NEW YORK, NY – August 20, 2024 – MVP today announced that 18-year-old boxing prodigy and actor Javon “Wanna” Walton (1-0-1, 1 KO) will be facing professional boxer Erik Hanley (1-1, 1 KO) over 4 rounds at super featherweight in the co-main event of MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 8. The event will take place on Friday, September 6 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL, available globally as part of the DAZN subscription package with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter. The main card of Most Valuable Prospects 8, presented by CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy and sponsored by Fansly and Event Ticket Center, will be headlined by a 10-round super lightweight showdown between Boxlab Promotions’ rising Cuban star Kevin Brown (5-0, 3 KOs) and seasoned Puerto Rican contender John Bauza (18-1, 8 KOs) for the WBA Super Lightweight Continental Americas title. Joining the main card will be 26-year-old Dominican talent Hendri “La Bazuca” Cedeno (13-0, 10 KOs) vs. Enriko “Gudan” Gogokhia (13-1-2, 8 KOs) in an 8 round super lightweight fight. The 26-year-old rising Cuban standout Yoelvis “La Joya” Gomez (7-1, 6 KOs) will also compete in an 8 round middleweight fight on the main card. Tickets for Most Valuable Prospects 8 are available now at Ticketmaster.com.

Javon “Wanna” Walton (1-0-1, 1 KO) aims for his second professional win on Friday, September 6. Walton signed with MVP in July 2023 and fought to a split draw in his global debut in MVP’s marquee event in March 2024. As the youngest-ever athlete to sign with Nike’s Jordan Brand, Walton has continued to excel as a boxer. Walton began boxing at the age of four, and at age eight became one of America’s youngest amateur prospects. His skill and hard work earned him the title of multi-time Junior Regional Champion and two-time Junior Olympic national silver medalist. The Atlanta native is also a world-renowned actor who captured international attention with his debut role as the beloved drug dealer “Ashtray” in the HBO Max Emmy-winning series Euphoria starring alongside Hollywood icons Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney, and has since continued to co-star in numerous other film and TV titles. He trains under his father and coach, DJ Walton. Walton will now take on 30-year-old professional boxer Erik Hanley (1-1, 1 KO) in the co-main event of Most Valuable Prospects 8. Hanley, a fierce competitor, comes to the ring from Rancho Cordova, California by way of Oceanside, New York, ready to challenge Walton’s rise to professional stardom. Hanley most recently secured a KO victory in the ring in February 2024. 

In an 8-round super lightweight bout on the main card, 26-year-old talent Hendri “La Bazuca” Cedeno (13-0, 10 KOs) will take on Enriko “Gudan” Gogokhia (13-1-2, 8 KOs). Cedeno, from La Romana, Dominican Republic, turned professional in May 2021, collecting an impressive 13 wins in just under three years before joining Team Combat League’s Philly Smoke in April 2024. Cedeno is promoted by Boxlab Promotions and now returns to the professional ranks to take on a true test in Gogokhia. The seasoned Gogokhia, a Georgian-born Ukrainian, began his career in kickboxing in Europe before moving to the United States and taking up boxing in 2016. He fights out of Woodland Hills, California and will look to end Cedeno’s undefeated run at Most Valuable Prospects 8.

Also on the main card will be the 26-year-old rising Cuban standout Yoelvis “La Joya” Gomez (7-1, 6 KOs), who will compete in an 8 round middleweight fight against a to-be-announced opponent. Gomez comes to the ring from Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Havana, Cuba following a strong start to his professional career since his professional debut in 2019. A hopeful future title contender, Gomez will seek to demonstrate his knockout power in the ring on Friday, September 6. He is promoted by Boxlab Promotions and Warriors Boxing.

On the preliminary card, top-10 WBA ranked Bree “Bam Bam” Howling (7-0, 2 KOs) will face Hungary’s Beata Dudek (4-3, 4 KOs) in an 8-round bantamweight bout. The 26-year-old Howling comes to the ring from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Following her professional debut in September 2019, Howling has worked up an impressive undefeated 7-0 record, advancing to #8 on the WBA’s world rankings of top female bantamweight talents. Howling is promoted by Boxlab Promotions and Kings Promotions and now aims to continue her undefeated streak on Friday, September 6. She will take on Beata Dudek, the 31-year-old from Miskolc, Hungary by way of Nové Zámky, Slovakia. Dudek steps into the ring on Friday, September 6 ready to leverage her taller 5’7” stature and knockout power against the smaller 5’4” Howling. 

