOs) of Las Vegas, NV by way of Camaguey, Cuba takes on boxing phenomenon Julian “Quiet Storm” Smith (6-1, 4 KOs) of Country Club Hills, Illinois. Smith, who is deaf, is a Chicago Golden Gloves champion and will be taking on his third consecutive undefeated opponent.

Next on the card is a heavyweight battle between two undefeated warriors as Lorenzo “Giant Killer” Medina (6-0, 6 KOs) will take on Andrey Mangushev (7-0, 5 KOs) in a 6 round heavyweight matchup. Medina, 18, is from Hialeah, Florida and was the 2021 USA Youth National Champion at Super Heavyweight. At 6’2 he is considered a small heavyweight and is taking a major step up in competition vs the dangerous 6’7” Mangushev. Mangushev who hails from Miami by way of Moscow, Russia holds a win over former world champion Alejandro Berrio.

The broadcast opener will feature two-time national amateur champion Jamar Pemberton (4-0, 4 KOs), from Las Vegas by way of St. Louis, MO, who will open the evening in a four-round middleweight matchup against a TBD opponent. Pemberton, a 6’3 southpaw has served as a sparring partner for Brian Mendoza in preparation for his upset KO victory over Sebastian Fundora and is well known for his devastating knockout power.

The fans in attendance at Caribe Royale Resort will also be treated to five additional bouts featuring Tayree Jones (9-0, 6 KOs), Ramiro De Jesus (3-0, 2 KOs) and Omar Rosales (2-0, 2 KOs), alongside Antraveous Ingram (4-0 2KOs) and Giovanni Louis, who is both making his professional debut.

For more information, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @MostVPromotions, @DAZNBoxing, @Boxlab_AP, and @cariberoyale or on Instagram via @JakePaul, @MostValuablePromotions, @DAZNBoxing, and @cariberoyaleorlando.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions 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 four global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Fury match, which surpassed 800,000 Pay-per-view buys worldwide. 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, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of 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 a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US, and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.?  

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.? 

? 

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.? 

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony, and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.    

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.?? 

About Caribe Royale Orlando Resort

Located just minutes from the Walt Disney World® Resort in the nation’s number one convention and tourist destination, Caribe Royale Orlando is the only AAA Four Diamond all-suite meetings resort in Orlando. A TripAdvisor 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award winner – among just 10 percent of hotels worldwide to receive the distinction – the upscale Caribe Royale is emerging from a $140 million renovation that includes fully remodeling all of its one-bedroom suites, an all-new 50,000-square-foot grand ballroom (bringing the total meeting space to 220,000 square feet), and an inviting new lobby. Being privately-owned, Caribe Royale offers meeting planners faster approval cycles and more flexibility to create stand-out events. To learn more or to book a visit, event or meeting, visit www.cariberoyale.com. Follow the all-suite convention hotel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (@cariberoyale), LinkedIn and Pinterest. #cariberoyaleorlando

NEW YORK, NY – April 27, 2023– Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced Most Valuable Prospects – a new boxing series created to highlight the next generation of the sport’s best male and female athletes, who all have world title aspirations.  Promoted by MVP and BoxLab Promotions and distributed by DAZN, Most Valuable Prospects will hold four Friday night events in 2023, offering fans an array of exciting fights with some of the hottest prospects in boxing. The first event will take place on Friday, May 26 live from the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. The Caribe Royale Resort will be the series’ official title sponsor and host for each event, while DAZN has signed on as the series’ official distribution partner, airing Most Valuable Prospects across its platforms as a part of its subscription package. MVP’s co-founder Jake Paul and world renowned undisputed featherweight world champion Amanda Serrano will be in attendance for the inaugural event.

Tickets are now on sale at https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/22005E9AD958CFC5

With a record of 8-0 (8 KO’s), Sylve will headline the first Most Valuable Prospects event and has already impressed fans by knocking out every opponent he has faced, while also being named a 2022 ESPN Ringside Prospect of the Year. In his last bout as the co-main event of Paul vs Silva, Ashton knocked out his opponent in 61 seconds. Sylve embodies the type of young athlete MVP is looking to highlight during the Most Valuable Prospects series.

Sylve will go head to head with 19 year old Angel Rebollar on May 26 in an 8 round Lightweight (135) bout. Rebollar started boxing at the age of seven and is a former US national amateur champion. As a talented young fighter with a current record of 6-2 (3 KO’s), Rebollar is already battle-tested and is set to take on his seventh consecutive undefeated opponent. He trains under his longtime head trainer, Francisco Sandoval and boxes out of Knockouts Boxing Gym in South Gate, CA. 

“Having joined the boxing community in my twenties, I came to realize most professional athletes start training in the ring from the time they can walk,” said Jake Paul, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions. “It’s incredibly important to me and my team that we offer a platform and the tools necessary to help these young boxers achieve the success they’ve been working towards since they were kids. I was lucky enough to have a solid foundation when I entered boxing because of the people supporting me and our goal with Most Valuable Prospects is to give others the same chance, on a global stage. Amanda and I can’t wait to be ringside on May 26 to cheer on Ashton and the rest of the Most Valuable Prospects.” 

“We have a wide array of athletes within the MVP family and our unique ability to market and promote them as individuals proves how different our company truly is,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions. “We have the ability to nurture boxing careers no matter what stage they are in and our goal with this series is to identify and elevate the next generation of boxing icons. We want to help build the future of the sport and believe there is immeasurable potential out there. We are thrilled to partner with Boxlab, Caribe Royale Resort, and DAZN on this new series. We look forward to showcasing hot new prospects in boxing in 2023 and beyond..”

“I couldn’t be more excited to be kicking off the Most Valuable Prospects series on DAZN as the headline main event on May 26th in Orlando. I’ve been training hard and I’m looking forward to putting on an entertaining performance for all my fans,” said Ashton Sylve. 

“DAZN is looking forward to furthering our relationship with MVP and Jake Paul by providing a platform for more young talents to showcase their boxing skills,” said Joe Markowski, CEO of DAZN North America. “The event on May 26th is going to be the first of a series focused on growing the next generation of boxers live on DAZN.”

“On behalf of the Caribe Royale Resort and Boxlab Promotions we’re excited to be a part of this new series on DAZN,” said Amaury Piedra, Managing Director of Caribe Royale Resort and President of Boxlab Promotions. “Since the moment we started discussing the Most Valuable Prospect Series it became apparent that Nakisa, Jake, myself, and our mutual teams were aligned on a vision and had good chemistry. We’re looking forward to featuring the best young boxers in the world in this series in competitive matches to get them the exposure they deserve at this stage of their careers. This is also part of Caribe Royale’s plan to continue to bring world class entertainment to the guests of our resort and Orlando locals as well so it’s a great fit for everyone. We can’t wait for May 26^th!”

For more information, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @MostVPromotions, @DAZNBoxing, @Boxlab_AP, and @cariberoyale or on Instagram via @JakePaul, @MostValuablePromotions, @DAZNBoxing, and @cariberoyaleorlando.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions 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 four global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Fury match, which surpassed 800,000 Pay-per-view buys worldwide. 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, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of 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 a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.?  

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.? 

? 

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.? 

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.    

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.?? 

About Caribe Royale Orlando Resort

Located just minutes from the Walt Disney World® Resort in the nation’s number one convention and tourist destination, Caribe Royale Orlando is the only AAA Four Diamond all-suite meetings resort in Orlando. A TripAdvisor 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award winner – among just 10 percent of hotels worldwide to receive the distinction – the upscale Caribe Royale is emerging from a $140 million renovation that includes fully remodeling all of its one-bedroom suites, an all-new 50,000-square-foot grand ballroom (bringing the total meeting space to 220,000 square feet), and an inviting new lobby. Being privately-owned, Caribe Royale offers meeting planners faster approval cycles and more flexibility to create stand-out events. To learn more or to book a visit, event or meeting, visit www.cariberoyale.com. Follow the all-suite convention hotel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (@cariberoyale), LinkedIn and Pinterest. #cariberoyaleorlando

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Problem Child had a problem.

