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 contracted athletes with numerous world champions and top contenders. The opening showcase, MVPW1, takes place on April 5 in London with a lightweight championship bout led by British fighters Caroline Dubois and Terri Harper. The league represents a substantial investment in female 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 title holder Alycia Baumgardner scheduled to defend her WBO, WBA and IBF titles against Bo Mi Re Shin on April 17 in New York as part of the inaugural series.

A New Era for Women’s Professional Boxing

The establishment of MVPW constitutes a watershed moment for women’s boxing, signaling historic backing from established institutions to female athletes at the highest levels of the sport. Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, founding partners of MVP, emphasized their five years of consistent work of financial backing in women’s boxers, providing what they characterize as historic and record-breaking events. This newly established organizational format offers a single stage for female fighters to take part in significant venues, addressing enduring gaps in promotional support and media exposure that have conventionally advantaged male boxers. The collaboration with ESPN and Sky Sports secures these athletes will receive significant broadcast visibility, a crucial factor in creating supporter communities and opening earning potential.

While MVPW represents a important progression, questions remain about how the organization will function and develop. Bidarian noted that the organization places a premium on competitor well-being and quality competition over launching a closed UFC-style system that would limit fighters to exclusive competition within MVP. He expressed interest in working alongside established sanctioning bodies like the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF rather than creating a alternative ranking system. This approach indicates MVP seeks to work alongside current boxing governance while pushing for improvements that allow greater scheduling flexibility and consistent promotional strategies to improve boxing and grow its audience.

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

First Events and Title Matchups

MVPW’s debut schedule highlights the league’s dedication to presenting world-class championship bouts across multiple weight divisions. The early weekends of April and May will establish MVPW as a legitimate contender in professional boxing, with title matches and high-stakes unification matches capturing international attention. These strategically selected matchups demonstrate MVP’s strategy of pairing elite fighters against formidable challengers, creating compelling narratives that appeal to both devoted boxing enthusiasts and recreational sports fans seeking quality competition.

The inaugural events extend across three continents, demonstrating MVPW’s global ambitions and the broad reach of women’s professional boxing. From London to New York to Texas, the league is positioning itself as an global leader able to offer premium content across diverse markets. Each card presents fighters at the peak of their careers, many holding world titles or pursuing championship opportunities, confirming that every bout holds major stakes for rankings and future matchmaking opportunities.

The April First Weekend

MVPW1 debuts on April 5 in London with a lightweight title unification bout between British rivals Caroline Dubois and Terri Harper. This domestic clash anchors the inaugural event, leveraging robust local appeal and cementing MVPW’s standing in a boxing-obsessed country. The victor will secure lightweight supremacy and emerge as a marquee name for the fledgling league, setting the tone for future events.

Just twelve days after, April 17 brings MVPW’s second major event to New York, where super-featherweight titleholder Alycia Baumgardner defends 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, establishing the league as a venue for championship-level boxing action and drawing significant media coverage and viewership.

May’s Texas Showdown

MVPW3 concludes 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 provides closure and clarity in a competitive division. The Texas venue broadens MVPW’s geographic footprint while providing another title-level matchup that reinforces the league’s dedication to elite female boxing talent.

Working with Regulatory Organizations and League Structure

While MVPW represents a major achievement for women’s boxing, concerns persist about how the league will function within boxing’s established sanctioning structure. MVP co-established leader Nakisa Bidarian highlighted that the organization places emphasis on fighter welfare and strategic matchmaking over rigid sanctioning body protocols. He stated the league is “not really about sanctioning bodies” but rather about the fighters involved, indicating a openness to collaborate alongside established organizations like the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF rather than against them. This collaborative approach sets apart MVPW from competing promotions that have clashed with boxing’s governing bodies.

The league’s structure remains deliberately flexible, with Bidarian noting MVP’s openness to launching its own belt in the coming years while maintaining partnerships with existing regulatory organizations. Unlike traditional UFC closed systems where fighters compete exclusively within one entity, MVPW appears designed to enable champions to protect their championships across multiple platforms. This blended approach could transform the women’s boxing landscape by combining the marketing power and worldwide reach of a consolidated organization with the credibility and standing of established world titles, possibly offering female fighters unmatched chances for prominent fights and career advancement.

• MVP acknowledges sanctioning bodies but focuses on logical matchmaking and expansion objectives
• MVPW may introduce its own championship belt while working with existing organizations
• League structure enables fighters to fight on multiple platforms and sanctioning bodies

Star Quality and Monetary Commitment

MVP’s commitment to women’s boxing extends far beyond promotional rhetoric, with the organization boasting 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 launch news conference underscored MVP’s commitment to showcasing the sport’s most accomplished female boxers. This assembly of elite fighters signals Jake Paul’s promotions company is willing to invest substantial capital to establish MVPW as a legitimate and compelling alternative to traditional boxing promotion models, placing women’s boxing at the forefront of their strategic expansion.

The financial support is additionally demonstrated by the broadcast partnerships secured with ESPN in the United States and Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, providing MVPW with high-quality broadcast platforms that ensure 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,” showcasing a proven history of backing women’s boxing at the elite level. These partnerships and resources constitute a pivotal turning point for female boxers, providing unprecedented opportunities for global exposure and monetary rewards that traditional promotional structures have historically denied them.

The Future Direction for MVPW

MVPW’s first lineup demonstrates ambition across multiple continents, with MVPW1 launching on April 5 in London featuring a lightweight unification clash 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 feature WBA lightweight champion Stephanie Han against Holly Holm in a highly anticipated rematch, signaling MVP’s intention to build compelling narratives and recurring matchups that sustain fan interest throughout the inaugural season.

However, significant structural questions remain unanswered about how MVPW will function over time. While MVP’s initial statement characterized the venture as a “global platform,” subsequent social media references to a “league” format introduced uncertainty about the organization’s ultimate vision. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian has indicated MVP acknowledges current sanctioning bodies like the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF, suggesting MVPW will function as a promotional vehicle rather than a closed UFC-style system limiting athlete mobility. This approach prioritizes matchmaking flexibility and showcasing world champions within the MVPW brand, though it leaves unresolved whether the organization will ultimately establish its own championship belts.