In a 6 round lightweight bout on the preliminary card, 24-year-old Harley “Dennis the Menace” Mederos (6-0, 5 KOs) will take on Russia’s Nikolai Buzolin (9-9-1, 5 KOs). The young talent Mederos comes to the ring from Brooklyn, NY ready to prove he has what it takes to become a title contender. Buzolin, coming to the ring from Brooklyn, NY by way of Tyumen, Russia, will aim to ruin Mederos’s undefeated streak, leveraging his additional professional experience against the younger Mederos. 

Returning to the Most Valuable Prospects series will be local talent Antraveous Ingram (7-0, 2 KOs), who will take on Cruse “Hitman” Stewart (8-3, 6 KOs) over 6 rounds at junior middleweight on the preliminary card. Ingram, the 25-year-old from Kissimmee, Florida, most recently took home a unanimous decision victory over Luis Solis on Most Valuable Prospects 6 in May 2024. His opponent, Stewart, comes to the ring from Maple Grove, Minnesota by way of Rock Island, Illinois. Stewart will make his Most Valuable Prospects debut as he looks to leverage his power and experience to earn his ninth professional win. 

“Most Valuable Prospects 8 on Friday, September 6 marks the highly anticipated return of Wanna Walton” said Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of MVP. “Wanna will be testing himself against a strong fighter in Erik Hanley in the co-main event as he continues to prove his standout star potential and looks to collect his second professional win. We’re proud to feature an incredible women’s fight between Canadian top-ranked WBA contender Bree Howling vs. a relentless athlete in Beata Dudek. As we continue to develop this series and identify the next big names in boxing, we’re excited to welcome back multiple promising talents to the series, including Kevin Hayler Brown in our main event and Antraveous Ingram on our preliminary card. We appreciate Boxlab Promotions, DAZN and CELSIUS for their continued commitment to bringing this incredible night of boxing to Orlando.”

“Caribe Royale is once again excited to be working with MVP to bring this exciting event to Central Florida,” said Amaury Piedra, Managing Director of Caribe Royale Resort and President of Boxlab Promotions. “From top to bottom, this is a stacked card culminating with the WBA title bout featuring a Cuba vs. Puerto Rico battle. In addition, there are great bouts ranging from female prospects to future stars like Yoelvis Gomez, Wanna Walton, and hot local prospect Antraveous Ingram. Caribe Royale prides itself on bringing world class entertainment to Central Florida both for our guests and locals alike, this is just another step in that direction. It’ll be an action packed evening for local attendees and those watching on DAZN as well!”

The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and marketed by MVP with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter and is distributed globally by DAZN. The eighth 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 MVP and the Most Valuable Prospects series. Fansly and Event Ticket Center have also joined on to sponsor the Most Valuable Prospects as well.

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.

Valenzuela Knocks Out Colbert in 6

In the night’s co-feature lightweights Chris Colbert and Jose Valenzuela met in an anticipated rematch that was dominated from wire to wire by Valenzuela. Colbert was blitzed in the first and hit the canvas early, needing to shift to survival mode to make it to the first bell.

Colbert had moments, and stood in valiantly for the duration of the bout but continued to eat power shots consistently with little resistance. 

The action culminated with a devastating hook at 1:36 of round six that left Colbert laying motionless for more than a minute. The Brooklyn product was eventually able to rise to his feet and leave the ring under his own power, but would take home a KO6 loss to rival Valenzuela in the WBA eliminator.

al3nzGuerrero Decisions Berto

Showtime boxing veterans Robert Guerrero and Andre Berto met in a rematch ten years in the making to kick off the Showtime Boxing swans song at the Minneapolis Armory. 

The meeting, as one would expect of two 40 year old combatants off of long layoffs, lacked the fireworks of the original classic, but Guerrero was able to bring the crowd to a rise in the fifth with a flurry behind a shoveling uppercut.

Berto continued to stalk Guerrero from a crouched guard but was not able to fire off the trademarked fast twitch muscle power punches that propelled him to elite ranks in his fighting prime. The two continued to trade spirited exchanges into the late rounds with Guerrero primarily getting the better of Berto. The fight was rounded out with an embrace dripping with mutual respect between the two former world champions and Showtime PPV headliners.

Scorecards read 98-92, 99-91 all in favor of “The Ghost”, Robert Guerrero.

