NEW YORK, NY– Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced today that unified bantamweight world champion and BoxRec’s #1 pound-for-pound female boxer, Dina Thorslund (23-0, 9 KOs), has officially withdrawn from her highly anticipated title unification bout against MVP’s IBF bantamweight world champion Shurretta “Chiccn” Metcalf (14-4-1, 2 KOs) to welcome her second child. MVP’s 30-year-old Danish star was scheduled to make her global debut on the undercard of Taylor vs. Serrano 3 on Friday, July 11 at Madison Square Garden. The mega-event will feature the most world championship belts ever contested on a single fight card, male or female, with 21 world title belts contested across five fights on the card.

Replacing Thorslund in the world title bout will be MVP’s newest signee, reigning WBA bantamweight world champion Cherneka “Sugar Neekz” Johnson (17-2, 7 KOs).  MVP and DiBella Entertainment, Inc., agreed to an arrangement, which allowed Johnson to enter into a multi-year promotional agreement with MVP. Born in Tauranga, New Zealand and fighting out of Gold Coast, Australia, Johnson is a two-weight world champion, currently the WBA bantamweight world champion and the former IBF super bantamweight world champion. She will face Metcalf in a 10-round world title showdown on the first-ever all-women’s professional boxing card at Madison Square Garden. This will be Johnson’s first bout in the United States and with a win on Friday, July 11th, she would become the first ever undisputed Australian champion in the four belt era.

Due to her pregnancy,Thorslund voluntarily relinquished her WBO Championship which was approved by the WBO and she requested and received the approval of the WBC to be designated as Champion in Recess. The now-vacant unified belts will remain on the line in addition to Johnson’s WBA and Metcalf’s IBF bantamweight titles, providing Johnson vs. Metcalf the opportunity to now battle for the undisputed crown at 118 lbs. on Friday, July 11. Upon her return to the ring Thorslund may request to be designated mandatory challenger to ensure she has the opportunity to challenge for the belts once she is ready.

“Life can be such a roller coaster, especially as a female boxer. I was really looking forward to this fight—the biggest moment of my career,” said Dina Thorslund. “Recently I found out I was pregnant, a curve I hadn’t expected, but a joyous one. Even though the decision was easy, the athlete in me is sad, as I SO wanted to stand in that ring and make history on Friday, July 11. But I’ll be back! The fire that MVP has lit in me only burns even stronger, and when I do step back in the ring, there will be another little person that I can fight for and be a role model for. I plan to show my child that nothing is impossible if you work hard enough for it. Thank you to MVP, my sponsors, friends, family – your support and encouragement touches me deeply and only motivates me more. I hope all the boxers have a fantastic evening. I will be cheering from the sidelines, and I can only encourage the rest of the world to either take the trip to Madison Square Garden and experience the magic, or to tune in to watch history being made, live on Netflix.”

“It’s a dream come true to fight at Madison Square Garden!” said Cherneka “Sugar Neekz” Johnson. “This feels like a true ‘pinch me’ moment, being part of an all-women’s card headlined by the incredible Amanda Serrano vs Katie Taylor. Not only will I be defending my title, but I’ll also become the undisputed champion! I’m truly looking forward to this next chapter—being part of Most Valuable Promotions, who are paving the way and shaping the future of women’s boxing. The magnitude of this moment isn’t lost on me, and I’m ready to rise to it.”

“I’m about to make history as the first undisputed bantamweight champion — and I’m doing it from Dallas, Texas,” said Shurretta Metcalf. “Nothing in my career has come easy, but every fight, every sacrifice led to this moment. I was built for this. My time is now, and I will rise and conquer. MVP is the best promoter in the game, and together, we’re making legacy happen. This isn’t just a fight — this is a statement.”

“We are thrilled for Dina on the new addition to her family and send her our heartfelt congratulations,” said MVP co-founders Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul. “She’s a champion inside and outside the ring, and we fully support her decision to step away at this time. At MVP, our athletes are family, and there will always be a place for Dina on our roster whenever she’s ready to return. In the meantime, we’re excited to welcome Australia’s own Cherneka “Sugar Neekz” Johnson to MVP as she steps in to face Shurretta Metcalf for the title of Undisputed with every belt in the 118 lbs. division on the line. All of Australia should be tuning in to see if Neekz can become the first Aussie Undisputed champion, male or female, in the four-belt era of boxing. Thank you to the WBO and WBC for their stewardship in this process. Taylor vs. Serrano 3 represents fighters from Ireland, Puerto Rico, US, UK, Australia, Canada, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico, and will see the most world championship belts ever contested on a single fight card, with 9 current world champions competing for a combined 21 belts, making history in boxing and as the first all-women’s card at MSG, live globally on Netflix.”

Johnson vs. Metcalf join a massively decorated card of women’s stars, topped by the trilogy megafight rematch of Ireland’s pound-for-pound great, undisputed super lightweight champion Katie Taylor (24-1, 6 KOs) and Brooklyn’s Puerto Rican boxing trailblazer, unified featherweight world champion MVP’s Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (47-3-1, 31 KOs). In the co-main event, MVP’s reigning undisputed super featherweight champion Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner (15-1, 7 KOs) will face MVP’s undefeated WBA Interim world champion, Spain’s Jennifer Miranda (12-0, 1 KO), in a 10-round undisputed super featherweight championship fight contested at 130 lbs. Also on the main card, MVP and England’s unified super bantamweight champion Ellie Scotney (10-0) will face Mexico’s WBC super bantamweight world champion Yamileth “Yeimi” Mercado (24-3, 5 KOs) in a women’s unified championship fight at 122 lbs. Rounding out the main card is a highly anticipated super middleweight world title unification bout between MVP’s IBF champion Savannah “The Silent Assassin” Marshall  (13-1, 10 KOs) and MVP’s WBO champion Shadasia “The Sweet Terminator” Green (14-1, 11 KOs) in a 10-round fight at 168 lbs.

On the preliminary card, MVP’s newly signed former undisputed champion and current WBC interim super lightweight champion Chantelle “Il Capo” Cameron (20-1, 8 KOs) will face Canada’s Jessica “The Cobra” Camara (14-4-1, 3 KOs) in a 10-round WBC interim title bout at 140 lbs, while MVP’s Somali-British boxer and activist Ramla Ali (9-2, 2 KOs) meets Brazil’s Lila Furtado (11-2, 2 KOs) in an 8-round super bantamweight fight at 122 lbs. Also featured will be MVP’s two-time Canadian Olympian and standout middleweight Tamm Thibeault (2-0, 1 KO), fighting under equal rules to men with three-minute rounds in an 8-round bout against top contender Mary Casamassa (6-0, 2 KOs) at 160 lbs.

Taylor vs. Serrano 3 is produced, marketed, and promoted by Most Valuable Promotions and distributed by Netflix. 

For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @Netflix, on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @Netflix, or on Netflix’s Tudum.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

MVP was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last six global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Perry match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano, in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April 2022 when Serrano went head-to-head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. MVP made history again in November 2024 with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano 2, the first-ever live professional sports event on Netflix, which became the most-streamed sporting event ever with 108 million live viewers globally. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of Paul vs. Tyson and the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., the 8th most-bought pay-per-view event in history.

About Netflix 

Netflix is one of the world’s leading entertainment services, with over 300 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films, and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause, and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.

Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Netflix today announced that MVP’s newest signee, England’s unified super bantamweight champion Ellie Scotney (10-0) will face Mexico’s WBC super bantamweight world champion Yamileth “Yeimi” Mercado (24-3, 5 KOs) on the main card of the highly anticipated Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano trilogy mega-event. This historic MVP event will stream live globally, exclusively on Netflix at no additional cost to its 300+ million subscribers on Friday, July 11 from Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York City. Scotney vs. Mercado, a matchup between ESPN’s #1 and #2 super bantamweights in the world and Boxrec’s #12 and #15 pound-for-pound fighters, will be a 10-round unified super bantamweight championship fight contested at 122 lbs. They join the first-ever all women’s professional boxing card at the iconic Madison Square Garden, streaming live globally on Netflix. The main event will feature Ireland’s pound-for-pound great, undisputed super lightweight champion Katie Taylor (24-1, 6 KOs) and Brooklyn’s Puerto Rican boxing trailblazer, unified featherweight world champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (47-3-1, 31 KOs). In the co-main event, MVP’s reigning undisputed super featherweight champion Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner (15-1, 7 KOs) will face undefeated WBA Interim world champion, Spain’s Jennifer Miranda (12-0, 1 KO), a 10-round undisputed super featherweight championship fight contested at 130 lbs.