Had a solution, too.

Jake Paul found his power at a moment when it looked as if defeat was imminent, knocking down MMA legend Anderson Silva Saturday night in the final round of a closely-contested cruiserweight fight on Showtime pay-per-view at Desert Diamond Arena.

The knockdown, scored by  short right hand, was timely and critical to a Paul victory that is sure to generate some controversy. Paul (6-0, 4 KOs) was awarded a unanimous decision. 

Judge PaulCalderon scored it 77-74. Chris Wilson and Dennis O’Connell both had 78-73, all for Paul, the celebrity fighter, who is more of social-media phenomenon than he is proven prospect. 

The scorecard margins were big enough that Paul would have won even without the knockdown. But the first seven rounds appeared to favor Silva (3-2, 2 KOs), a 47-year-old Brazilian who was fighting as a boxer for only fifth time in his storied career.

“They’re going to find something to say,” Paul said. ” ‘Fight a real boxer.’ I tried. If I were walking on water, people would say that I can’t swim. There’s always going to be haters. There’s always going to be critics. It’s an everyday part of life if you’re doing something and being successful. I don’t worry about it.”

The argument with this decision will start with Silva’s hands. They were quicker. They were more precise. According to a ringside computer, Silva’s landed 31 percent of his punches. Paul landed 25 percent. Yet, Silva didn;t argue with the decision

“That’s the game,” Silva said. “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But nothing will change in my life. I’ll continue training hard because I’m born for this. Now, I go back home, continue training and see the next challenge.

“I think the judges got it right. Listen, it’s tough to come inside here and fight a young kid. I tried to do my best. I trained hard every day. Jake is better than me today. I don’t have anything bad to say about my opponent. I think everybody needs to respect this kid because he’s doing the best job.

The fight began with Paul doing what he does best. First he mugged for the cameras. Then, he stuck out his tongue. The show was underway. It’s what he didn’t do that suggested he might be in for a tough night. He kept his hands low and himself in peril.

Silva noticed. So, too, did just about everybody in a roaring crowd of 14,430 patrons. Paul was there, his face a moving target. It was an invitation to attack and Silva did. He rocked Paul with a left hook in the first round. He rocked him again in the second. Paul’s face began to show redness near both eyes. He looked surprised.

In the third, he began to look for a single knockout punch. Mostly, he would lunge and miss. But there were signs that the middle-aged Silva had begun to slow down. Paul was getting closer with every lunge, although Silva repeatedly mounted an assault during the closing seconds of every round.

In the eighth, however, he slowed down just enough for Paul to land a critical shot. It didn’t win the fight. On the scorecards, Paul had already won. But it gave him an argument in a scorecard controversy sure to continue.

Paul knows that. For him, there’s always another controversy.So, he moved on to the next one.

“This is just the start,” Paul said. “I want Nate Diaz. Canelo (Alvarez), you too. You guys said, ‘You can’t beat a striker, you can’t beat a legend like Anderson Silva.’ I just did it. 

“So, why can’t I beat Canelo?”
Trying to explain why he can’t is, well, just another Problem.

Ashton Sylve scores first-round stoppage

Ashton Sylve calls himself H2O. Maybe that’s because water has its own force. Once it starts moving, it can’t be stopped.

So far, neither can Sylve (8-0, 8 KOs).

It took the 18-year-old lightweight from Long Beach Calif. exactly 61 seconds to stop Braulio Rodriguez (20-5, 17 KOs), of the Dominican Republic, Saturday in the last fight before Jake Paul and Anderson Silva took center stage at Desert Diamond Arena .

One Sylve punch hit Rodriguez. A sudden left hit put Rodriguez down. Rodriguez slammed hs fist onto the canvas in frustration. Then, he tried to get up. But his sense of balance was gone. He stumbled one way and then another. It was over, Sylve a stoppage winner at 1:01 of the first round

Santiago wins rematch, Nieves quits after seventh round

It was dull. Decisive, too.

Mexican bantamweight Alejandro Santiago fought deliberately and did what he said would, forcing Antonio Nieves to quit after seven rounds in a rematch of their 2016 draw Saturday night at Desert Diamond Arena.

Santiago (27-3-5, 14 KOs) threw body shots while moving in and out tirelessly. Nieves (20-4-2, 11 KOs) never seemed to counter in any way. He simply wore out in a fight that Santiago promised would not go to the scorecards.

Le’Veon Bell runs into debut defeat

Former NFL running back Le’Veon Bell said a few days before his pro debut that boxing was tougher than football.

“In the ring, you’ve got no teammates,” he said.

Moments into his first pro fight Saturday at Desert Diamond Casino, Bel looked around as though he missed those teammates. Retired UFC star Uriah Hall, making his boxing debut at heavyweight, rocked him around like a linebacker. He landed jabs and body shots. At the end of the third, Bell looked stunned. He looked as if he needed a back-up.

But this is boxing. No backups and no breathers. For Bell, there was only a tough loss by unanimous decision, 40-36 on all three cards. 

Dr. Mike loses pro debut

Diagnosis: Mismatch

Dr. Mike Varshavski quickly discovered that the sweet science isn’t the medical science.

The practicing physician from New York got rocked repeatedly by a tough Chris Avila, who staggered  the good doctor with  right hooks and then stinging left hands Saturday on the first pay-per-view fight on Jake Paul-Anderson Silva card at Dester Diamond Casino..

Repeatedly, Avila (2-1), a cruiserweight from Stockton Calif., flashed menacing smiles at Varshavski. Every smile seemed to say: Welcome to my world.

In the end, Avila won a unanimous decision, 40-36 on all three cards. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Dr. Varshavski would fight again as a pro. He donated his entire purse, $175,000, to the Harlem Boys and Girl Club 

Jeremiah Milton silences the boos 

A stoppage was the only way to silence the boos.

Jeremiah Milton (7-0, 6 KOs) delivered it, a multi-punch silencer that turned boos into cheers with a fifth-round stoppage Quintin Sumpter (5-1, 4 KOs) in a heavyweight fight, the final bout Saturday before Showtime’s pay-per-view telecast of a card featuring Jake Paul-Anderson Silva at Desert Diamond Arena.

A growing crowd grew increasingly restless with Sumpter’s early tactics. Sumpter, of Pittsfield MA, would dance, mix in an occasional punch and then dance away. By the fourth, the crowd lost its patience. Boos filled the arena. In the fifth, Milton, of Las Vegas, finished it with successive punches to the temple that put Sumpter on the canvas. When got back onto his feet, he stumbled. At 39 seconds of the round, it was over — Milton a TKO winner. 

Shadasia Green marches on to an 11-0 record

Shadasia Green, tireless and powerful, continued on her march forward.

This time, Ogleidis Suarez was in her way. But not for long. 

Green (11-0, 10 KOs), a feared super-middleweight from Paterson NJ, walked her down and was about to walk all over her Venezuelan opponent until Suarez corner was left with only one reasonable option: Surrender.

Green was declared the winner after Suarez (3–5-1, 14 KOs) decided not to come out of her corner for the fifth round of a fight on the non-televised part of the Paul-Silva card.

Glendale’s Danny Flores wins sixth-round stoppage

It was a cross-town battle, Glendale’s Danny Flores against Phoenix rival Edgar Ortiz Jr..

Score one for Glendale.

Actually, the aggressive Flores (11-0, 3 KOs) scored often, rocking Ortiz (8-4-2, 4 KOs) repeatedly late in the third round and again in fourth and fifth of junior-featherweight bout on the non-televised portion of the Paul-Silva card. Early in the sixth, the unbeaten Flores applied the finisher, overwhelming a tiring Ortiz with a wave of punches. It was over, Flores a TKO winner, at 30 seconds of the sixth

Glendale junior-featherweight wins unanimous decision 

Adrian Rodriguez grew up within a couple miles of Desert Diamond Arena. He has walked around it. He’s done road work around it.