Alberot Puello def  Ector Madera via UD

Super Lightweights Alberto Puello and Ector Madera engaged in a tactical affair, with the former cruising to an easy victory. Puello worked the rust off of a long layoff cleanly, and was sharp behind a jab, creating distance and comfortably picking away at the Stockton, CA native Madera.

Scorecards showed a comfortable margin for Puello at 80-72 twice and 79-73

Kyrone Davis (18-3-1) def  Cruse Stewart (8-3) UD 77-75

Kyrone Davis and Cruse Stewart engaged in a methodical battle for the center of the ring, trading flurries in the pocket, with Cruse opening strong in the first two rounds, but showing some fatigue in the middle rounds. Davis affirmed his presence with steady jabbing to put Stewart on the backstep as the fight entered the later rounds. 

Davis was off his stool well before the beginning of the final round, signifying a preserved stamina heading into the fight’s conclusion. Stewart valiantly pressed forward with combinations, and even brought the Minneapolis crowd to their feet with a late rally, likely winning the round, but was ultimately smothered before a knockdown could be scored to bridge the scorecard gap. 

Davis prevailed with a 5-3 win on all three cards.

Lawrence King (13-1) def Alex Theran (23-13) KO4 (18 seconds)

Lawrence King battered Alex Theran to the body with a crisp and sustained two fisted attack to move to 13-1. Theran absorbed the onslaught through three rounds but was clearly weakened by the offensive assault. King overwhelmed Theran 18 seconds into the fourth, scoring a knockout after dropping Theran prompting a halt to the action.

Michael Angeletti(10-0)  Def Angel Contreras (13-9-2) UD 78-74 (3x)

Michael Angeletti and Angel Contreras traded shots in a back and forth affair over eight rounds. Contreras was game and had his moments, but Angeletti controlled the action, banking 6 rounds en route to an easy decision to remain undefeated.

Joey Spencer (17-1)  UD Marcio Bzowski (11-25-4) 60-54 on all cards.

Joey Spencer  controlled the pace of the bout for 6 rounds with a steady attack. Bzowski showed signs of fatigue but remained sturdy and could not be put away. Spencer advances to 17-1.

Charles Harris Jr(now 8-1) rtd Marlin Sims(8-3)

The referee waved off the action after Simms’ second knee in the 6th round. Sims took a glove to the eye resulting in obstructed vision. Harris hit a visually impaired Sims with a barrage that prompted a second knee, bringing a halt to the action in the 6th round

MINNEAPOLIS – December 13, 2023 – Former world champion Alberto Puello will return to take on fellow unbeaten Ector Madera in an eight-round super lightweight showdown as they headline the SHOWTIME BOXING COUNTDOWN show this Saturday, December 16 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Armory in Minneapolis.

Action live on the SHOWTIME SPORTS YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page will also feature middleweights Kyrone Davis and Cruse Stewart in an eight-round attraction, plus light heavyweight contender Lawrence King duels Alex Theran in a six-round fight. The streaming presentation will be hosted by award-winning MORNING KOMBAT live digital talk show hosts Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell.

These fights precede a four-fight SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® telecast headlined by undefeated WBA Super Middleweight Champion and Minneapolis fan-favorite David Morrell Jr. battling knockout artist Sena Agbeko and beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster.

Puello (21-0, 10 KOs) will return to action for the first time since August 2022 when he captured the WBA Super Lightweight World Championship with a victory over Batyr Akhmedov. A native of San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic, Puello now resides and trains in Las Vegas. Pueloo first shot up the rankings in July 2019, when he bested the previously unbeaten Jonathan Alonso via unanimous decision to capture an interim title. He will return to The Armory in Minneapolis for the second time, after previously scoring a unanimous decision over hometown favorite Veshawn Owens in December 2021. He will face Bakersfield, California’s Madera (11-0, 6 KOs), who now resides in Stockton and who will step up in competition to challenge the former champion Puello. The 27-year-old has fought professionally since 2016, and has put together a pair of three-fight knockout streaks so far. He last fought in 2022, scoring victories over Timothy Parks in August and Alejandro Frias Rodriguez in December.

The 29-year-old Davis (17-3-1, 6 KOs) will look to pick up a second victory in 2023 after previously dominating Cristian Fabian Rios in January to earn a unanimous decision. That victory came after a run that saw Davis battle two-time champion Anthony Dirrell to a draw in February 2021, before stepping in as a late replacement two fights later to drop a hard-fought contest against super middleweight superstar David Benavidez. An amateur standout representing Wilmington, Delaware, Davis trains in Philadelphia under the tutelage of top trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards. He duels the Maple Grove, Minnesota resident Stewart (8-2, 6 KOs) who will look to bounce back from a pair of defeats to unbeaten rising contender Elijah Garcia and then-unbeaten Hakim Lopez in 2022. The 34-year-old turned pro in 2018 before reeling off eight-straight victories.