Headlining the preliminary card will be MVP’s Danish two-weight world champion, reigning unified bantamweight world champion and Boxrec’s #1 pound-for-pound female boxer Dina Thorslund (23-0, 9 KOs) vs. MVP’s IBF bantamweight world champion Shurretta “Chiccn” Metcalf (14-4-1, 2 KOs) in a 10-round women’s world title unification bout contested at 118 lbs. Also joining the preliminary card will be MVP’s two-time Canadian Olympian, amateur world champion, and standout middleweight Tamm Thibeault (2-0, 1 KO), continuing to fight every bout in her pro career under equal rules to men, three-minute rounds, in an 8 round bout against the WBC, WBO, WBA and IBF’s #1 contender Mary Casamassa (6-0, 2 KOs), contested at 160 lbs. Six of the top 15 pound-for-pound female fighters in the world on Boxrec, including four of the top 10, are currently represented as part of MVP’s Taylor vs. Serrano 3 all-women’s card. 

Scotney, Mercado, Thorslund, Metcalf, Thibeault, and Casamassa will each participate in MVP’s Taylor vs. Serrano 3 and Baumgardner vs. Miranda kickoff press conference on Wednesday, April 9 at 6pm at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Media can apply for credentials HERE. Tickets for Taylor vs. Serrano 3 are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com. 

MVP’s newest signee, unified super bantamweight world champion Ellie Scotney (10-0) is one of the fastest-rising stars in women’s boxing, having turned pro after a decorated amateur career and quickly racking up dominant wins en route to unifying the 122 lb division. The 27-year-old undefeated London native, now ranked #1 at super bantamweight by ESPN and #15 pound-for-pound by Boxrec, holds the IBF, WBO, IBO, and Ring Magazine titles.

“What MVP is doing for women’s boxing is changing the game, and I’m proud to be part of it,” said Ellie Scotney. “Fighting on the main card of Taylor vs. Serrano 3 at Madison Square Garden, live on Netflix—in another unification fight —is a massive moment in my career but it is one I know I am ready for. Yamileth Mercado might be the longest reigning champion in our division right now, but on July the 11th I’ll be showing why I’m the number one at 122lbs and moving one step closer to becoming the undisputed champion. Sharing this card with inspirations like Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano makes this even more meaningful and I want to leave my own mark on a special night. My whole career has been based in the UK, but I’m ready to make a statement on the biggest of stages and show the world what I can do.”

WBC super bantamweight world champion Yamileth “Yeimi” Mercado (24-3, 5 KOs) is the longest-reigning titleholder in the division, having defended her belt eight times since winning it in 2019 on home soil in Chihuahua, Mexico. Ranked #2 at 122 lbs by ESPN and #12 pound-for-pound by Boxrec, the 27-year-old will now face undefeated unified champion Ellie Scotney in a high-stakes unification bout on Friday, July 11.

“I am very excited to unify titles with Ellie Scotney and raise my WBC belt for my country, Mexico, and my home in Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua on MVP’s card at Madison Square Garden and in front of the world on Netflix,” said Yamileth Mercado. “This fight will be a war, and we will continue to demonstrate that women’s boxing brings a guarantee of both spectacle and boxing quality on Friday, July 11. Viva Mexico!”

MVP’s undefeated Dina Thorslund (23-0, 9 KOs) is a two-division world champion, unified bantamweight world champion and Denmark’s most accomplished boxer, with a national record 12 straight world title fights. Thorslund holds the unified WBC and WBO bantamweight titles and looks to extend her dominance in what will be her 14th world championship bout. She is currently ranked the #1 pound-for-pound women’s boxer in the world by Boxrec—ahead of Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, Gabriela Fundora, Claressa Shields, and others—and also holds the #5 spot on Ring Magazine’s list and #10 on ESPN’s.

“I am thrilled to be making my MVP debut on the Taylor-Serrano 3 card. Just as this historic night will celebrate the close of Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano’s once-in-a-lifetime rivalry, so too will it be a celebration of some of the most decorated women’s champions in boxing on this all-women’s card,” said Dina Thorslund. “I know my opponent will bring her very best competition to the ring on Friday, July 11, but I look forward to making Denmark proud as I successfully defend my WBC and WBO titles and become the new IBF world champion. Thank you to Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul for this opportunity to show my talent to the world from Madison Square Garden.”

IBF bantamweight world champion and new MVP signee Shurretta “Chiccn” Metcalf (14-4-1, 2 KOs) is a single mother and former underground fighter from Dallas who turned pro in 2016 and captured her first world title at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in 2024. A relentless force both inside and outside the ring, Metcalf juggles boxing with raising two sons, running a boutique and salon, bartending, personal training, and launching her own activewear line, Elite Essence.

“I’m excited to be fighting Dina Thorslund for the unified title on MVP’s all-women’s card on Friday, July 11,” said Shurretta Metcalf. “She is a very worthy opponent and I have nothing but respect for her. I’m going to bring my A-game to MSG in July!”

MVP’s rising Canadian star Tamm Thibeault (2-0, 1 KO) is a two-time Olympian, and current #5-ranked WBA and WBO middleweight contender who has competed under equal rules to men with three-minute rounds across her pro career. The 6-foot southpaw from Quebec also holds gold medals from the IBA World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and Pan Am Games, speaks French, English, and Spanish, and continues her pro ascent while earning a Master’s degree in urban planning and training at Sheffield’s Steel City Gym.

“I’m incredibly honored to be part of MVP’s Taylor vs. Serrano 3, surrounded by inspirations and champions, with the opportunity to showcase women’s boxing and make history on such a massive stage,” said Tamm Thibeault. “Facing a tough competitor like Mary Casamassa is a challenge I’m ready for, and I’m going to prove that women can thrive under the same rules as men. Competing in three-minute rounds is an important step for equality in the sport, and I’m excited to fight for it on Friday, July 11 at Madison Square Garden.”

Undefeated middleweight and super middleweight contender Mary Casamassa (6-0, 1 KO) is currently the #1 WBC and IBF contender at 160 lbs and the #1 WBA and WBO contender at 168 lbs, as well as Ring Magazine’s #4 contender at 168 lbs. The Puerto Rican-American southpaw from Pittsburgh is a former Pennsylvania Golden Gloves standout and earned her engineering degree from the University of Pittsburgh while launching her pro career. Casamassa trains out of Jack’s Boxing Gym under retired police officer Jack Mook.

“Thank you to my team, Jake Paul, Nakisa Bidarian, and the MVP team for the wonderful opportunity to showcase my abilities at this great venue in one of the greatest cities in the world,” said Mary Casamassa. “I’m a quiet person, but I love to compete and let my hands do the talking.  I can’t wait to show everyone and especially the beloved Puerto Rican community in New York what I can do!”

“Taylor vs. Serrano 3 headlines an unprecedented lineup of world title fights, with every fight on our main card to be an undisputed or unified women’s world championship fight. This is the most stacked women’s boxing card in history, bringing together six of the top fifteen pound-for-pound female fighters—including four of the top ten—on Boxrec,” said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “We are also committed to bringing another global event to fans, with stars from the US, Puerto Rico, Ireland, Spain, England, Mexico, and Canada so far represented on this card. MVP’s Ellie Scotney vs. Yamileth Mercado represent the best in the world at 122 lbs, alongside another clash of champions between MVP signees Dina Thorslund and Shuretta Metcalf and our very own Tamm Thibeault continuing to fight for equality in the sport. Friday, July 11 will be the most valuable night in women’s boxing history at Madison Square Garden, live globally on Netflix.”

Taylor vs. Serrano 3 is produced, marketed, and promoted by Most Valuable Promotions and distributed by Netflix. 

For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @Netflix, on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @Netflix, or on Netflix’s Tudum.