Saturday, he won in it.

Rodriguez (3-0), a young-junior featherweight, employed quick feet and quicker hands, scoring a one-side decision over Dominique Griffin (4-3-1, 2 KOs) of Irving,TX in a four rounder, the second bout on the Jake Paul-Anderson featured card. It was a shutout, 40-36,  on all three scorecards.

First Bell: Eliezer Silva opens Paul-Silva show with quick stoppage

It began with only echoes.

Los Angeles junior-middleweight Eliezer Silva (2-0, 1 KO) stated it off, landing a big punch that created a lot of echoes in an empty Desert Diamond Arena Saturday afternoon on the non-televised part of the Showtime pay-per-view card featuring Jake–Anderson Silva.

Silva caught Anthony Hannah, who had dropped his hands, leaving himself wide open for the shot that ended the matinee bout. Hannah (3-5, 2 KOs), of Augusta GA, crashed onto the canvas, prompting the referee to end it at 1:57 of the second round. 

LONG BEACH, CALIF. – October 20, 2022 – Surrounded by family and reminders of his loved ones, Ashton “H2O” Sylve showed off the skills that have made him one of the sport’s most highly touted prospects during a workout in front of Southern California media on Wednesday. The training session was a warmup act before Sylve, the youngest prospect signed by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, faces Braulio Rodriguez of the Dominican Republic in an eight-round lightweight bout in the co-feature of the Paul vs. Anderson Silva pay-per-view on Saturday October 29 at Desert Diamond Arena (formerly Gila River Arena) in Glendale, Ariz., just outside of Phoenix.

The Paul vs. Silva event is co-produced by Most Valuable Promotions and SHOWTIME PPV^®  and is available now for purchase in the United States at SHOWTIME.com/ppv and via the SHOWTIME^® app for a suggested retail price of $59.95 (SRP). Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com. The official promo for the event was inspired by the 1983 cult classic Scarface and is available to watch and share HERE. 

Sylve (7-0, 7 KOs) entertained media at the JackRabbit Boxing Academy in Long Beach, Calif., on Wednesday under the direction of his father and trainer, Ivan Sylve as they prepared to face the big-swinging Rodriguez (20-4, 17 KOs).

The 18-year-old Sylve’s affection for his family was on full display on Wednesday – from the presence of his father to the way Sylve honors his late great grandmother, who died in September and shared a close bond with Sylve. Her name, Elzina Marie Strauss, is inscribed on Sylve’s shoes and he trains to the steady tempo of her favorite old school R&B songs, as he did on Wednesday to Anita Baker’s soulful ballads. Another reminder of his love for family came in the form of his baby sister, who gamely tried to emulate her big brother as he jumped rope and shadow-boxed in the ring. 

Here is what Ashton and Ivan Sylve had to say on Wednesday:

ASHTON SYLVE

“It feels great to fight on the same card as Jake Paul. I finally get to showcase my skills on a big platform in front of everyone. I plan to continue my winning streak, hopefully by knockout. I feel like Rodriguez doesn’t have the same conditioning as me. I’m cut from a different breed.

How have you been preparing to face a more-experienced fighter?

“I’ve been training to fight 12 rounds since I started boxing, so it’s nothing new. I’m just gaining awareness of certain tendencies my opponent has and that’s the main thing we’re preparing for.

“I’ve been stepping up the competition since I started boxing. I started at 16, so that was a big step right there. This fight is keeping me on the right track. I feel like we found our preferred opponent, so that will keep me moving in the right direction.

“On the back of my shoes is my great-grandmother’s name with the date she was born and the date she passed away. She took care of me, my friends, and the entire neighborhood. She was a huge part of our family and working out to the music she enjoyed listening to has been extra motivation for me.

“For me, when I’m away from family, it’s a distraction. Family is everything. When I’m working out with my little sister, it makes training fun and motivating.”

IVAN SYLVE

“Ashton’s skills and poise set him apart. He’s not like any other young fighter. He takes his time and does not rush for a knockout; he lets it come. We know what he can do, and his performance on October 29 will prove that to the world. He will answer everyone’s unanswered questions on the world stage.

“Finding balance as a father and trainer started off rough because, of course, as a dad you want the best for your kids. When Ashton was young, it got overwhelming for him because I would take it home. We studied film and talked about things that he messed up on and things he could improve on. At one point, he really didn’t have a childhood because it was boxing, boxing, boxing. Around the age of eight or nine, he told me he wanted to quit because he was overwhelmed and tired of me yelling at him. So, I listened, and we came to a compromise. I told him I would change up if he did not quit, because we’re not quitters. We train at the gym, and I promised to leave it at the gym. Then, when we get home, it’s dad time.”

# # #

ABOUT PAUL VS. SILVA

International superstar and serial risk-taker Jake “The Problem Child” Paul will face the biggest challenge of his career when he takes on UFC legend and accomplished boxer Anderson “The Spider” Silva in an eight-round bout at a catchweight of 187 pounds on Saturday, October 29 in a Most Valuable Promotions event live on SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from Desert Diamond Arena, just outside of Phoenix, Ariz. In undercard action, teenage sensation Ashton Sylve will put his knockout streak on the line against Braulio Rodriguez in an eight-round lightweight bout contested at 133 pounds. Top 118-pound contenders and former world title challengers Alexandro “El Peque” Santiago and Antonio “Carita” Nieves will meet again in a 10-round rematch of their exciting 2016 showdown. Elite UFC striker Uriah Hall and former NFL star running back Le’Veon Bell will make their pro debuts in a four-round cruiserweight bout contracted at 195 pounds. In addition, Chris Avila, a disciple of UFC superstar Nate Diaz, will square off against “Doctor Mike” Varshavski, a board-certified family physician and social media influencer, in a four-round cruiserweight bout contracted at 185 pounds.

GLENDALE, ARIZ. – October 5, 2022 – Ashton “H20” Sylve, Most Valuable Promotion’s teenage sensation and one of boxing’s most exciting prospects, promised to make it “eight KOs in eight fights” during a virtual press conference on Wednesday alongside his upcoming opponent Braulio Rodriguez, who vowed to continue the recent string of success for Dominican boxers in the sport. Sylve vs. Rodriguez takes place Saturday, October 29 from Desert Diamond Arena (formerly Gila River Arena) in Glendale, Ariz., just outside of Phoenix, live on SHOWTIME PPV^® in a Most Valuable Promotions event.

Also speaking with the media to preview their October 29 showdown were two of the sport’s most intriguing newcomers, combat sports veteran and Nate Diaz disciple Chris Avila and his opponent, “Dr. Mike” Varshavski, a board-certified family physician and social media influencer with nearly 23 million followers.  Avila, a veteran of both the UFC and BELLATOR, hopes that a strong performance against Varshavski can lead to more opportunities against top boxers while “Dr. Mike” shed light on his motivation behind making his pro boxing debut and revealed that he will be donating his entire fight purse to the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem in New York City.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com.

Here is what the fighters had to say on Wednesday:

ASHTON SYLVE

“We came together as a team to figure out what opponent is best for my career path. I don’t want to rush anything. I’m only 18 years old so I don’t want to put anything past the speed that we’re going but we all felt like this is a great step-up fight. Every fighter that I’ve fought was a step-up. This fight will let me showcase my talents and show that I am built for this.

“The message that I’m trying to send is that I’m built for this and that I’ve been groomed for this since the amateurs where I was going overseas and fighting different kinds of fighters and doing everything that has led to where I am now. That message will be sent on October 29.

“The knockout streak will definitely continue. That’s what I’m looking forward to. I’m not going in there with the mindset that I will take him out in the first round but if it comes, it comes. But yes, the streak will continue.

“Rodriguez is an experienced fighter. He knows different techniques. But at the end of the day, I think he is low-key a sloppy fighter. He’s a sloppy and dirty fighter from what I saw from the Ryan Garcia fight. But we will see on October 29.

