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

Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) has introduced MVPW, a new women’s boxing league featuring 43 contracted athletes with numerous world champions and elite competitors. The first event, MVPW1, occurs on April 5 in London with a lightweight championship bout featuring UK-based fighters Caroline Dubois and Terri Harper. The promotion signifies a substantial investment in women’s boxing and features a broadcast partnership with ESPN in the America and Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. The news arrives as MVP pursues further growth in women’s boxing, with super-featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner scheduled 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 New Age for Professional Women’s Boxing

The launch of MVPW marks a watershed moment for women’s boxing, signaling historic backing from established institutions to women competitors at the elite echelons of the sport. Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of MVP, emphasized their five-year track record of investment in women boxers, delivering what they characterize as historic and record-breaking events. This new league structure creates a centralized platform for women boxers to take part in major stages, confronting enduring gaps in promotional resources and media exposure that have traditionally favored male boxers. The collaboration with ESPN and Sky Sports guarantees these athletes will gain significant broadcast visibility, a vital component in building fan bases and generating revenue opportunities.

While MVPW marks a important progression, uncertainty lingers about how the organization will function and grow. Bidarian clarified that the organization prioritizes competitor well-being and quality competition over creating a restrictive framework that would restrict fighters to sole participation within MVP. He expressed interest in working alongside major sanctioning authorities like the major boxing sanctioning bodies rather than launching a competing belt system. This approach suggests MVP aims to work within boxing’s existing regulatory framework while pushing for changes that permit expanded fight opportunities and standardized marketing efforts to improve boxing and increase fan engagement.

• MVPW1 features Caroline Dubois versus Terri Harper in London
• Alycia Baumgardner defends three championship belts on April 17 in New York
• Amanda Serrano stands as MVP’s marquee seven-division titleholder
• League includes 43 signed fighters across multiple weight classes

First Events and Title Matchups

MVPW’s initial lineup showcases the league’s commitment to presenting top-tier championship bouts across multiple weight divisions. The early weekends of April and May will establish MVPW as a serious contender in professional boxing, with title matches and competitive unification matches capturing international attention. These carefully curated matchups reflect MVP’s strategy of pairing elite fighters against worthy challengers, crafting compelling narratives that appeal to both devoted boxing enthusiasts and recreational sports fans looking for quality competition.

The opening events span three continents, underscoring MVPW’s worldwide goals and the widespread popularity of women’s professional boxing. From London to New York to Texas, the league is presenting itself as an international powerhouse equipped to provide elite-level content across different territories. Each card features fighters at the prime of their careers, many holding world titles or seeking title shots, ensuring that every bout has serious consequences for rankings and subsequent opponent pairings.

April’s Opening Weekend

MVPW1 debuts on April 5 in London with a lightweight unification clash between British opponents Caroline Dubois and Terri Harper. This domestic clash anchors the inaugural event, leveraging robust local appeal and establishing MVPW’s credentials in a boxing-obsessed country. The victor will secure lightweight dominance and become a marquee name for the emerging league, establishing the standard for subsequent events.

Just a dozen days later, April 17 brings MVPW’s second major event to New York, where super-featherweight titleholder Alycia Baumgardner puts on the line her WBO, WBA, and IBF titles against Bo Mi Re Shin. This triple-title defense showcases the caliber of competition MVPW is providing from its first month, positioning the league as a venue for championship boxing competition and attracting significant media coverage and viewership.

May’s featured Texas Showdown

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

Understanding Regulatory Organizations and Competitive Framework

While MVPW constitutes a significant milestone for women’s boxing, concerns persist about how the league will operate within boxing’s traditional sanctioning framework. MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian emphasized that the organization prioritizes fighter welfare and matchmaking logic over rigid sanctioning body protocols. He stated 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 against them. This partnership strategy distinguishes MVPW from other promotional ventures that have clashed with boxing’s governing bodies.

The league’s framework stays deliberately adaptable, with Bidarian indicating MVP’s willingness to launching its own belt in the coming years while maintaining collaborations with existing sanctioning bodies. Unlike traditional UFC exclusive formats where fighters compete exclusively within one organization, MVPW appears designed to enable champions to defend titles across various organizations. This hybrid model may revolutionize women’s boxing by combining the marketing power and worldwide reach of a consolidated organization with the credibility and prestige of established world titles, possibly providing female fighters unprecedented opportunities for prominent fights and career advancement.

• MVP acknowledges sanctioning bodies but prioritizes strategic fighter pairings and brand growth
• MVPW may launch its own title belt while working with existing organizations
• League structure enables fighters to fight on multiple platforms and sanctioning bodies

Celebrity Appeal and Monetary Commitment

MVP’s investment in women’s boxing goes well past promotional rhetoric, with the organization featuring a roster of 43 signed fighters that includes multiple world champions and top contenders. The league’s marquee attraction is seven-division champion Amanda Serrano, whose presence alongside other elite athletes at the debut press conference underscored MVP’s commitment to featuring the sport’s leading women boxers. This concentration of talent signals Jake Paul’s promotions company is willing to deploy significant financial resources to establish MVPW as a credible and attractive alternative to conventional promotional approaches, placing women’s boxing at the forefront of their strategic expansion.

The financial support is further evidenced by the media deals established with ESPN in the United States and Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, offering MVPW with high-quality broadcast platforms that guarantee visibility for competing athletes. Co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian stated they have “committed significant resources to female athletes” over the past five years and produced “landmark and unprecedented events,” demonstrating a track record of backing women’s boxing at the highest level. These partnerships and resources represent a pivotal turning point for female boxers, offering 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 demonstrates ambition spanning multiple continents, with MVPW1 launching 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 build compelling narratives 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 original announcement described the series as a “global platform,” subsequent social media references to a “league” format created ambiguity about the organization’s long-term direction. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian has indicated MVP respects existing sanctioning bodies like the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF, suggesting MVPW will operate as a promotional vehicle rather than a closed UFC-style system restricting fighter movement. This approach prioritizes matchmaking flexibility and maximizing world champions within the MVPW brand, though it fails to clarify whether the organization will eventually pursue its own championship belts.