About Ellie Scotney

MVP’s newest signee, unified super bantamweight world champion Ellie Scotney (10-0) first broke into the boxing scene at the amateur level. Her shining amateur stint saw the London prospect win the 2017 Elite national amateur title at 57kg and the English Title at Youth level – having entered after only four amateur bouts. Scotney was in serious contention for a Great Britain Olympic qualifying place for Tokyo 2020 before deciding to leave the program to pursue her pro career. She moved 1-0 with a spiteful and impressive six round decision win over Bec Connolly on her debut before winning by decision over Mailys Gangloff in her second pro outing. Scotney then won her first fight out of Shane McGuigan’s gym in October 2021, beating Eva Cantos 79-73 at the O2 Arena. Continuing her rise, she went on to defeat the defending European super bantamweight champion Mary Romero in just her sixth pro fight on the undercard of Katie Taylor-Helen Carabajal a year later. In her next fight, Scotney earned her first shot at world title honors, contesting Cherneka Johnson for the IBF world super bantamweight title at Wembley Arena. The bout was initially planned for the Katie Taylor-Chantelle Cameron undercard in early 2023, but was postponed until June 2023. Scotney displayed a career-best performance that night, dethroning Johnson by unanimous decision to become the new IBF world champion at super bantamweight. Scotney successfully defended her IBF world title against Spain’s Laura Griffa in September 2023 before unifying the 122lb division and adding the WBO and Ring Magazine titles to her collection in a unanimous decision over then-undefeated 18-0 WBO champion Segolene Lefebvre. Scotney most recently continued to consolidate the super bantamweight world titles in her January 2025 bout against former IBO World Champion Mea Motu. Scotney again eased to a UD victory over the 20-0 Motu, adding the New Zealand fighter’s IBO hardware to her WBO, IBF, and Ring Magazine titles. The 27-year-old is currently Boxrec’s #15 pound-for-pound fighter and is ranked the #1 super bantamweight in the world by ESPN.

About Yamileth Mercado

Mexican WBC super bantamweight world champion Yamileth “Yeimi” Mercado (24-3, 5 KOs) is currently the longest-reigning titleholder with the most defenses in the women’s super bantamweight division. Born in Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, the 27-year-old has been a world champion since age 21 and has successfully defended her title eight times. Mercado made her professional debut in July 2014 at the age of 16 and won her first seven consecutive fights. She lost her undefeated record in her eighth bout while competing for the WBC Fecombox super bantamweight title against the more experienced Jessica Arreguín. Mercado then secured five consecutive victories before earning her first shot at the WBC super bantamweight world championship against Fatuma Zarika in Kenya in September 2018, which Zarika won by split decision. Despite the setback, the determined Mercado became the WBC International Champion in her next bout, defeating former world champion Alys Sánchez. She successfully defended the title one time before earning her next shot at world honors with a rematch against Zarika in November 2019, this time on Mercado’s home soil in Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, where she claimed the world title with a unanimous decision victory in front of her home fans. Since earning the WBC belt, Mercado has successfully defended her super bantamweight world title against Alejandra Julissa Guzmán, Angélica Rascón, Isis Vargas, Mariana “Barbie” Juárez, Kudakwashe Chiwandire, Paulette Valenzuela, Linda Laura Lecca, and Ramla Ali. Her only defeat during this period came in August 2021 when she challenged seven-division champion Amanda Serrano for the WBO and WBC featherweight world titles, losing by decision. Mercado, ESPN’s #2 super bantamweight and Boxrec’s #12 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, has spent a total of 199 rounds in the ring to date and will now aim to unify her WBC title against the undefeated WBF, IBF, IBO, and Ring Magazine title holder Ellie Scotney over 10 rounds on the main card of Taylor vs. Serrano 3. 

About Dina Thorslund

Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, MVP’s unified bantamweight world champion and two-division champion Dina Thorslund (23-0, 9 KOs) started her boxing journey at the age of 14. She quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a member of the Danish national team before turning professional in 2015 and winning her debut bout vs. Petra Podráská with a commanding technical knockout. In January 2017, she captured her first honors at super bantamweight, winning the vacant WBC Youth title with a unanimous decision victory over Xenia Jorneac, before capturing the WBC Interim title with a win over Hall of Famer Alicia Ashley in early 2018. Later that year, Thorslund got her first shot at a world title, handily defeating Jessica Arreguin Munoz to become the WBO super bantamweight world champion. Thorslund successfully defended her title three times at super bantamweight before moving down to the bantamweight division to contest for the then-vacant WBO title. In June 2021, Thorslund became a two-division world champion and the new WBO bantamweight world champion with a decisive victory over Jasseth Noriega. In September 2023, Thorslund unified the WBC and WBO bantamweight titles with a dominant win over Yulihan Luna Avila and has successfully defended her bantamweight hardware three times since. With a flawless professional record, the undefeated Thorslund has fought in 13 world title bouts to date, setting a Danish record with 12 consecutive world championship fights. She is currently ranked the #1 pound-for-pound women’s boxer in the world by Boxrec ahead of Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, Gabriela Fundora, Claressa Shields, and others, and is Ring Magazine’s #5 and ESPN’s #10 pound-for-pound talent. The 31-year-old Thorslund resides in Struer, Denmark, trains under Thomas Madsen, and is managed by Lee Eaton.

About Shurretta Metcalf

MVP’s new signee Shurretta “Chiccn” Metcalf (14-4-1, 2 KOs), the current IBF bantamweight champion, has had to fight—both inside and outside the ring—all of her life. Born in Oak Cliff in Dallas, Texas, Shurretta grew up in a low-income area with her two younger siblings. Her mother worked hard for the Dallas School District and Shurretta never knew her father. A talented student, she was a standout basketball player and also excelled at track and field. She had her first son at 20 years old and her second son two years later. The single mom did a variety of jobs to survive and raise her two boys, the oldest of whom is autistic. To make money, Shurretta turned to underground boxing in 2012 and fought over 100 fights, sometimes fighting as often as twice a week. In 2016 she turned pro and hasn’t stopped moving forward since—winning her first world title in October 2024 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden with a unanimous decision against then-IBF champion Miyo Yoshida. Outside her boxing career, the industrious Metcalf owns and runs a boutique and salon, works as a personal trainer, and has a mobile bartending business. She is also launching her own line of workout clothes called Elite Essence.

About Tamm Thibeault

MVP’s standout Canadian signee Tamm Thibeault (2-0, 1 KO) is currently the #5-ranked WBA and WBO middleweight contender. Originally from Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada, Thibeault began her boxing journey at the age of nine, inspired by seeing her father, a former CFL player, knock out an opponent during a Provincial boxing tournament. Following in his footsteps, she took up boxing at age 12 and was inspired to compete for Canada while watching the first women’s Olympic boxing competition during the 2012 London Olympics. The 28-year-old middleweight, a southpaw standing 6 feet tall, forged an outstanding career in the amateur ranks. A two-time Olympian, Thibeault made her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, where she advanced to the quarterfinals of the women’s 75kg (165lb) event, matching Canada’s best-ever Olympic result in any women’s boxing event. She went undefeated until she returned to the Paris Olympics in 2024, earning gold medals at the 2022 IBA Amateur World Championship, the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and the 2023 Pan Am Games. Thibeault, who speaks French, English, and Spanish, recently completed a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies from Concordia University in 2023, which she earned over seven years while competing. She currently lives in Sheffield, England, where she is earning a one-year Master’s degree in urban design and urban planning while training at the renowned Steel City Gym. Thibeault made her pro debut while competing under men’s rules, three-minute rounds, on the main card of MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 10 in December 2024, defeating Natasha “The Nightmare” Spence. She returned to the ring in March 2025 as part of MVP’s first ever event in Canada, Most Valuable Prospects 11, where she again competed under men’s rules with three-minute rounds against former US National Golden Gloves champion Sonya Dreiling. Thibeault won by knockout in the final second of the first round, proving again the impact of women competing with equal rules to men. Thibeault now will enter her third pro fight continuing to compete under equal rules over 8, three-minute rounds on Friday, July 11 against #1 contender Mary Casamassa.

About Mary Casamassa

Puerto Rican-American Mary Casamassa (6-0, 1 KO) grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With multiple brothers in the military who having boxed as amateurs, Mary grew up tough, excelling in sports and academics. Prior to becoming a boxer, she was a standout basketball player, playing through her senior year of high school at Aquinas Academy in Pittsburgh. She began boxing at the age of 15 competing in the 2018 Pennsylvania State Golden Gloves championship before deciding to turn pro while finishing her engineering degree at the University of Pittsburgh. The southpaw made her professional debut in May 2022 defeating her opponent by clear-cut unanimous decision. Two months later, she earned her first stoppage finish, shutting down LeAnn O’Malley by third round TKO. Casamassa then stepped up to face Scotland’s then-undefeated Christianne Fahey, winning by split decision. Initially fighting four and six-round bouts, Casamassa stepped up in March 2024 to her first 10-round championship fight, earning a unanimous decision over Canadian veteran and former World Champion Olivia Gerula for the W.I.B.A 168-lb world title, as well as a unanimous decision over Brazil’s Olympic bronze medalist and IBF #5 and Ring Magazine #4 middleweight Adriana Dos Santos Araujo for the W.I.B.A. 160-lb world title. Casamassa’s performances raised her to the #1 contender by each of the four major sanctioning bodies, with the WBC and IBF ranking her #1 at 160 lbs and the WBA and WBO ranking her at #1 at 168 lbs, as well as rising to Ring Magazine’s #4 contender at 168 lbs. Casamassa trains under retired police officer Jack Mook out of Jack’s Boxing Gym in Pittsburgh.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

MVP was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last six global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Perry match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano, in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April 2022 when Serrano went head-to-head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. MVP made history again in November 2024 with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano 2, the first-ever live professional sports event on Netflix, which became the most-streamed sporting event ever with 108 million live viewers globally. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of Paul vs. Tyson and the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., the 8th most-bought pay-per-view event in history.