“This is something I’ve dreamed of my entire life so of course this is going to be big. This is just my eighth fight and being on this platform will put me in the next stage and show everyone who H20 is.

“Jake Paul is a great guy. He is teaching me both the game of boxing and outside of boxing. He’s more like a brother to me. Promotion wise, you see where I’m at and where Amanda [Serrano] is at so those are examples right there.

“I don’t feel any pressure at all being on this stage. I’ve been in the spotlight since I was eight years old. I was recognized by Floyd at an early age. I don’t think there is any pressure from here on out. I’ve been dealing with this type of stuff with my family and friends and the city of Long Beach so stuff like this doesn’t bring any pressure to me.

“I envision the fight as me knocking him out. I don’t see myself on the other side of the table. I respect him of course. But the other side of respect is being earned, so he has to earn it by showing up. For him to fight back, that’s a great thing because I feel like my other opponents didn’t bring the type of pressure he is about to bring so it’s going to be an exciting fight. I can’t wait.

“I always want to put on a phenomenal performance first and foremost, rather than just focusing on having a knockout. But I’m not overlooking him and I believe that breaking him down will be the key to success in this fight. If I break him down, sooner or later the knockout will come.”

BRAULIO RODRIGUEZ

“This is going to be a great fight. It’s going to come down to who takes care of the details best and who is the most ready to fight when the time comes. The goal is to give the fans a great fight and to show that I am here to stay.

“I feel like it’s night and day compared to when I fought against Ryan Garcia – I underestimated him. I didn’t prepare the way I should have. I only had eleven days to prepare for that fight, but that’s not an excuse. I know that I was punished for overlooking how dangerous Garcia could be. Now I’m more mature. I’m ready to show the world best version of myself.  I’m not going to make the same mistake twice. I’m taking Sylve very seriously.

“Ashton can say whatever he wants, but I do agree with him that this fight isn’t going to reach the judges. It’s going to be do-or-die. You knock me out or I knock you out. I know what I’m doing inside the ring, and I know exactly what I have to do to come out victorious in this fight. I see your confidence and I see what you’re saying, but let’s see what happens inside the ring on October 29. The rest is just talk.

“When it comes to the Ryan Garcia fight, I was not in the proper shape. I overlooked the fight and underestimated Garcia and I paid the price. I’ve also won plenty of fights by knockout. I shouldn’t be defined by just that one loss. I’m in a new stage of my life where I feel at peace and I’m in great physical and mental shape right now. Ashton Sylve is a great opponent and we’re going to put on a great show. When it comes time to show my worth, trust me, I’m going to show that I am willing and able to show that I am the real deal.

“Dominican boxing is on fire right now. My compatriot Edwin De Los Santos was an underdog against Jose Valenzuela and he came out with the win. Alberto Puello and Hector Garcia were great and proved why they are champions. I hope that I can join that club now by proving that I am a quality fighter. With all due respect to Sylve, I’m a professional fighter who has a lot of talent. I know what I can do and I hope to continue the Dominican line of success and make everybody proud.

“My strategy is focused on Ashton’s inexperience because he has never fought against somebody of my quality or my experience. Put the Ryan Garcia fight aside and I have a 95 percent knockout rate. 18 out of 20. Ashton, don’t get cocky. If you do, then boxing and life will surprise you in ways that you least expect. I have firsthand experience in that given how I underestimated that Ryan Garcia fight. My experience can be the deciding factor in this fight.

“I just want to win and don’t care whether it’s by knockout or decision. I respect Ashton a lot and know that he has tremendous talent. I know that it’s not going to be easy, but I’m going in there like it’s do-or-die. I’m going to have my arm raised in the end and I don’t care how.”

CHRIS AVILA

“I’m excited to fight on this card against a good opponent. I’m ready to showcase that I’m a real boxer and I’m just happy to be able to fight on such a good card. I’m excited to go out there and put on a good show for everybody.

“I do believe Dr. Mike is playing a dangerous game. I’m not overlooking anybody. It’s a dangerous game. It’s the fight game, so I’m ready.

“I think this is just the next step that’s going to line me up for better fights that I want and deserve. I plan on fighting real competition and real boxers after this fight. I want to get back to facing real competition, but I’ll fight anybody at the end of the day. Why not take this fight?

“I saw a little bit of his fight against [iDubbbz]. I’m sure he’s got a little bit of a skillset. I’m taking him seriously.

“I plan to go in there and look for the finish like I always do. It’s whatever. I don’t care about what anybody says. We’re boxing. I believe in myself and believe I can do whatever I want.

“There’s no extra pressure because people expect me to win and knock him out. I take my stuff very seriously. I’m taking this fight, going to get it done, and then I want to line myself up for a real fight after this and get back to fighting high-level competition. I’m not overlooking this guy at all, though. I’m taking him seriously. I want to get in there with a vet, somebody like Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. I was in talks to fight him a while back and I would like to get in there with him.

“I’ve been fighting real fighters my whole career. I’ll fight anybody. Whoever wants to fight me, what’s up? I ain’t tripping.

“I just want to show the boxing world that I’m a real boxer. I’ve been in the game for a while. It’s just the beginning for me. I’m always going to be fighting. I’m still young. I still have a lot in me. It’s just the beginning.”

“DR. MIKE” VARSHAVSKI

“I’m extremely excited to be a part of this event and to be on SHOWTIME Pay-Per-View. It’s obviously a dream for any fighter and I realize the blessing and opportunity I have in front of me, so I’ve been working extremely hard with my coaches and making sure I’m putting in the valuable work while maintaining my day job as a physician.

“I do suspend that Hippocratic oath of do no harm when I step into the ring, but I respect the fight game. I have incredible respect for Chris Avila and the work he’s put in as a combat veteran. When I was younger, I would frequently throw around words that this fighter is not that good or this fighter is amazing or this fighter is a bum, but being in the fight game to the small degree that I am now, I realize the work that all fighters put in, so I have tremendous respect for everyone that steps into the ring.

“Twenty-three million followers, in a very successful day job — I’m doing this to inspire people to reach their full potential. I’m trying to lead by example to show you should take on challenges when it’s a challenge you feel you can accomplish, and this is something I’ve always wanted to take on.

“I fell in love with boxing 11 or 12 years ago when my mom passed away and I was really struggling to find ways to stay active and healthy and boxing became a passion of mine. I was doing it for fitness, which is what I recommend to my viewers. Not everyone has to step into the ring to enjoy what boxing can deliver, but over the last year or two I’ve been training very hard and sparring with amateurs and professionals. I understand this isn’t a game. I know that people can get really hurt. I’m not only a boxer but I’m also a doctor at the end of the day, so I know the dangers involved with stepping into the ring.

“This is my pro debut. I had an exhibition fight earlier this year that was comfortable and now I’m drastically stepping up the quality of opponent that I’m going to be competing against. Chris is a veteran in the fight game, he’s never been knocked out, he’s a tough guy, he comes from a tough training background. I didn’t want to go in and have an easy fight and fight other YouTubers that didn’t have any training or experience. If I want to do this for real, I need to see what it’s like and this was a great opportunity, so I’m grateful for Chris for giving me this opportunity.

“In May I stepped into a main event that was sold out with over 100,000 pay-per-view buys. I did quite well. It was a five-round fight. The judges gave me every round. The quality of the competition — I felt I could handle more. It would be cool to fight YouTubers if it was about raising clout, making money. That’s not what this is about for me. In fact, I’m donating my entire fight purse to the Harlem Boys & Girls Club of New York. This is a challenge that I set for myself and that I take quite seriously.

“I’m confident going into this fight because of my coach, Thomas Baldwin, who has really guided me on this journey. What’s interesting about this relationship is that even though he’s been training me for 10 years, I take care of his family as their physician. He entrusts me with their lives, so I then entrust my life to him. He believes I’m ready, so I believe I’m ready.

