Jake Paul’s MVP Launches First Women’s Boxing League with Star Roster

Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) has introduced MVPW, a fresh women’s boxing organization highlighting 43 roster members including numerous world champions and top contenders. The opening showcase, MVPW1, takes place on April 5 in London with a lightweight unification bout featuring UK-based fighters Caroline Dubois and Terri Harper. The promotion signifies a substantial investment in women’s boxing and boasts a broadcasting agreement with ESPN in the United States and Sky Sports in the UK. The statement follows as MVP continues its expansion in women’s boxing, with super-featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner preparing to defend her WBO, WBA, and IBF belts versus Bo Mi Re Shin on April 17 in New York as section of the new series.

A Modern Age for Professional Women’s Boxing

The establishment of MVPW marks a pivotal turning point for women’s boxing, demonstrating unparalleled support from major organizations to female athletes at the top tiers of the sport. Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, founding partners of MVP, highlighted their five-year history of investment in female boxing athletes, delivering what they call historic and record-breaking events. This newly established organizational format creates a centralized platform for female fighters to compete on significant venues, tackling long-standing disparities in promotional resources and media visibility that have historically benefited male boxers. The collaboration with ESPN and Sky Sports guarantees these athletes will obtain significant broadcast visibility, a essential element in building fan bases and generating revenue opportunities.

While MVPW constitutes a significant advancement, concerns persist about how the promotion will eventually evolve and develop. Bidarian noted that the organization emphasizes competitor well-being and attractive fights over launching a restrictive framework that would restrict fighters to exclusive competition within MVP. He indicated openness to working alongside established sanctioning bodies like the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF rather than introducing a competing belt system. This approach suggests MVP intends to work inside the sport’s established structure while advocating for improvements that enable more flexible matchmaking and standardized marketing efforts to strengthen the sport and expand viewership.

• MVPW1 showcases Caroline Dubois versus Terri Harper across London
• Alycia Baumgardner protects three championship belts April 17 across New York
• Amanda Serrano stands as MVP’s flagship seven-division champion
• League comprises 43 signed fighters throughout multiple weight divisions

Initial Events and Championship Matchups

MVPW’s initial lineup highlights the league’s commitment to presenting world-class championship bouts across various weight divisions. The opening weekends of April and May will position MVPW as a legitimate contender in professional boxing, with title defenses and competitive unification matches capturing international attention. These strategically selected matchups demonstrate MVP’s strategy of pairing elite fighters against formidable challengers, crafting compelling narratives that appeal to both hardcore boxing enthusiasts and recreational sports fans looking for quality competition.

The first events cover three continents, demonstrating MVPW’s worldwide goals and the universal appeal of women’s professional boxing. From London to New York to Texas, the league is establishing itself as an international powerhouse capable of delivering elite-level content across varied regions. Each card features fighters at the peak of their careers, many possessing championship belts or seeking title shots, ensuring that every bout has serious consequences for rankings and subsequent opponent pairings.

April’s Opening Days

MVPW1 launches on April 5 in London with a lightweight unification clash between British opponents Caroline Dubois and Terri Harper. This British showdown headlines the inaugural event, leveraging strong domestic interest and establishing MVPW’s credentials in a boxing-mad nation. The victor will secure lightweight dominance and emerge as a marquee name for the emerging league, establishing the standard for future events.

Just twelve days after, April 17 features MVPW’s second significant event to New York, where super-featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner defends her WBO, WBA, and IBF titles versus Bo Mi Re Shin. This three-title defense demonstrates the caliber of competition MVPW is providing from its first month, positioning the league as a venue for championship-level boxing action and drawing significant media coverage and viewership.

May’s Texas Showdown

MVPW3 wraps up the first month of events on May 30 in El Paso, Texas, featuring a highly anticipated rematch between WBA lightweight champion Stephanie Han and Holly Holm. Following their January technical decision, this rematch offers closure and clarity in a competitive division. The Texas venue broadens MVPW’s geographic reach while delivering another championship-level matchup that reinforces the league’s commitment to elite female boxing talent.

Navigating Regulatory Organizations and League Structure

While MVPW represents a major achievement for women’s boxing, questions remain about how the league will operate within boxing’s traditional sanctioning framework. MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian highlighted that the organization prioritizes athlete well-being and matchmaking logic over strict sanctioning requirements. He noted the league is “not really about sanctioning bodies” but rather about the athletes themselves, indicating a openness to collaborate alongside established organizations like the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF rather than in opposition to them. This collaborative approach distinguishes MVPW from other promotional ventures that have come into conflict with boxing’s governing bodies.

The league’s structure stays deliberately adaptable, with Bidarian indicating MVP’s openness to launching its own belt in the coming years while preserving collaborations with current sanctioning bodies. Unlike UFC-style exclusive formats where athletes compete exclusively within one organization, MVPW seems designed to enable champions to defend titles across various organizations. This hybrid model could transform the women’s boxing landscape by combining the marketing power and worldwide reach of a unified league with the legitimacy and standing of established world titles, possibly providing female fighters unprecedented opportunities for prominent fights and professional growth.

• MVP honors sanctioning bodies but prioritizes logical matchmaking and brand growth
• MVPW may create its own championship belt while working with existing organizations
• League structure enables fighters to fight on multiple platforms and sanctioning bodies

Star Quality and Financial Commitment

MVP’s investment in women’s boxing goes well past promotional rhetoric, with the organization boasting a roster of 43 signed fighters that includes several world title holders and top contenders. The league’s flagship fighter is seven-time division champion Amanda Serrano, whose presence alongside other elite athletes at the debut press conference underscored MVP’s commitment to featuring the sport’s most accomplished female boxers. This concentration of talent signals MVP is willing to invest substantial capital to establish MVPW as a legitimate and compelling alternative to conventional promotional approaches, positioning women’s boxing at the forefront of their growth strategy.

The monetary investment is further evidenced by the broadcast partnerships secured with ESPN in the United States and Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, offering MVPW with premium distribution channels that guarantee visibility for competing athletes. Co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian indicated they have “invested heavily in female athletes” over the past five years and delivered “historic and record-breaking events,” showcasing a track record of backing women’s boxing at the elite level. These partnerships and resources represent a pivotal turning point for female boxers, providing unprecedented opportunities for worldwide visibility and financial compensation that traditional promotional structures have historically denied them.

The Path Forward for MVPW

MVPW’s inaugural schedule shows ambition across multiple continents, with MVPW1 taking place on April 5 in London featuring a lightweight title fight between British rivals Caroline Dubois and Terri Harper. Just 12 days later, super-featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner will defend her WBO, WBA, and IBF titles against Bo Mi Re Shin in New York, solidifying MVPW’s presence in the United States market. The third event on May 30 in El Paso, Texas will showcase WBA lightweight champion Stephanie Han against Holly Holm in a eagerly awaited rematch, indicating MVP’s intention to create engaging storylines and repeat fights that sustain fan interest throughout the inaugural season.

However, significant structural questions persist without clear answers about how MVPW will operate long-term. While MVP’s initial statement described the series as a “global platform,” later online references to a “league” format created ambiguity about the organization’s ultimate vision. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian has indicated MVP respects existing sanctioning bodies like the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF, suggesting MVPW will function as a promotional vehicle rather than a closed UFC-style system restricting fighter movement. This approach emphasizes matchmaking flexibility and showcasing world champions within the MVPW brand, though it leaves unresolved whether the organization will eventually pursue its own championship belts.