About Netflix 

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NEW YORK, NY – April 9, 2025 – Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today continued strengthening its global investment in women’s boxing, announcing the signings of English boxing phenom and unified super bantamweight world champion at 122 lbs Ellie Scotney (10-0), IBF bantamweight world champion at 118 lbs Shurretta Metcalf (14-4-1, 2 KOs), Spain’s WBA Interim featherweight world champion at 126 lbs Jennifer Miranda (12-0, 1 KO), and Nigeria’s 126 lb Elizabeth Oshoba (9-0, 5 KOs). 

The signings of Scotney, Metcalf, Miranda, and Oshoba follow MVP’s recent series of groundbreaking commitments to women’s boxing, including MVP’s historic lifetime combat sports agreement with boxing trailblazer and seven-division world champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano that will see Serrano will compete under the MVP banner for the remainder of her boxing career before transitioning to Chairwoman of MVP’s women’s boxing initiatives, where she will spearhead efforts to identify, sign, develop, and market MVP’s growing roster of female athletes. A trailblazer for equality in the sport, Serrano will continue her mission by empowering future generations as both a role model and mentor for rising female fighters.

Building on this first-of-its-kind deal, MVP announced the historic Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano trilogy megafight, set for Friday, July 11 at Madison Square Garden, airing live globally, exclusively on Netflix at no additional cost to the platform’s 300+ million subscribers. Taylor vs. Serrano 3 will headline the first-ever all-women’s card in MSG history, setting a new financial standard for female fighters, with Taylor and Serrano earning record-breaking purses and Serrano becoming the highest-paid female athlete for a single event. Further solidifying its commitment to women’s boxing, MVP also recently signed 130 lb undisputed super featherweight world champion Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner, reigning unified bantamweight world champion at 118 lbs and Boxrec’s #1 pound-for-pound female boxer Dina Thorslund, the multi-talented Somali-British 122 lb boxer, activist, and high fashion model Ramla Ali, Costa Rica’s 20-year-old undefeated WBC Youth light flyweight 108 lb world champion Naomy Valle, and 115 lb super flyweight and 15x US national amateur champion Nat “No Love”’ Dove to its growing roster of elite women’s fighters.

Unified super bantamweight world champion Ellie Scotney (10-0), fighting at 122 lbs, first broke into the boxing scene at the amateur level. Her shining amateur stint saw the London prospect win the 2017 Elite national amateur title at 57kg and the English Title at Youth level – having entered after only four amateur bouts. Scotney was in serious contention for a Great Britain Olympic qualifying place for Tokyo 2020 before deciding to leave the program to pursue her pro career. She moved 1-0 with a spiteful and impressive six-round decision win over Bec Connolly on her debut before winning by decision over Mailys Gangloff in her second pro outing. Scotney then won her first fight out of Shane McGuigan’s gym in October 2021, beating Eva Cantos 79-73 at the O2 Arena. Continuing her rise, she went on to defeat the defending European super bantamweight champion Mary Romero in just her sixth pro fight on the undercard of Katie Taylor-Helen Carabajal a year later. In her next fight, Scotney earned her first shot at world title honors, contesting Cherneka Johnson for the IBF world super bantamweight title at Wembley Arena. The bout was initially planned for the Katie Taylor-Chantelle Cameron undercard in early 2023, but was postponed until June 2023. Scotney displayed a career-best performance that night, dethroning Johnson by unanimous decision to become the new IBF world champion at super bantamweight. Scotney successfully defended her IBF world title against Spain’s Laura Griffa in September 2023 before unifying the 122lb division and adding the WBO and Ring Magazine titles to her collection in a unanimous decision over then-undefeated 18-0 WBO champion Segolene Lefebvre. Most recently, Scotney continued to consolidate the super bantamweight world titles in her January 2025 bout against former IBO World Champion Mea Motu. Scotney again eased to a UD victory over the 20-0 Motu, adding the New Zealand fighter’s IBO hardware to her WBO, IBF, and Ring Magazine titles. She is currently ranked the #1 super bantamweight in the world by ESPN.

“Becoming a unified super bantamweight world champion has been the result of years of grit, sacrifice, and passion—and now, with the backing of MVP, Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, I’m ready to take things to the next level,” said Ellie Scotney. “MVP is breaking barriers for women’s boxing, and I’m proud to be part of a movement that’s creating real change and global opportunities for female fighters. This is just the beginning, and I can’t wait to show the world what’s next.”

Shurretta “Chiccn” Metcalf (14-4-1, 2 KOs), the current IBF bantamweight champion at 118 lbs, has had to fight—both inside and outside the ring—all of her life. Born in Oak Cliff in Dallas, Texas, Shurretta grew up in a low-income area with her two younger siblings. Her mother worked hard for the Dallas School District and Shurretta never knew her father. A talented student, she was a standout basketball player and also excelled at track and field. She had her first son at 20 years old and her second son two years later. The single mom did a variety of jobs to survive and raise her two boys, the oldest of whom is autistic. To make money, Shurretta turned to underground boxing in 2012 and fought over 100 fights, sometimes fighting as often as twice a week. In 2016 she turned pro and hasn’t stopped moving forward since—winning her first world title in October 2024 at Madison Square Garden with a unanimous decision against then-IBF champion Miyo Yoshida. Outside her boxing career, the industrious Metcalf owns and runs a boutique and salon, works as a personal trainer, and has a mobile bartending business. She is also launching her own line of workout clothes called Elite Essence.

“I am honored and overjoyed to have signed with MVP, Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. They are the premiere promoters in women’s boxing, and I look forward to being a part of their family,” said Shurretta Metcalf. “I thank them for this opportunity and I plan to make MVP proud that they are giving me this opportunity.”

WBA Interim world champion Jennifer Miranda (12-0, 1 KO) is undefeated so far in her pro career, currently ranked by Boxrec as the #3 featherweight in the world at 126 lbs. She started boxing at age 23 while at university, quickly proving herself worthy of a spot on the Spanish national team. In her amateur career, she became a nine-time consecutive Spanish national champion, won multiple international titles, and represented Spain at high-level competitions, ranking among the top nine in the world, establishing herself as a pioneer of women’s boxing in Spain. Miranda then made her professional debut in 2018, quickly establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with, competing for the then-vacant Spanish featherweight title in just her second pro fight. She defeated Jessica Sanchez by unanimous decision and successfully defended the title against Vanesa Caballero in 2019, becoming the first woman in history to defend the Spanish national title. Miranda became the WBA’s Gold champion before stepping up to face Panamanian Teresa Almengor in her most recent professional October 2024, coming away victorious with a unanimous decision and becoming the new WBA interim world champion in her sixth title fight out of her twelve pro fights to date. Miranda is slated to make her MVP debut against undisputed super featherweight world champion Alycia Baumgardner in the co-main event of the historic Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 all-women’s card on Friday, July 11 at Madison Square Garden, live globally, exclusively on Netflix. Alongside boxing, Miranda has completed two bachelor’s degrees and two master’s degrees including an MBA, and is currently pursuing another degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. Miranda is also an accomplished actress who is best known for her role as ‘Arteche’ in Netflix’s global smash-hit series Money Heist. The 38-year old trains out of The Boxer Club in Madrid, Spain with coach Javier Pardo, and is managed by Sergio Pérez.

“Signing with MVP marks an exciting new chapter in my career ahead of facing Alycia Baumgardner for the opportunity to become the next super featherweight undisputed champion on Friday, July 11,” said Jennifer Miranda. “As both an athlete and an advocate for women in sport, it’s inspiring to join a team that’s truly reshaping the future of boxing. With MVP’s support, I’m ready to take on the world stage and show that the best is yet to come.”