“To me this is about reaching the top of my potential, which is something I tell all my viewers to do, and I get a lot of joy inside that ring. I can’t imagine doing something else right now. Despite the fact I’m working two or three days a week in the hospital, filming two and three days a week for the YouTube channel, just launched a new podcast with a new guest Steve-O, coming out next week that I’m really excited about – I still continue training twice a day, six days a week, just like any other professional, making sure I eat right, and making sure I rest. It’s just a true passion and I truly want to give my one last shot before I age out of competitive fitness.

“The game of life is inherently dangerous. Whatever we choose to do — whether it’s crossing the street, driving to work, taking an airplane, skydiving, there’s inherent risks all around us. The goal as a doctor is to balance those risks with enjoyment of life and for me this is a risk that is calculated and that I’m willing to take for the passion of the sport. And to be frank, I’m not going to be a boxer for 10-15 years and take punishment. If I do this, it will be for the next few years as a really strong passion of mine and to see how far I can go. So, this is a risk that I’ve calculated well for my family and friends.” 

#          #          #

ABOUT PAUL VS. SILVA

International superstar and serial risk-taker Jake “The Problem Child” Paul will face the biggest challenge of his career when he takes on UFC legend and accomplished boxer Anderson “The Spider” Silva in an eight-round bout at a catchweight of 187 pounds on Saturday, October 29 in a Most Valuable Promotions event live on SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from Desert Diamond Arena, just outside of Phoenix, Ariz. In undercard action, teenage sensation Ashton Sylve will put his knockout streak on the line against Braulio Rodriguez in an eight-round lightweight bout contested at 133 pounds. Chris Avila, a disciple of UFC superstar Nate Diaz, will square off against “Doctor Mike” Varshavski, a board-certified family physician and social media influencer, in a four-round cruiserweight bout contracted at 185 pounds. 

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, follow #PaulSilva, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @ShowtimeBoxing and @MostVpromotions, on Instagram via @JakePaul, @ShowtimeBoxing and @MostValuablePromotions or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

NEW YORK – September 20, 2022 – One of boxing’s most exciting prospects, Ashton “H20” Sylve and two of its most intriguing newcomers, Chris Avila and Mikhail “Doctor Mike” Varshavski highlight the SHOWTIME PPV undercard on Saturday, October 29 (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) headlined by Jake “The Problem Child” Paul vs. UFC legend Anderson “The Spider” Silva at formerly Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., just outside Phoenix. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com.

Teenage sensation Sylve (7-0, 7 KOs) will increase his level of competition and put his knockout streak on the line against durable Braulio Rodriguez (20-4, 17 KOs) of the Dominican Republic in an eight-round lightweight bout contested at 133 pounds. Avila, a disciple of UFC superstar Nate Diaz, will look to make a statement against “Dr. Mike” Varshavski, a board-certified family physician and social media influencer with nearly 23 million followers. Their four-round cruiserweight bout is contracted at 185 pounds.

The first prospect signed by MVP, Sylve of Long Beach, Calif., has stopped all his opponents in four rounds or less, demonstrating hair-trigger reflexes. The 18-year-old recently knocked out Giovanni Gutierrez in the first round of his MVP debut at lightweight in May. He fought three times in 2021 and twice thus far in 2022. A gifted amateur who turned pro at 16 with over 100 wins and 10 national titles to his credit, Sylve first rose to fame as an eight-year-old when a training video made by his father, Ivan, went viral, leading to an invite to Floyd Mayweather’s storied gym in Las Vegas. 

“This is a dream come true and I’m really excited for the opportunity to put on a spectacular performance on SHOWTIME Pay-Per-View,” Sylve said. “This is my toughest opponent yet and I’ve been training hard. I’m looking forward to introducing the world to H2O on October 29th.”

Sylve is facing an experienced opponent in Rodriguez, who has scored knockouts in all but three of his wins thanks to an aggressive, swing for the fences style. When he’s lost, it has come against top-flight opposition. Rodriguez has shared the ring with lightweight contender Ryan Garcia and title challenger Christopher Diaz. He dropped a split decision to then undefeated prospect Alberto Mercado and a unanimous decision to then unbeaten Carlos Diaz, the first blemish of his career after scoring 15-straight knockouts to start his pro campaign.

“I’ve fought on big stages before and I’m going to take full advantage of this great opportunity to show fans what I’m capable of,” Rodriguez said. “I’m thankful for this chance. October 29^th can’t come soon enough.”

A veteran of both the UFC and Bellator, Chris Avila (1-1 as a boxer) has made the walk for 17 professional fights and has never been stopped or hurt during his time in the cage and ring. Making his second appearance on a Jake Paul card, the 28-year-old Stockton, Calif., native is an everyday training partner of Nate Diaz, and signature member of the Nick Diaz Army. As was the case in Tampa, Fla., when Avila beat Anthony Taylor in a super middleweight boxing match last December, Diaz and more than 40 members of the Nick Diaz Army will once again be present for Avila when he takes on “Dr. Mike.” With a reputation as an aggressive fighter, Avila’s calling card overhand right landed him two first round KOs in 2021 in MMA fights, and a 3-0 combat sports record for the year. 

“Hmmmm, let’s see. I am giving him a height advantage, a reach advantage and a medical degree advantage,” Avila said. “It’s whatever though. If he wants to go to boxing fantasy camp, then I’m glad to give him the lesson he wants. A real fight against a real fighter who is not here to play games or clout chase for Instagram.”

It’s a good bet Avila has never faced anyone with a bedside manner like “Dr. Mike” Varshavski. Voted “Sexiest Doctor Alive” by People Magazine, the 6-3 Varshavski will attempt to prescribe a steady diet of right hands to Avila in his pro boxing debut. A fitness nut with over 10 million subscribers to his YouTube channel, “Dr. Mike” bloodied and battered YouTube personality Ian “iDubbbz” Washburn this past May in the main event of Creator Clash to walk away with a victory in the exhibition bout. If “Dr. Mike” puts forth a similar effort on October 29, the prognosis could be grim for Avila. “Dr. Mike” donated his entire purse in May to help relief efforts in Ukraine and plans to donate his purse on October 29 to a Boys & Girls Club of NYC.

“As a practicing physician, I’ve taken an oath to ‘do no harm,’ but when those ‘exam’ gloves come off and the boxing gloves slide on, all bets are off,” Dr. Varshavski said. “With one win under my belt, I’m hungry to add more. And this pro fight with Chris Avila could be just what the doctor ordered.”

The Paul vs. Silva event is co-produced by SHOWTIME PPV and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), a company founded by Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. Holden Boxing will be the licensed promoter of the event, and Paul and Bidarian will serve as executive producers for the event. The pay-per-view telecast is produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV. 

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.  

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @ShowtimeBoxing and @MostVpromotions, on Instagram via @JakePaul, @ShowtimeBoxing and @MostValuablePromotions or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

NEW YORK – July 21, 2022 – Two of boxing’s most exciting prospects, Ashton “H20” Sylve and Brandun Lee, will highlight the SHOWTIME PPV undercard on Saturday, August 6 (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) co-headlined by Jake “The Problem Child” Paul vs. Hasim Rahman Jr. and Amanda “Real Deal” Serrano vs. Brenda Carabajal live from Madison Square Garden. Tickets are on sale and available at www.msg.com.

Teenage sensation,18-year-old Sylve (7-0, 7 KOs), and knockout artist Lee (25-0, 22 KOs) will make their SHOWTIME PPV and Madison Square Garden debuts against stern competition. Sylve, of Long Beach, Calif., will face the durable Braulio Rodriguez of the Dominican Republic in an eight-round lightweight bout, while the 23-year-old Lee, of La Quinta, Calif., will face Will Madera in a 10-round super lightweight bout opening the pay-per-view telecast.

Sylve, the first prospect signed by MVP, is facing an experienced opponent in Rodriguez, who is 20-4 and has scored knockouts in all but three of his victories thanks to his aggressive and big-swinging style. When he’s lost, it has come against top-flight opposition. Rodriguez has shared the ring with lightweight contender Ryan Garcia and title challenger Christopher Diaz. He dropped a split decision to then undefeated prospect Alberto Mercado and surrendered a unanimous decision to then unbeaten Carlos Diaz –the first blemish of his career after scoring 15-straight knockouts to start his pro campaign.

