Most Valuable Promotions expands its investment in women’s boxing with a dedicated platform and multi-year ESPN partnership.
Boxing has always evolved in unexpected ways. New promoters appear, broadcast partnerships shift, and occasionally an unlikely figure emerges to influence the direction of the sport.
In recent years, one surprising development has been the rise of Jake Paul, not only as a fighter but also as a promoter with growing influence in boxing’s business landscape.
Through Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), Paul and his partner Nakisa Bidarian have gradually moved beyond novelty-driven events toward a broader promotional effort. Their latest step, the launch of MVPW (a platform dedicated to women’s boxing), signed a multi-year broadcast agreement with ESPN, represents another development in the sport’s steady shift toward greater visibility for female fighters.
While women’s boxing has gained momentum over the past decade, consistent television exposure and promotional backing have often been lacking. The MVPW initiative appears designed to address that.
Building the Promotional Foundation
Most Valuable Promotions was established in 2021 and quickly began assembling a roster that blended recognizable names with emerging fighters. One of the promotion’s earliest and most significant moves was signing Puerto Rican champion Amanda Serrano, widely regarded as one of the most accomplished female fighters of the modern era.
Serrano became central to the promotion’s early growth. In April 2022, she faced Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden in a bout that marked the first time women headlined the historic venue. The fight drew global attention and demonstrated that women’s boxing could carry a major event. The matchup was named Fight of the Year by The Sweet Science.
Since then, MVP has continued signing female fighters while promoting women’s bouts as featured attractions rather than supporting acts.
The promotion’s growing stable now includes several world champions and contenders, among them unified featherweight champion Amanda Serrano, undisputed bantamweight champion Cherneka Johnson, WBC featherweight champion Tiara Brown, IBF junior middleweight champion Oshae Jones, as well as Ebanie Bridges and Tamm Thibeault.
The Launch of MVPW
This year the company announced the creation of MVPW, a platform specifically structured around women’s boxing. The initiative is supported by a multi-year agreement with ESPN that will distribute events across its television and digital outlets through 2028.
For boxing fans, the deal also signals the return of regular boxing programming to ESPN following the conclusion of its previous partnership with Top Rank.
The inaugural event, MVPW-01, is scheduled for April 5 at Olympia Events in London and will serve as the promotion’s previously announced United Kingdom debut.
The main event will feature WBC lightweight champion Caroline Dubois (12-0-1, 5 KOs) meeting WBO titleholder Terri Harper (16-2-2, 6 KOs) in a ten-round lightweight unification bout.
Another significant matchup on the card will see unified junior featherweight champion Ellie Scotney (11-0) face WBA champion Mayelli Flores (13-1-1, 4 KOs) with the undisputed championship at stake in a scheduled ten-round contest.
Also featured, former undisputed junior welterweight champion Chantelle Cameron (21-1, 8 KOs) is expected to move up two weight divisions to meet undefeated Michaela Kotaskova (11-0-4, 2 KOs) for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title.
Early Event Schedule
MVPW’s early calendar suggests an active rollout for the new platform.
MVPW-02, scheduled for April 17 at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, will feature unified junior lightweight champion Alycia Baumgardner (17-1, 7 KOs) defending her titles against South Korea’s Bo Mi Re Shin (19-3-3, 10 KOs) in a bout contested under men’s rules with twelve three-minute rounds.
In the co-feature, Shadasia Green (16-1, 11 KOs) will defend her unified super middleweight titles against former light heavyweight champion Lani Daniels (11-4-2, 1 KO).
The third scheduled event, MVPW-03, is planned for May 30 in El Paso, Texas. The card will be headlined by a lightweight title rematch between Holly Holm (34-3-3, 9 KOs) and undefeated champion Stephanie Han (12-0, 3 KOs). Han captured the WBA title in their first meeting when an accidental clash of heads forced a technical decision after seven rounds.
A Different Promotional Approach
Rather than centering cards around a single headline bout, MVPW appears structured to feature multiple women’s contests on each event. The concept resembles a league-style model in which fighters appear regularly enough for fans to follow developing rivalries and career trajectories.
For much of boxing history, women’s fights were scheduled sporadically, often appearing on undercards without sustained promotional backing. Regular exposure on a major broadcast platform could help change that dynamic by allowing fighters to build recognizable identities with fans.
MVP’s leadership has framed the project as part of a broader long-term strategy.
Co-founders Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul have stated that since the inception, MVP has strategically focused on creating an umbrella brand as the global home for women’s boxing the includes the best fighters in the world; thus engaging existing boxing fans and attracting untapped fan demographics that embrace women’s sport. Over the past five years, they have invested heavily in female athletes, delivered historic and record-breaking events, and proven that these athletes belong on the biggest stages in the sport.
A Sport Already on the Rise
The broader momentum behind women’s boxing did not begin with MVP. The sport has grown steadily since women’s boxing was introduced to the Olympic Games in 2012. Champions such as Claressa Shields, Katie Taylor, and Amanda Serrano have helped bring the sport to larger audiences. High-profile events over the past decade demonstrated that competitive women’s bouts can attract strong interest when given proper promotion. MVPW may represents an important step in an ongoing evolution.
Looking Ahead
Boxing history suggests that promotional ventures succeed or fail based on familiar factors: competitive matchmaking, compelling fighters, and the ability to maintain regular events.
For women’s boxing, the opportunity itself is significant. A consistent platform on a major network has long been one of the sport’s missing elements. If the women deliver, as they often have, the audience will likely follow.
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