Elizabeth Temitayo Oshoba (9-0, 5 KOs) is an undefeated 26-year-old Nigerian featherweight boxer at 126 lbs. Growing up in a challenging neighborhood in Lagos, Oshaba was inspired by her older brother in the Nigerian Army to become tough and succeed despite all odds. She began boxing at age 13, quickly distinguishing herself with a relentless work ethic and powerful punches, the start of a decorated amateur career with over 70 fights, including becoming a 6x Nigerian national amateur champion, a bronze medal at the 2019 All African Games, a gold at the 2020 African Zone 3 Championships, and winning silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Oshoba relocated to the UK to make her pro debut in September 2022 and has maintained an unblemished record since. In November 2023, she clinched the IBO female super featherweight title, defeating Martina Reighi via unanimous decision. In January 2024, Oshaba made history with a dominant performance against Italy’s Michela Braga, winning by 10th round knockout to become Nigeria’s first female world title holder and the WBC Silver featherweight champion. She has continued to build her undefeated record, most recently defeating Agustina Rojas in June 2024 and Lenka Volejnikova in March 2025. Outside the ring, Oshoba balances academic commitments with her deep commitment to mentoring young female boxers in Nigeria, providing support and guidance to aspiring athletes and aiming to inspire and cultivate the next generation of champions. She is managed by Lee Eaton.

“Joining MVP is a dream come true—not just for me, but for every young girl in Nigeria who dares to believe in their dreams,” said Elizabeth Oshoba. “I’ve fought hard to reach this level, and now as part of MVP, I’m ready to show the world just how far I can go. I look forward to using this platform to inspire and represent. Thank you to Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian for this opportunity.”

“From day one, we said MVP would be a force for change in boxing—and a cornerstone of that statement has been supporting women’s boxing like no one has before. Today we are excited to have four more powerful women join our roster,” said Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “Ellie Scotney is going to become one of the top names in the sport in short order. Shurretta Metcalf defines the determination required for being great. Elizabeth Oshoba has the power to put the entire 126 lb division on KO notice now, and Jennifer Miranda signifies what we look for in all athletes, inside and outside the ring in her capabilities.” 

Scotney, Metcalf, Miranda, and Oshoba join MVP’s elite roster of athletes and up-and-coming talents including international superstar Jake “El Gallo” Paul, boxing trailblazer and unified featherweight world champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, undisputed super featherweight world champion Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner, 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, India’s most successful professional boxer Neeraj Goyat, top-ranked lightweight “Prince” Lucas Bahdi, Puerto Rican sensation Krystal Rosado, three-time US national boxing champion and high-fashion model Alexis “Chop Chop” Chaparro, Puerto Rican National Team star Jan Paul Rivera, two-time Canadian Olympian Tamm Thibeault, 2x amateur national champion and rising bantamweight star Alexander “The Alley Cat” Gueche, reigning unified bantamweight world champion and Boxrec’s #1 pound-for-pound female boxer Dina Thorslund, the multi-talented Somali-British boxer, activist, and high fashion model Ramla Ali, Costa Rica’s 20-year-old undefeated WBC Youth light flyweight world champion Naomy Valle, and 15x US national amateur champion Nat “No Love”’ Dove. 

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

About MVP

MVP was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP have produced Jake Paul’s last six global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Perry match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. MVP made history again in November 2024 with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2, the first-ever live professional sports event on Netflix. MVP’s Paul vs. Tyson streamed live globally on Netflix and shattered records, becoming the most-streamed sporting event ever with 108 million live viewers globally. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of Paul vs. Tyson and the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

NEW YORK CITY (January 27, 2025) – Coming off her controversial loss by decision to new International Boxing Federation (IBF) Bantamweight World Champion Shurretta Metcalf (14-4-1, 2 KOs) last October, three-time, two-division world champion Miyo Yoshida (17-5) returns to the ring February 1st against Slovakian super bantamweight Beata Dudek (5-5, 4 KOs).

Yoshida vs. Dudek is a scheduled 8-round fight on a card presented by Prime Time Promotions at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

COMPUBOX statistics for last October’s Yoshida vs. Metcalf 2 were heavily in favor of Yoshida, who lost her IBF Women’s Bantamweight World title, due to the judge’s dubious scores of 99-91 (Robin Taylor), Robert Perez (97-93) and Max DeLuca (96-94).

According to COMPUBOX, Yoshida finished the fight ahead 96-64 overall, 49-17 in jabs, 30-16 in body punches and 8-0-2 in a round-to-round breakdown of total connects.

Yoshida’s masterful defense kept her opponent at a distance, resulting in a large percentage of Metcalf’s punches falling short of connecting, striking nothing but air.

Overall, Yoshida landed an astonishingly 50-percent more punches (96-64) than Metcalf, in addition to having a much higher accuracy percentage, nearly three times as great at 22-percent to her opponent’s 9-percent.

Yoshida’s manager, New York-based lawyer Keith Sullivan, filed an appeal to the IBF, requesting an immediate rematch. The IBF reviewed Sullivan’s legal filing and supporting statistical data and took the rare move of maintaining Yoshida in the #1 ranking, and ordering her as Metcalf’s mandatory challenger, demanding Metcalf to defend her crown against Yoshida.

“I am very grateful to the IBF and my manager, Mr. Sullivan,” Yoshida said about her present status. “Looking back at the last match, I am horrified by the scoring results, especially 99-91. We had an excellent game plan to address the height and reach advantage of my opponent and we were faulted by the judges for executing it perfectly.”

The main difference between her last and upcoming fights is her mental approach to win so clearly that everyone will agree when her hand is raised in victory. Yoshida’s unconcerned about risking her mandatory title shot versus Metcalf by taking this fight with Dudek, who fights out of Hungary.

“Last year,” she explained, “I only fought one match. There was a gap between matches. In order to be in top condition, I want to fight consistently, and I’ll definitely be ready to win this match.

“My opponent (Dudek) is one weight class higher and the same height as Metcalf. So, I wanted this fight for those reasons, a bigger and taller opponent to prepare me for the re-match. Dudek is an opponent not to be underestimated. I have been training hard to keep up my spirits. I started fighting at flyweight and this will be my first time fighting at 121 pounds, but I’ve braced myself for it.”

“Miyo had a great camp. She will put on a tremendous display of her boxing skill and power. Her focus and commitment to her training is inspiring,” noted her head trainer Jimmy Sosa, who trains her with his brother Aurelino and conditioning coach, Sergiy Korchynskyy.

“By taking this fight, Miyo risks losing the title shot but she was adamant she wanted to keep busy and wanted a taller, heavier, and stronger opponent,” added Miyo’s manager Keith Sullivan. “I was very pleased with the IBF decision. I filed that within 48 hours of the decision. God willing, Miyo emerges Saturday victorious then the title shot is next.”

A boxing lawyer as well as a former Deputy Commissioner for the NYS Athletic Commission, Sullivan also manages undefeated Brooklyn heavyweight prospect Pryce Taylor (5-0, 3 KOs) and undefeated Bronx NYPD Officer Nisa Rodriguez (3-0, 1 KO), the WBA No. 3 rated welterweight, in addition to co-managing world-rated (WBA #5, IBF #6, WBC #13) welterweight contender Paddy “The Real Deal” Donovan (14-0, 11 KOs), the reigning WBA Continental Champion from Limerick, Ireland. Sullivan co-manages Donovan with former world middleweight champion Andy Lee, who is also Donovan’s head trainer.

INFORMATION

X : @MiyoBledog

Instagram : @miyo_yoshida_

Facebook: /miyoyoshida

NEW YORK CITY (October 25, 2024) – COMPUBOX numbers from this past Wednesday night’s International Boxing Federation (IBF) Women’s Bantamweight World Championship match between defending champion Miso Yoshida and challenger Shurretta Metcalf clearly do not support the judges’ controversial 10-round unanimous decision in favor of Metcalf.

The judge’s dubious scores of 99-91 (Robin Taylor), Robert Perez (97-93) and Max DeLuca (96-94) awarded Metcalf the disputed victory. The right outcome appeared clear – both in the surprise reactions of Metcalf’s corner and also the thunderous objection from the crowd. As the scores were read, immediate objections reigned down through the arena as Yoshida and many ringsiders looked stunned.

Metcalf’s unproductive higher work rate of wildly ineffective aggression apparently was favored more by the judges than Yoshida’s well timed and forceful jabs, which set up her more impactful power shots, as well as a much higher comparable percentage of connected punches.