In Sylve, Rodriguez is facing an elite talent. The undefeated teenage sensation has stopped all of his opponents in four rounds or less, demonstrating hair-trigger reflexes, high boxing IQ and heavy hands. He recently knocked out Giovanni Gutierrez in the first round in May in his MVP debut at lightweight. He fought three times in 2021 and twice thus far in 2022. A gifted amateur who turned pro at 16 with over 100 wins and 10 national titles, Sylve first entered the public consciousness as an eight-year-old when a training video made by his father, Ivan, went viral and led to an invite to Floyd Mayweather’s famed gym in Las Vegas. 

Lee is also no stranger to turning heads with his athletic achievements. The winner of 15 of his last 16 fights by knockout, Lee has shown both one-punch power and the ability to outbox his opponents. He recently dominated tough veteran Zachary Ochoa in April and has quickly established himself as a force at 140 pounds. The child of a Mexican mother and Korean father, Lee has emerged as a vocal spokesperson for the Asian-American community.

Trained by his father Bobby, Lee has kept up a busy schedule, fighting four times in 2020, three times in 2021 and now twice in 2022. He was also an accomplished amateur, going an estimated 195 amateur fights with only five losses and capturing gold at the prestigious 2015 U.S. Junior National Championships at 145 pounds.

Co-headlining the night of action on August 6 are Paul (5-0, 4 KOs) and Rahman Jr. (12-1, 6 KOs), who will meet after erupting during the July 12 kick-off press conference over who was the better man during sparring sessions they had in 2020. The son of the former two-time heavyweight champion, Rahman Jr. had approximately 100 amateur fights and has trained under boxing sages like Emanuel Steward, Calvin Ford and now Yoel Judah, father and trainer of the former two-division world champion Zab Judah. Rahman Jr. is undisputedly the first full-fledged boxer that Paul has faced. 

The Sports Illustrated 2021 Breakout Boxer of the Year, Paul is coming off one of the best knockouts of last year when he demolished Tyron Woodley in the sixth round with a perfectly placed right hand that went viral and was the No. 1 trending video worldwide on YouTube following their December 18 bout. A YouTube star and influencer-turned-pro boxer, the Cleveland native, who is just 25 and started his pro boxing journey in January 2020, is fighting out of Puerto Rico under the tutelage of Danny Smith and B.J. Flores.

The other half of the dual main event features seven-division women’s champion Serrano, (42-2-1, 30 KOs) of Brooklyn, who will defend her featherweight titles against Argentina’sCarabajal (18-5-1, 9 KOs) in a 10-round dual main event. Serrano made history in April when she and Katie Taylor were the first women to headline a main event at MSG in a lightweight bout. Now she returns to her natural weight in front of her hometown fans.

The Paul vs. Rahman Jr. and Serrano vs. Carabajal event is co-produced by SHOWTIME PPV and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), a company founded by Paul and Nakisa Bidarian.  Holden Boxing will be the licensed promoter of the event and Paul and Bidarian will serve as executive producers for the event. The pay-per-view telecast is produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV. 

SHOWTIME SPORTS^® will bring fans behind the scenes and inside the ropes with its Emmy^® Award-winning series ALL ACCESS. ALL ACCESS: PAUL VS. RAHMAN will premiere on Saturday, July 30 at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT with ALL ACCESS EPILOGUE premiering on Saturday, August 13. 

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @ShowtimeBoxing and @MostVpromotions on Instagram via @JakePaul, @ShowtimeBoxing and @MostValuablePromotions or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.  

EW YORK – July 8, 2022 – SHOWTIME SPORTS^® and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced that international superstar Jake “The Problem Child” Paul will dramatically step up his level of competition when he faces heavy-handed Hasim Rahman Jr., son of the legendary former two-time heavyweight world champion Hasim Rahman, on Saturday, August 6 live on SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from Madison Square Garden in New York City in a cruiserweight bout scheduled for eight rounds. Tickets will go on sale July 12 at 1 p.m. ET and can be purchased at www.msg.com. 

Paul and Rahman Jr. will go face-to-face for the first time since the announcement of the fight at a press conference on Tuesday, July 12 at 1 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden to preview their highly anticipated showdown. Amanda “Real Deal” Serrano will be in attendance as well to address her upcoming Unified Featherweight World Title defense against power-punching Argentine Brenda “La Pumita” Carabajal co-headlining the event on August 6. The press conference will stream live on the SHOWTIME SPORTS YouTube channel and Jake Paul’s YouTube channel.

Rounding out the SHOWTIME PPV undercard are separate bouts involving two of the sport’s most exciting and rapidly rising prospects. Unbeaten knockout artist Brandun Lee (25-0, 22 KOs) and quick-fisted Ashton Sylve (7-0, 7 KOs) will look to take the next steps in their accelerated developments before Paul and Rahman Jr. settle their differences, and Serrano defends her Featherweight belts.

“Fury fumbled the bag for the second time in a row and went into hiding, so I’m going to step up, again, and take on a new opponent on short notice,” said Paul. “Nothing but respect for Hasim Rahman Jr., a professional heavyweight boxer with a 12-1 record who comes from a legendary boxing family. He’s bigger, he’s stronger and he’s more experienced. But guess what? I’m crazier. I’m raising the stakes and on August 6, I will get my respect under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.”

The 6-foot-3 Rahman Jr., who has fought as heavy as 278 pounds and has campaigned exclusively at heavyweight in his pro career, steps in for Tommy Fury, who withdrew from a bout with the famous influencer for the second time in eight months.

“Jake Paul and I sparred two years ago and let’s just say I took it easy on the kid,” said Rahman Jr. “August 6 is not a sparring session. I am going to separate him from God’s conscience. My name is Hasim Rahman Jr., and I am going to knock out Jake Paul. Period.”

Paul (5-0, 4 KOs) and Rahman Jr. (12-1, 6 KOs) are familiar with one another from their days as sparring partners. Rahman Jr. helped Paul prepare for his pro debut against AnEsonGib, which Paul won in spectacular fashion via first-round knockout in January 2020. When Rahman Jr. sparred Paul again to help him get ready for his second fight against the NBA slam dunk champion Nate Robinson later that year, Rahman Jr. praised his opponent for improving both his technique and punching power. Paul detonated a right hand that knocked Robinson out in the second round of their bout.

Rahman Jr. is inarguably the most experienced boxer on Paul’s professional resume. Rahman Jr. studied his craft under the tutelage of famed trainers like Emanuel Steward and Calvin Ford, learning how to fight ambidextrously, something his famous father never did. After growing up in the sport, Rahman Jr. amassed around 100 amateur fights, winning the prestigious Junior National Golden Gloves and Junior National Police Athletic League championships. Rahman Jr. turned pro in 2017 and jumped out to a 12-0 record with six knockouts, showcasing deft footwork and heavy hands.

In his most recent bout in April, however, Rahman Jr. was stopped controversially in the fifth round by James McKenzie Morrison, son of former heavyweight champion Tommy Morrison. When the referee waived off the fight with Rahman Jr. on his feet, Rahman Jr. complained bitterly in the ring that he should have been allowed to continue against Morrison, who improved to 20-0-2 with 18 KOs.

Now, Rahman Jr. steps into this high-profile SHOWTIME PPV main event bout at Madison Square Garden with hopes of notching a turnaround win in the same fashion as his famous father and namesake. After suffering knockout losses in 1998 and 1999, Rahman stormed to prominence in 2001 when he decked Lennox Lewis with an overhand right in the fifth round to win the Unified Heavyweight World Championship in South Africa. In 2005, Rahman became a two-time heavyweight champion when he won a vacant title against Monte Barrett.