A native of San Bernardino, California, King (13-1, 11 KOs) is a frequent sparring partner of undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and enters this fight on a nine-bout winning streak. Since a narrow decision defeat in his fifth pro fight, the 27-year-old has stopped eight of his last nine opponents. King has already earned two victories in 2023, including most recently stopping veteran contender Marco Reyes after six rounds in June. He will be opposed by Colombia’s Theran (23-12, 15 KOs), who now trains in Lynn, Massachusetts. The 33-year-old turned pro in 2011 and has fought a slew of contenders including Anthony Yarde, Yunieski Gonzalez and Radivoje Kalajdzic.

Highlighting the non-televised undercard is talented junior middleweight contender Joey Spencer in a six-round bout against Argentina’s Marcelo Bzowski.

The non-televised undercard will also see exciting rising prospect Michael Angeletti (9-0, 7 KOs) step in for an eight-round super bantamweight bout against Mexico’s Angel Contreras (13-7-2, 7 KOs), unbeaten super middleweight Shawn McCalman (14-0, 7 KOs) facing Cristian Olivas (22-9, 19 KOs) in an eight-round duel and unbeaten super lightweight prospect Jose Chollet (2-0, 2 KOs) battling Lyle McFarlane (2-2, 1 KO) in a four-round matchup.

Rounding out the card is a pair of Mayweather Promotions rising prospects as unbeaten super middleweight John Easter steps in for a four-round fight against South Carolina’s Javier Frazier, while lightweight Charles Harris Jr. squares off against Minneapolis’ Marlin Sims in a six-round battle.

#         #         #

ABOUT MORRELL VS. AGBEKO

Morrell vs. Agbeko will see undefeated WBA Super Middleweight Champion and Minneapolis fan-favorite David Morrell Jr. battle knockout artist Sena Agbeko headlining action live on SHOWTIME on Saturday, December 16 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Armory in Minneapolis.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and feature exciting contenders Chris “Primetime” Colbert and Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela in a 12-round WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator as they rematch in the co-main event. Plus, WBC Flyweight World Champion Julio Cesar Martinez defends his world title against unbeaten contender Angelino Cordova and all-action former world champions Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Andre Berto square off in a 10-round welterweight rematch in the telecast opener.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #MorrellAgbeko follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

In a highly anticipated battle of undefeated lightweights, Frank Martin coasted to a 12-round unanimous decision over Michel Rivera at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.

In round seven, Martin put Rivera on the canvas with a right hook.

Martin, 134.75 ls of Indianapolis, IN won by scores of 120-107, 118-109 and 117-110 and is now 17-0. Rivera, 134.5 lbs of Miami is 24-1.

Vladimir Shishkin remained undefeated with a 12-round unanimous decision over former world champion Jose Uzcategui in a super middleweight fight.

Shiskin outlanded Uzcategui 238 to 162.

Shishkin, 167.25 lbs of Russia won by scores of 117-111 twice and 115-113 and is now 14-0. Uzcategui, 167.5 lbs of El Vigla, VEN is 3205.

Vincent Astrolabio stopped Nikolai Potapov in round six of their 12-round bantamweight bout.

In round five, Astrolabio landed a body punch that put Potapov on a knee. In round six, another body shot sent Potapov down for the count at 1:26.

Astrolabio, 117.5 lbs of General Santos City, PHL is 18-2-1 with 13 knockouts. Potapov, 117 lbs of Posdoisk, RUS 23-3-1.

Omar Juarez was deducted three points for low blows but won a 10-round unanimous decision over Austin Dulay in a super lightweight bout.

In round three, Juarez was deducted two points for low blows. In round four, Juarez was once again deducted a point for a low blow.

Juarez, 141 lba of Brownsville, TX is 14-1. Dulay, 140 lbs of Nashville, TN is 15-4.

Elijah Garcia remained undefeated with a second round stoppage over Cruse Stewart in an eight-round middleweight bout.

In round two, Garcia dropped Stewart with a left hook. Stewart did not get up and the fight was waved off.

Garcia, 164 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is 13-0 with 11 knockouts. Stewart, 162.5 lbs of Maple Grove, MN is 8-2.