According to COMPUBOX, punch-wise, Yoshida finished the fight ahead 96-64 overall, 49-17 in jabs, 30-16 in body punches and 8-0-2 in a round-to-round breakdown of total connects. Yoshida’s masterful defense kept her opponent at a distance, resulting in a large percentage of Metcalf’s punches falling short of connecting, and striking nothing but air.

Overall, Yoshida landed an astonishingly 50-percent more punches (96-64) than Metcalf, in addition to having a much higher accuracy percentage, nearly three times as great at 22-percent to her opponent’s 9-percent.

Considering her 4-inch height and 6 ½ -inch reach disadvantages, Yoshida shouldn’t have been discredited by the judges for her style – fighting on the outside, moving inside to land punches, and then returning to the outside – because it was really the only way she could defeat the much larger Metcalf. Based on COMPUBOX statistics, she did just that and should have had her hands raised in victory.

Putting aside the bizarrely lopsided scores from Taylor, if the other two judges scored the first, sixth and eighth rounds properly based on the COMPUBOX numbers, Miyo would have won the fight by way of a majority decision. Yoshida out-landed Metcalf in rounds one and eight by 100-percent and by 175-percent in round six. Inexplicably, those rounds were scored against Yoshida.

Go here to read COMPUBOX’s complete report: https://beta.compuboxdata.com/

“Yoshida vs. Metcalf 2” headlined the “Heroes on the Hudson 2” card, presented by DiBella Entertainment, which was broadcast live from The Theater at Madison Square Garden on ProBoxTV.

“It was an honor to once again share the ring with Shuretta,” the dejected Yoshita said shortly after the fight, “this time in the mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden. “I felt I did more than enough to win the fight, and I don’t understand why the judge’s awarded my opponent for throwing wild punches that never landed and the few that did, had no effect.”

“Having watched it ringside, read disagreement in the boxing media with the outcome and now seeing these lopsided statistics in Miyo’s favor,” Yoshita’s manager Keith Sullivan commented. “It is hard not to question the accuracy of the scoring. A 7-3 score is a disturbingly extreme stretch. The 9-1 score turned a world championship fight into a tragic farce. This was a disservice to the sport.”

The ProBox TV announcers agreed on air that the 99-91 score was “absurd”. Hall of Fame boxing writer Thomas Hauser, who covered the fight live for www.tss.ib.tv, wrote the following about “Yoshita-Metcalf 2”: “Shurretta threw wild punches from long range all night. When she landed, it seemed almost by accident. The decision could have gone either way. I thought each fighter clearly won three rounds with four rounds up for grabs. 97-93 was a stretch. 99-91 reeked of being an agenda-driven scorecard. Matt Delaglio was recently named executive director of the New York State Athletic Commission and inherited a job that has long been marked by incompetence and neglect. Delaglio is conscientious and well-qualified for the position. But he has a lot of work to do. One of the things on his ‘to-do list’ should be an overhaul of ring judging in New York. Right now, the judging in New York is unacceptable.”

A single mother of daughter Mina, Miyo is known as the “Fighting Single Mother” in Japan, where she is a revered role model. Yoshida received the 2023 Most Inspirational Female Fighter award from The Ring magazine. She moved half-way around the world from Japan to New York City to enhance her pro boxing career, unable to speak English, although she is studying to learn the language.

INFORMATION

X : @MiyoBledog

Instagram : @miyo_yoshida_

Facebook: /miyoyoshida

NEW YORK CITY (October 21, 2024) – So much has changed in the last year for three-time, two-division World Champion Miyo Yoshida (17-4, 0 KOs) when she enters the ring this Wednesday night (Oct. 23) to make the first defense of her International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight title, as well as avenge a loss to her challenger, No. 1 contender Shurretta “Chiccn” Metcalf (13-4-1, 2 KOs), at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Yoshida vs. Metcalf will headline the “Heroes on the Hudson 2” card, presented by DiBella Entertainment and broadcast live on ProBoxTV, in the 10-round (2-minutes each) main event to celebrate and support heroic veterans of the United States Armed Forces in advance of Veterans Day in the latest addition of the popular Broadway Boxing series.

A year ago, in the inaugural “Heroes on the Hudson” card, Metcalf defeated Yoshida by way of a 10-round unanimous decision, but, a month later, Yoshida answered the call to challenge IBF Bantamweight World Champion Ebanie Bridges (9-1) and the Japanese boxer was an upset winner in San Francisco via a 10-round unanimous decision (99-91, 99-91, 97-93), capturing her third world title.

“Everything changed when I received the offer two weeks before the world title I won,” Yoshida explained. “I had planned to fight if I received a nomination order, and I want to take revenge and increase my value. I can learn from my losses, so this result will be different.

“I think Metcalf maintains her boxing style with that blessed height (5’ 7 ½”) because she works so hard. She is a single mother (as is Miyo) and tries many things. She can be rough with her language, but I basically respect her. I will defend and firmly avenge my loss to her to advance my story.”

Yoshida also attributed much of her success to her New York City-based team: head trainer Jimmy Sosa, his brother and assistant trainer Aurelinna, strength-and-conditioning coach Sergie Korchynskyy, and manager Keith Sullivan.

“The Sosas are like a father to me and Sergie is like my brother,” Yoshida said. “They come to listen to my lectures, and I learn important things in life, not only through boxing, but also with many kids at Cops & Kids Boxing (gym in Brooklyn). Team Sosa patiently teaches me until I understand even if there is a language barrier. I appreciate that and members of Team Sosa are learning Japanese, because the team is united as one. (4-time World Champion Jorge Linares will work her corner and he speaks fluent Japanese.)

“Keith is my manager, and he listens to me kindly and explores many possibilities for me. He understands my struggles as a single mother, in a foreign country.”

Yoshida vs. Metcalf launches the Great 8 Tournament to crown the undisputed women’s World Bantamweight Champion.

Miyo had been training regularly with veterans and active duty personal at the U.S. military bases in Japan since her July 2016 match at Camp Zama, which inspired her to move to New York. She is still supported by the people at Camp Zama and Atsugi Base.

“It is truly an honor to be managing Miyo,” Sullivan commented. “She is a three-time world champion who brings tremendous professionalism and commitment to her training. This fight has a great drama built into it because of the loss she suffered in their first fight followed by Miyo convincingly winning the world title one month later as a last-minute fill-in. This is a Do Not Miss fight. It will be an exciting fight. I am hopeful that this tournament can be the blueprint for other female divisions to keep the champions and their mandatories active. It is a win-win for all involved.”

Sullivan is a former Deputy Commissioner for the New York State Athletic Commission, who manages IBF and WBA #6 rated welterweight Paddy “The Real Deal” Donovan (14-0, heavyweight prospect Pryce Taylor (4-0, 2 KOs), and WBC #9 rated super middleweight Nisa Rodriguez (2-0, 0 KOs), amongst several other professional fighters.

Tickets priced between $200 and $55, are available for purchase at: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/3B00613413292E16?did=yoshida

NEW YORK, NY (October 18, 2024) Next Wednesday, October 23, Lou DiBella’s DiBella Entertainment presents “Heroes on the Hudson 2,” a stacked card including three title fights, live from The Theater at Madison Square Garden. The main event features the much-anticipated rematch between IBF Bantamweight World Champion Miyo Yoshida and Shurretta Metcalf. “Heroes on the Hudson 2” will be broadcast live on ProBoxTV, beginning at 8:00pm ET/5:00pm PT. A portion of the event’s proceeds will be donated to West Point Society of New York, Merging Vets & Players, and The Headstrong Project.

Tickets for “Heroes On The Hudson 2”, priced at $182, $157, $82 and $57, can be purchased via Ticketmaster.com HERE. Doors at The Theater at Madison Square Garden will open on the night of the event at 7:15 PM ET.

How to Watch: Download the free ProBoxTV app available in all app stores, in English and Spanish. It is available on Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Samsung, LG and Fubo Sports Channel, as well as on ProBoxTV’s YouTube channel.

The evening will kick off with a heavyweight clash between Jerry “Slugger” Forrest (27-6-2, 20 KOs), of Newport News, VA, and Brooklyn, NY’s Earl Newman (10-3-1, 7 KOs), scheduled for eight rounds. Forrest, who is coming off of a unanimous decision win against Robert Hall Jr. late last year, plans to set the stage for a major fight in 2025. Before turning pro, Newman was an accomplished amateur, winning the National Golden Gloves, National PAL tournament, and New York Golden Gloves twice.