Lee, 23, has won 15 of his last 16 fights by knockout and has shown both one-punch power and the ability to out-box his opponents. He most recently dominated tough veteran Zachary Ochoa in April and has quickly established himself as one of the most talented 140-pounders in the division. 

Sylve, 18, is the first prospect signed by MVP and already finds himself boxing on the biggest stage in the world at Madison Square Garden on SHOWTIME PPV. The undefeated teenage sensation has stopped all of his opponents inside of four rounds with his quick-trigger reflexes, high boxing IQ, and heavy hands. He recently knocked out Giovanni Gutierrez in the first round in May during his MVP debut at lightweight.

The Paul vs. Rahman and Serrano vs. Carabajal event is co-produced by SHOWTIME PPV and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), a company founded by Paul and Nakisa Bidarian.  Holden Boxing will be the licensed promoter of the event, and Paul and Bidarian will serve as executive producers for the event. The pay-per-view telecast is produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV. 

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @ShowtimeBoxing and @MostVpromotions on Instagram via @JakePaul, @ShowtimeBoxing and @MostValuablePromotions or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.  

POMONA, CA. (March 1, 2022) – Rising unbeaten prospect Ashton “H2O” Sylve scored an impressive one-punch knockout victory this past Saturday night as he defeated Aldimar Silva in the second round in front of a sold out crowd in Pomona, California.

“It was a great night,” said Sylve post fight. “A sold out crowd turned out to watch me take on a veteran opponent with a great track record. I worked really hard in training camp and it paid off. I wanted to give the fans an exciting fight. We came with a game plan, stuck to that plan and put on a great performance.”

“It was a spectacular night,” said Ivan Sylve, Ashton’s father and trainer. “I’ve always known and said that Ashton is special, and now the world gets to see his unmatched talents.”

The 18-year-old Sylve improved his pro record to 6-0, with six knockouts, as he delivered a bruising left hook to finish off Silva 32 seconds into round two, thrilling a star-studded crowd that included former NFL star Willie McGinest, YouTuber Fousey, MMA Champion A.J. McKee, pro boxer Raquel Miller, and rappers Manny Montana, P Nice, DW Flames, TayF3rd and Allen Maldonado. WATCH THE K.O. VIDEO HERE

“It was very special to have my U.S. debut in front of my hometown crowd,” said Sylve. “I felt the energy of my family, friends and fans and I wanted to give them a great night to remember.”

A former amateur standout who turned pro in October 2020, Sylve stepped up in competition against the Brazilian Silva on Saturday night. Silva had not been stopped since 2018, and has faced former world champions including Jorge Arce and Juan Manuel Lopez during his pro career.

“Before the fight, people were asking me why we are taking on such a tough opponent at this early stage in Ashton’s career,” said Ivan Sylve. “I think we answered that question tonight.”

Now, Sylve and his father will look forward to building on the success from Saturday night and look to carry that momentum into Ashton’s next fight.

“Ashton works harder than anyone and his skills speak for themselves,” said Ivan Sylve. “The journey continues and I’m so happy with where we are.”

“This is just the beginning,” said Sylve. “I’ll be back in the gym on Monday training and working hard for my next fight in March.”

Sylve will return to the ring on March 26 in Orlando, Florida. Additional details will be announced shortly.

POMONA, CALIF. (February 27, 2022): Australian heavyweight Trent Rawlins (13-2-1, 10 KOs) scored a six-round majority decision win over Santander Sildago (30-11, 24 KOs) of Arboletes, Colombia in the main event of a MarvNation Promotions card Saturday evening in Pomona, Calif.

Rawlins won with scores of 58-54, 58-54 and 56-56. The event, which was billed as BoxFest 2, took place at The Derby Room and was streamed in its entirety on MarvNation’s official YouTube channel.

“I felt great,” said Trent Rawlins. “My opponent was a veteran. He was a tough guy with 30 wins. It was a tough fight and all praise be to God for giving me the victory tonight. I’m going to keep building in order to one day fight for the heavyweight championship of the world.”

In the co-main event, Ashton Sylve (7-0, 7KOs) of Long Beach, Calif. stopped Aldimar Silva (22-19, 14 KOs) of Sao Paulo, Brazil in the second round of a scheduled six-round featherweight fight. Sylve won with a time of 0:32 of the aforementioned round.

Mylik Birdsong (13-0-1, 9 KOs) of Los Angeles, Calif. defeated Daniel Perales (12-22, 6 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico via unanimous decision in a six-round welterweight fight. Birdsong won with three scores of 58-55.

Raul Solomon (9-1, 8 KOs) of Long Beach, Calif. beat Jeremy Ramos (11-12, 4 KOs) of Colorado Springs, Colorado via unanimous decision in a six-round super middleweight bout. Solomon won with two scores of 59-55 and one score of 60-54.

Ruben Islas (4-0, 3 KOs) of Rialto, Calif defeated Alen Dudo (0-1) of Sarajevo, Bosnia via unanimous decision in a four-round super featherweight fight. Islas won with three scores 40-36.

Saul Bustos (15-0-1, 8 KOs) of Los Angeles, Calif. beat Martin Angel (21-20-1,14 KOs) of Sonora, Mexico via unanimous decision in an eight-round 147-pound battle. Bustos won with three scores 80-79.

Alan Garcia (5-0, 4KOs) of Ulysses, Kansas knocked out Luis Norambuena (4-9-1) of Talca, Chile via knockout in the second round of a scheduled four-rounder in the 135-pound division. Garcia won with a time of 0:38 seconds of the round just mentioned.

Lawrence King (11-1, 9 KOs) of Los Angeles, Calif. defeated Abel Nicolas Adriel (25-23-3, 5 KOs) of Buenos Aires, Argentina via unanimous decision in a six-round super middleweight fight. King won with three scores of 60-54.

Juan Sanchez (2-0, 2KO) of Buena Park, Calif. knocked out Chilean prospect Javier Lara (2-1) in the first round of a scheduled six-round welterweight fight. Sanchez won with a time of 2:51.

Sincere Brooks (2-0) of Long Beach, Calif. won against Andres Abarca (2-8) of Normandy Park, Washington via four-round unanimous decision in a super lightweight bout. Brooks won with two scores of 40-36 and one score of 39-37.

William King (2-0) of Perris, Calif. beat Michaels Mendez (0-3) of Las Vegas, Nevada. via unanimous decision in a four-round super lightweight bout. King won with two scores of 40-36 and one score of 39-37.

Rawlins vs. Silgado was a six-round heavyweight fight presented by MarvNation Promotions. The event took place on Saturday, Feb. 26 at The Derby Room in Pomona Calif. The entire card was streamed live on MarvNation’s official YouTube channel.

For more information, follow MarvNation on Instagram and Twitter @MarvNation_.

About MarvNation
MarvNation Promotions was founded in 2014 by Marvin Rodriguez and was created with a vision to not only create concerts or boxing events, but to also create experiences for the fans. In 2018, after noticing a lack of support for many young and hungry prospects without an extensive Olympic and amateur background, MarvNation involved itself in the sport of boxing with a mission to make a way for these young prospects and develop them into top contenders and champions in the sport. Established both on a national and international level, MarvNation is here to bring you the best of boxing and live entertainment.

LONG BEACH, CA. (February 24, 2022) – Rising unbeaten prospect Ashton “H2O” Sylve hosted a media workout in his hometown of Long Beach, California on Wednesday as he previewed his U.S. debut taking place Saturday, February 26 when he takes on Brazil’s Aldimar Silva (22-18, 14 Kos) in a six-round fight from Pomona, California.

Sylve first gained acclaim at eight-years-old, when his father and trainer Ivan posted a training video of Ashton that caught the attention of all-time great Floyd Mayweather. Next thing Sylve knew, he was invited into Mayweather’s gym and began learning from Mayweather and his uncles Roger and Jeff.

The 18-year-old Sylve went on to have a prolific amateur career and trains out of his local JackRabbit Gym in Long Beach under the guidance of his father Ivan, as he prepares to fight in the U.S. for the first time as a pro Saturday night. Media can attend the weigh-in for Saturday’s fight this Friday, February 25 at The Derby Room Pomona (2201 N White Ave; Pomona, CA 91786) and beginning at 12 p.m. PT.

