Most Valuable Promotions has announced the full card for its inaugural US event for MVPW, a modern global women’s boxing platform, headlined by Alycia Baumgardner’s junior lightweight title defense against Bo Mi Re Shin at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden on April 17.
Undefeated middleweight title challenger Tamm Thibeault (4-0, 3 KO) will face undefeated Nadja Jesus (5-0, 3 KO) in a 10-round fight. Puerto Rico’s Krystal Rosado (8-1, 2 KO) will open the main event against Mexico’s Fernanda Reyes (8-0) in an eight-round bantamweight bout. These two fights will join Baumgardner-Shin and Shadasia Green’s unified super middleweight title defense against Lani Daniels and will form the women’s main card to close out the night.
“I am proud to be a part of the first women’s main card on ESPN,” Thibeault said in a statement. “ESPN and MVP are making a statement by bringing women’s boxing to the forefront, and on Friday, April 17, I will be ready to showcase my talent, elegance and exactly why I belong in this scene.”
There will also be several men’s fights in the qualifiers, including American Olympian Jahmal Harvey (2-0, 1 KO) against Argentine Leandro Medina (7-3-1, 4 KO) in a six-round lightweight fight. Javon “Wanna” Walton (3-0-1, 1 KO) from the HBO series “Euphoria” continues his search for a professional boxer when he steps into the ring with Dionne Ruvalcaba (2-2, 1 KO) in a six-round lightweight battle.
Undefeated flyweight Nat “No Love” Dove (7-0-1, 2 KO) will face Maria Micheo in an eight-round fight, while Raquel “Pretty Beast” Miller (13-0, 6 KO) is scheduled to make her MVP debut against Adriana Araujo (6-3, 1 KO) in a six-round super middleweight match. Both bouts are awaiting final approval from the Modern York State Athletic Commission.
The gala will be complemented by bantamweight fights between Elon De Jesus (11-1-2, 8 KO) and Connor Adaway (10-2-1, 4 KO), as well as Alex Vargas (14-0, 5 KO) and Ryan O’Rourke (13-0, 3 KO).
“MVPW was created to give the best women in boxing the same platform, spotlight and opportunity as men in the sport, and this card shows exactly what that looks like,” said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “We are proud that women are leading the way in MVPW. This is what true equality in sports looks like.
“For years, women have fought at the halfway point of men’s events, and now the roles can be reversed, with top female fighters headlined, supported by the incredible male talent on the card. MVPW-02 highlights the incredible depth of talent in women’s boxing today, and bringing the event to Modern York at Madison Square Garden and broadcast live on ESPN is another crucial step toward establishing MVPW as the global home of women’s boxing.”