Forrest, the heavy-handed six-foot-one southpaw was given his “Slugger” nickname by his grandmother after he survived complications at birth. In 2021, Forrest engaged in back-to-back slugfests, both of which ended in controversial draws, against then-undefeated Chinese southpaw Zhilei Zhang and a rematch against top-rated contender Michael Hunter. Forrest has also battled Jermaine Franklin, Carlos Takam, Kubrat Pulev and Jared Anderson.

“I’ve been in camp for the last few months,” said Forrest. “I always stay in shape, and I’m always ready. I’m feeling good, feeling healthy, and I’m ready for a fight. We’ve been studying footage of Newman. I’m not going in the ring feeling like this will be a pushover. I will be prepared for whatever Newman brings.”

Being a part of “Heroes on the Hudson 2” is especially important to Forrest, as his father, Duane, was a Master Chief Petty Officer aboard the USS Nimitz before recently retiring from the Navy. At the outset of his ring career, Jerry had been employed as a nuclear electrician for 10 years, working on submarines and aircraft carriers.

“My parents were always very supportive of me pursuing boxing. When my dad was in the Navy, he would get the carriers to show my fights. I had soldiers all over the world supporting me whenever I fought. It is an honor to fight on this card. The military blessed my family. We wouldn’t have what we have now without it.”

The elder Forrest is proud of his son for pursuing his dream.  

“Jerry got into a fight at school with a bully, a gang member,” said Mr. Forrest, describing his son’s start in boxing. “The bully hit my son from behind, and Jerry responded by beating him up. The school official described my son’s punches sounding like a bat hitting a wall. After that, some kids came to our front door at home looking to fight my son, and he beat up them too. I told my son that if he wanted to fight, he needed to do it in the ring.

“We have always been supportive of my son’s career,” continued Mr. Forrest, who is proud that his son will fight on an event benefiting veterans. “My heart is with the veterans. I’m one myself. Men and women sign their names on dotted lines to defend this country and it’s about freedom. We enlist at our free will. That takes courage, heart, grit and guts. Only one percent of the population joins. Any member of any branch, I applaud you and thank you for your service. A lot of people won’t make the sacrifice. Most people do other things in life. It’s not easy by any means. Veterans made a sacrifice to give a part of their lives to defend democracy and freedom in our nation. I tip my hat to them because they are true leaders.”

Also on the undercard, Polish light heavyweight Konrad Kaczmarkiewicz (7-1-1, 3 KOs), a popular fighter out of Brooklyn, NY, takes on Pennsylvania’s Khainell Wheeler (7-5, 6 KOs) in a six-round bout. A Polish National Champion as an amateur, Kaczmarkiewicz trains out of the same gym as world champion Miyo Yoshida and is cornered by Aureliano Sosa. Managed by Lukasz Kownacki, he made his US debut last month in Queens, NY, with a fifth-round stoppage.

World-ranked super lightweight contender “Marvelous” Mykquan Williams (21-0-2, 10 KOs), of East Hartford, CT, squares off against Rochester, NY’s Lavisas Williams (10-1-1, 3 KOs) in the co-main event. Mykquan, who will defend his WBA Continental Americas Gold Super Lightweight title, last fought in June, stopping Willmank Brito in the third round. 

Edward “Kid” Vazquez (16-2, 3 KOs), of Fort Worth, TX, vies for the vacant IBF USBA Junior Lightweight Championship against Kenneth Taylor (14-3-2, 6 KOs), of Tyler, TX, in a 10-round contest. Vazquez has been anxious to return to the ring following his dominant win against Daniel Bailey in May. The fight followed a controversial majority decision loss to then-IBF featherweight world champion Joe Cordina in an action-packed “Fight of the Year” contender for 2023.

“Heroes on the Hudson 2” is proudly sponsored by CAVU Securities and Morgan Stanley. Companies interested in purchasing sponsorship packages available can contact DiBella Entertainment at (212) 947-2577.

A portion of the event’s proceeds will be donated to the following Veterans causes: 

West Point Society of New York provides camaraderie and support to graduates and former cadets of the United States Military Academy.  

Merging Vets & Players is an organization that combines veterans with the sporting community to help our heroes thrive and make connections and a difference on the field and in their communities. Learn more at vetsandplayers.org.

The Headstrong Project provides free, confidential, and easy-to-access mental healthcare for members of the military community. More information can be found at theheadstrongproject.org.

NEW YORK, NY (October 9, 2024) Live from The Theater at Madison Square Garden, DiBella Entertainment presents “Heroes on the Hudson 2”, a night of championship boxing to celebrate and show appreciation for our country’s military veterans. The event, set to take place on Wednesday, October 23, will be broadcast live on ProBoxTV beginning at 8:00pm ET. A portion of the proceeds from “Heroes on the Hudson 2” will be donated to West Point Society of New York, Merging Vets & Players, and The Headstrong Project.

In the main event, Miyo Yoshida (17-4) rematches Shurretta Metcalf (13-4-1, 2 KOs) for Yoshida’s IBF Bantamweight World Title. The two faced off at the first annual Heroes on the Hudson event last November, with Metcalf winning a unanimous decision. 

ProBoxTV is becoming a force in boxing broadcasting, with its Wednesday Night Fights series garnering widespread attention from fans and boxing media alike.

“I am thrilled that this year’s Heroes on the Hudson event will be streamed live on ProBoxTV via its various platforms. It is a tremendous opportunity to help spread much-needed awareness for Veterans causes and charities,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “We will have a great card for the fans in attendance and those watching around the world. Miyo Yoshida defends her world title in a rematch against Shurretta Metcalf in what will be the start of the Great 8 tournament that will ultimately crown an undisputed women’s bantamweight world champion.”

“ProBoxTV is excited to be working with DiBella Entertainment on this Veterans awareness Wednesday night fight card from The Theater at Madison Square Garden on October 23. It is an honor to be involved with an event in celebration of our Veterans of the United States Armed Forces,” said Garry Jonas, CEO of ProBoxTV. “Our Wednesday night fight series is known for evenly matched action fights and this main event, a female world title fight, is sure to deliver on that.”

Tickets for “Heroes On The Hudson 2”, priced at $182, $157, $82 and $57, are on sale now and can be purchased via Ticketmaster.com HERE. Doors at The Theater at Madison Square Garden will open on the night of the event at 7:00 PM ET.

“Heroes on the Hudson 2” is proudly sponsored by CAVU Securities and Morgan Stanley. Companies interested in purchasing sponsorship packages available can contact DiBella Entertainment at (212) 947-2577.

How to Watch: Download the free ProBoxTV app available in all app stores, in English and Spanish. It is available on Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Samsung, LG and Fubo Sports Channel, as well as on ProBoxTV’s YouTube channel.

A portion of the event’s proceeds will be donated to the following Veterans causes: 

West Point Society of New York provides camaraderie and support to graduates and former cadets of the United States Military Academy.  

Merging Vets & Players is an organization that combines Veterans with the sporting community to help our heroes thrive and make connections and a difference on the field and in their communities. Learn more at vetsandplayers.org.

The Headstrong Project provides free, confidential, and easy-to-access mental healthcare for members of the military community. More information can be found at theheadstrongproject.org.

Further details on this event will be announced shortly.

NEW YORK CITY (October 7, 2024) – Three-time, two-division World Champion Reigning Miyo Yoshida (17-4, 0 KOs) will add a special addition to her corner on October 23rd, when she makes the initial defense of her International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight title against No. 1 contender Shurretta “Chiccn” Metcalf (13-4-1, 2 KOs), at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Yoshida vs. Metcalf will headline in a 10-round (2-minutes each) main event on the “Heroes on the Hudson 2” card, presented by DiBella Entertainment, which will celebrate and support heroic veterans of the United States Armed Forces in advance of Veterans Day in the latest addition of the popular Broadway Boxing series.

Future Hall of Famer Jorge “El Nino de Oro Golden Boy” Linares (47-9, 29 KOs), the four-time, three-division world champion from his native Venezuela, will be making the trip from his home in Tokyo to the Big Apple, where he fought twice during his 21-year pro boxing career.

“My senior, Jorge Linares, will be joining me as my second this time,” through a translator Yoshida explained the difference between her first fight with her Oct. 23rd challenger. “It is reassuring to have someone who can give me instructions in Japanese for spur-of-the-moment decisions during this fight. The members of Team Sosa (Jimmy Sosa is her head trainer) are also learning Japanese. The team is united.

“Although I am struggling with the English language, I am very happy to have come to New York City. I am grateful to Lou DiBella (her promoter, DiBella Entertainment) for giving me the opportunity. The condition from him was for me and my daughter to immigrate here. I am very thankful to my manager, Keith Sullivan, for handling the business side and guiding me. Even though I don’t speak English, I have met many friends who saw what I was doing and supported me.”