Here is what Sylve and his father had to say on Wednesday:

ASHTON SYLVE

“I feel great. This whole camp has been perfect. Long Beach really brings that energy for me. Everything I’ve done so far has been building for this big day.

“Fighting in Mexico has been a good experience for me and it taught me new lessons. It was a stepping stone toward getting to the ultimate goal.

“I’m facing a tough opponent Saturday night. From everything I’ve seen, he’s a puncher. We’re going to work to counteract that.

“I’ve been able to focus more on recovery and conditioning during this camp. This has been a more intense camp than my previous ones. We’re going to keep taking it one camp and one step at a time.

“Go get your tickets, there’s still a few left for this fight. It’s going to be a great show Saturday night.”

IVAN SYLVE, Ashton’s Father & Trainer

“This moment is a homecoming for Ashton. He’s going to be taking a step up. It’s great that he’s able to showcase his talent in front of his hometown.

“We didn’t want to get a rollover opponent. We wanted an opponent who’s going to allow Ashton to display all of his talent and put the rest of the boxing world on notice.

“Ashton is here to show everyone that he’s the real deal. We know the skill level that Ashton has. We’re going to keep building up at our own pace and trying to give the fans what they want.

“We’re looking to develop with every fight. This has been an unbelievable journey and we’re happy with how far we’ve come to this point.”

POMONA, CALIF. (Feb. 24, 2022): MarvNation Promotions returns on Saturday, Feb. 26 with its second event of the year and features Australian heavyweight Trent Rawlins as well as the U.S. debut of featherweight phenom Ashton Sylve.

The event, billed as BoxFest 2, will take place at the Derby Room in Pomona, California and will be streamed live on MarvNation’s official YouTube channel.

“This is a very big week for us, and it will be topped off by this exciting event at the Derby Room,” said Marvin Rodriguez, CEO and Founder of MarvNation Promotions. “First, we’ll be in Costa Rica this week as Nathan Rodriguez and Maricela Cornejo return in competitive bouts. We’ll also have Naomy Valle, the younger sister of world champion Yokasta Valle, making her professional debut.”

“Then, we’ll head back to California as Trent Rawlins headlines BoxFest 2 following his spectacular win in November. And, of course, we can’t forget featherweight Ashton Sylve, who will be making his debut on U.S. soil. This is just the beginning of a tremendous year for us.”

As mentioned above, Trent Rawlins (12-2-1, 10 KOs) of Melbourne, Australian headlines the event in a six-round heavyweight fight against Santander Silgado (30-10, 24 Kos) of Arboletes, Colombia.

In the co-main event, Ashton Sylve (6-0, 6 KOs) of Long Beach, Calif. faces Aldimar Silva (22-18, 14 KOs) of Sao Paulo, Brazil in a six-round featherweight clash.

The rest of the card will feature rising prospects from all over California.

Mylik Birdsong (12-0-1, 9 KOs) of Los Angeles, Calif. will face Daniel Perales (12-21, 6 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico in a six-round welterweight fight.

Raul Solomon (8-1, 8 KOs) of Long Beach, Calif. will battle against Jeremy Ramos (11-11, 4 KOs) of Colorado Springs, Colorado in a bout scheduled for six rounds in the super middleweight division.

Ruben Islas (3-0, 3 KOs) of Rialtom Calif. will fight Alen Dudo of Sarajevo, Bosnia in a four-round super featherweight clash.

Saul Bustos (14-0-1, 8 KOs) of Los Angeles, Calif. will return in an eight-round 147-pound battle against Martin Angel (21-19-1, 14 KOs) of Sonora, Mexico.

Alan Garcia (4-0, 3 KOs) of Ulysses, Kansas takes on Luis Norambuena (4-8-1) of Talca, Chile in a four-round clash in the 135-pound division.

Lawrence King (10-1, 9 KOs) of Los Angeles, Calif. will face Abel Nicolas Adriel (25-22-3, 5 KOs) of Buenos Aires, Argentina in a six-round super middleweight fight.

Juan Sanchez (1-0, 1 KO) of Buena Park, Calif. will fight against Chilean prospect Javier Lara (2-0) across six rounds of welterweight action.

Sincere Brooks (1-0) of Long Beach, Calif. will battle against Andres Abarca (2-7) of Normandy Park, Washington in a super lightweight bout slated for four rounds.

William King (1-0) of Perris, Calif. will kick off the evening in a four-round super lightweight battle against Michaels Mendez (0-2) of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Rawlins vs. Silgado is a six-round heavyweight fight presented by MarvNation Promotions. The event will take place on Saturday, Feb. 26 at The Derby Room in Pomona, Calif. The entire card will be streamed live on MarvNation’s official YouTube channel.

For more information, follow MarvNation on Instagram and Twitter @MarvNation_.

Media Credentials: Media interested in attending the Feb. 26 event must be pre-approved for credentials. The credential application is available by clicking here. Media will not be credentialed on site, no exceptions. The deadline is Thursday, Feb. 24 at 5:00 p.m. PT.

About MarvNation
MarvNation Promotions was founded in 2014 by Marvin Rodriguez and was created with a vision to not only create concerts or boxing events, but to also create experiences for the fans. In 2018, after noticing a lack of support for many young and hungry prospects without an extensive Olympic and amateur background, MarvNation involved itself in the sport of boxing with a mission to make a way for these young prospects and develop them into top contenders and champions in the sport. Established both on a national and international level, MarvNation is here to bring you the best of boxing and live

LONG BEACH, CALIF. (January 25, 2022) – Undefeated prospect Ashton “H2O” Sylve aims to make a splash in his U.S. debut when he steps into the ring on Saturday, February 26 in Pomona, California, as the 17-year-old looks to leap into the discussion amongst the sport’s top prospects.

A self-described “mobile brawler” inside of the ring, Sylve first gained acclaim at eight-years-old, when his father and trainer Ivan posted a training video of Ashton that caught the attention of all-time great Floyd Mayweather. Next thing Sylve knew, he was invited into Mayweather’s gym and began learning from Mayweather and his uncles Roger and Jeff.

“My favorite fighter and the one I have always watched tapes on, is Floyd Mayweather,” said Sylve. “So to meet him and be invited to his gym to train and be a part of his experience, that opened my eyes to the dedication it takes to be a successful fighter. I’m training hard to do just that. I want to be a world champion in several weight classes for sure.”

Sylve put together a stellar amateur career across 110 fights that included 10 national titles, two International Boxing Cup victories and over 100 wins. At just 16-years-old, Sylve determined he had accomplished all he could in the amateur ranks and turned pro as a teenager.

Training out of the Jack Rabbit Gym in Long Beach, California, Sylve is well-known in the area and has sparred numerous top pros, including four-division world champion Leo Santa Cruz. Sylve, who is trained by his father, has piled up a 6-0 record with five knockouts since his debut in October 2020, with all his bouts coming in Mexico due to age restrictions for pro bouts in the U.S.

The father-son duo started their own H2O Promotions company to help Sylve get his pro career started as he seeks to make the journey to the top.

“My son is a great kid and people are always impressed by what they see in his skills,” said Ivan. “Even as a young fighter, I was well aware that his ring generalship and boxing IQ were well beyond his years. He’s quite special in and out of the ring and I’m extremely proud of him.”

With his U.S. debut set for February 26, just under a month after he’ll turn 18-years-old, Sylve is eager to deliver a strong performance and leave a lasting impression when he steps into the ring.

“I can’t wait to fight in Pomona and be in front of my fans,” said Sylve. “I have a big following in and around Southern California and in my hometown of Long Beach. I know they’re all going to come out and watch me. For my fans around the world, who are so excited to watch me fight, I made sure it is broadcasted free of charge on YouTube live. I’m going to show up and put on a great show on February 26.”