Linares moved to Japan at the age of 17 because he wanted to turn pro and would have had to wait until he was 18 if he had remained in Venezuela. He was 10-4 in world title fights, defeating six world champions: Hugo Rafael Soto, Oscar Larios, Gamaliel Diaz, Jesus Chavez and Anthony Crolla (twice).

Yoshida, 35, captured the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Super Flyweight crowns twice in 2019 and 2021. She is one of 23 female world champions from Japan, only the sixth to capture world titles in two or more divisions.

In her last fight, Metcalf defeated Yoshida by way of a 10-round unanimous decision for the International Boxing Federation (IBF), ironically, on the original “Heroes of the Hudson” last November 7 also at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Last December in her most recent fight, Yoshida put on a boxing clinic in San Francisco, replacing injured Avril Mathie on less than two weeks’ notice to defeat defending IBF bantamweight title-holder Ebanie Bridges (9-1) by way of a dominant 10-round unanimous decision (99-91, 99-91, 97-93).

A single mother of daughter her, Mina, Miyo is known as the “Fighting Single Mother” in Japan, where she is a revered role model back, and for that reason as well as her success in the ring, Yoshida received the 2023 Most Inspirational Female Fighter award from The Ring magazine

Yoshida vs. Metcalf launches the beginning of the Great 8 Tournament to determine the undisputed women’s bantamweight world champion

“Miyo is a 3-time World Champion, she has proven she knows what it takes to win. Outside the ring she is an amazing single mother raising her beautiful daughter in a foreign country. Few have made the sacrifices to create opportunities for her and her daughter the way Miyo has. It is an honor to be working with such a dynamic and exciting world champion”, said Miyo’s manager New York City-based lawyer Keith Sullivan.

Sullivan is a former Deputy Commissioner for the New York State Athletic Commission, who manages IBF and WBA #6 rated welterweight Paddy “The Real Deal” Donovan (14-0, heavyweight prospect Pryce Taylor (4-0, 2 KOs), and WBC #9 rated super middleweight Nisa Rodriguez (2-0, 0 KOs), amongst several other professional fighters.

Tickets priced between $200 and $55, are available for purchase at

https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/3B00613413292E16?did=yoshida

NEW YORK, NY (September 25, 2024) Professional boxing returns to The Theater at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, October 23, when DiBella Entertainment presents “Heroes on the Hudson 2” to celebrate and support our heroic veterans of the United States Armed Forces in advance of Veterans Day. With the goal of raising money and awareness for deserving Veterans charities, this latest edition of Broadway Boxing will be headlined by a world title fight featuring IBF bantamweight champion Miyo Yoshida defending her belt in a rematch against Shurretta Metcalf.

“On October 23, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, we will honor our veterans once again with ‘Heroes on the Hudson 2’ to help generate much-needed awareness and funds for military charities. The first ‘Heroes on the Hudson’ event, held at Times Square’s Edison Ballroom, was such a resounding success that we had to move it to a bigger venue this time around,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Last year’s card was headlined by a former world champion making a comeback. This year’s main event will be a compelling world title fight between two talented, hard-working single mothers, the champion Miyo Yoshida and well-deserving #1 contender Shurretta Metcalf. It will mark the beginning of the Great 8 Tournament, aimed at crowning an undisputed women’s bantamweight world champion.”

“Heroes on the Hudson 2” is proudly sponsored by CAVU Securities and Morgan Stanley. Companies interested in purchasing sponsorship packages available can contact DiBella Entertainment at (212) 947-2577.

Tickets for “Heroes On The Hudson 2”, priced at $182, $157, $82 and $57, are on sale now and can be purchased via Ticketmaster.com HERE. Doors at The Theater at Madison Square Garden will open on the night of the event at 7:00 PM ET, with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 PM ET.

A portion of the event’s proceeds will be donated to the following Veterans causes: 

West Point Society of New York provides camaraderie and support to graduates and former cadets of the United States Military Academy.  

Merging Vets & Players is an organization that combines Veterans with the sporting community to help our heroes thrive and make connections and a difference on the field and in their communities. Learn more at vetsandplayers.org.

The Headstrong Project provides free, confidential, and easy-to-access mental healthcare for members of the military community. More information can be found at theheadstrongproject.org.

Yoshida and Metcalf initially met on November 7, 2023, as part of the undercard to last year’s “Heroes on the Hudson” event. Metcalf got the win that night via unanimous decision, using her size and consistent jab to outpace Yoshida and pick up the IBF Inter-Continental belt.

One month later, Yoshida was chosen as a late replacement opponent to face IBF world champion Ebanie Bridges in San Francisco. Coming in as a 7-1 underdog, with her young daughter cheering from ringside, Yoshida put on a dominant performance to lift the title from the Aussie in a 10-round all-action fight. With the win, she became a three-time, two-division world champion. Yoshida previously held the WBO Super Flyweight World Title twice.

Now, Yoshida and Metcalf will do battle once more, each equally motivated to settle the score.

“I’m eager for revenge against Metcalf,” said Yoshida, of Kagoshima, Japan, now based out of New York City. “Just weeks before the fight against Ebanie, I joined Sosa Crew and have been training well with them ever since. There is a lot of pressure on me heading into this rematch, but I am looking forward to seeing how much I have grown over this past year.”

Yoshida (17-4) promises that the rematch with Metcalf will have a different outcome.  

“I didn’t have a detailed strategy last time,” she continued. “I couldn’t handle the unexpected moves. I thought it was a close fight. The result was a decision loss, but I’ve learned the importance of how to score points. I am burning for revenge and I am sure I will win.”

Metcalf (13-4-1, 2 KOs), of Dallas, TX, is also eager for the rematch and determined to capture the world title. 

“I am so happy,” said Metcalf. “This is something I have worked hard for and I will finally get the opportunity I have earned. I beat Yoshida the last time and will come out on top again to become a world champion.”

Further details on this event will be announced shortly.

NEW YORK (January 12, 2024) This Sunday at 9:00pm EST, DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing Veterans Day event, dubbed “Heroes on the Hudson,” will premiere on SportsNet New York (SNY), New York City’s premier destination for sports and sporting news. The card, originally broadcast by DAZN, was part of a Veterans Day celebration, sponsored by Morgan Stanley and Cavu Securities, to support the heroic veterans of the United States Armed Forces.

The 120^th edition of the Broadway Boxing series is highlighted by the ring return of former WBO world champion and US Marine Jamel Herring against the undefeated Nick Molina.

Newly crowned IBF Bantamweight World Champion Miyo Yoshida took on Shurretta Metcalf in a 10-round bantamweight contest on the undercard with the vacant IBF Inter-Continental belt at stake. Rising heavyweight Roney Hines put his undefeated record on the line versus Jonathan Gruber, and super bantamweight contender Mikiah Kreps faced the experienced Isis Vargas Perez. 

A portion of the proceeds from the event were donated to Merging Vets and Players and the West Point Society of New York. 

“Our last Broadway Boxing event, held at Edison Ballroom in New York City, titled ‘Heroes on the Hudson’, not only celebrated the 20^th anniversary of the series, it more importantly helped to honor and support our military veterans. First broadcast on DAZN, I’m thrilled to now premiere this card to SNY’s audience,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Former world champion and US Marine Veteran, Jamel Herring, began his comeback, determined to get back into the world title picture. Miyo Yoshida, now a three-time world champion, battled Shurretta Metcalf for the IBF Inter-Continental bantamweight title on the undercard. Also that night, super bantamweight contender Mikiah Kreps, co-managed by Herring, took on former world title challenger Isis Vargas Perez and heavyweight prospect Roney Hines rumbled with Jonathan Gruber.”

Since its inception in November 2003, Broadway Boxing has featured many boxing luminaries and world champions, including Vitali Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin, George Kambosos Jr., Jamel Herring, Jose Pedraza, Amanda Serrano, Andre Berto, Heather Hardy, Paulie Malignaggi, Peter Quillin, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Joshua Clottey, DeMarcus Corley and Randall Bailey, among others.

Boxing fans wishing to enjoy “Heroes on the Hudson” can do so by tuning in to SNY on Sunday at 9:00pm EST. SNY can be found on the following platforms (list not all-inclusive – see your local TV guide): DirecTV (639), Time Warner Cable (26), Verizon FiOS: (577, 77), Cablevision (718, 60), Comcast (843, 73). 

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