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ANTONIO VARGAS CLAIMS WBA INTERIM WORLD BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE WITH TKO VICTORY OVER WINSTON GUERRERO AT MVP’S MOST VALUABLE PROSPECTS 10 PROMOTED BY BOXLAB PROMOTIONS, AVAILABLE GLOBALLY ON DAZN
MVP’s Javon Walton Dominates Erik Henley with Majority Decision Win, Undefeated Dainier Pero Delivers 1st-Round TKO Victory
MVP's latest signee, Tamm Thibeault, makes history as the first woman to make her pro debut under men’s rules—four three-minute rounds—delivering a dominant unanimous decision win over Natasha “The Nightmare” Spence
WBA Recognizes Jake Paul, Amanda Serrano, and Christy Martin for Their Groundbreaking Impact on Women’s Boxing at Most Valuable Prospects 10, Honoring Paul as Most Influential Promoter of 2024, Serrano as Lifetime WBA Ambassador, and Martin as WBA Honorary Lifetime Champion
ORLANDO, Fla. – December 13, 2024 – In the main event of MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 10, 28-year-old Antonio Vargas (19-1, 11 KOs) proved why he is the WBA’s #1 bantamweight contender as he became the new WBA interim world bantamweight champion following a tenth round TKO of 24-year-old Nicaraguan sensation and the WBA’s #9-ranked contender Winston “El Fantasma” Guerrero (22-1). Vargas dropped Guerrero early with a counter uppercut-left hook combination, but Guerrero came back in the second round, knocking Vargas down with a powerful overhand right. From there, Vargas took control, wearing Guerrero down with body shots and dominant combinations. In the 10th round, Vargas landed a devastating right hand that sent Guerrero to the ropes, finishing the fight with a flurry of punches, securing the TKO victory. MVP’s tenth installment of the Most Valuable Prospects series, presented by CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, took place at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL, live on DAZN with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter.
In the co-main event, MVP’s Javon "Wanna" Walton (2-0-1, 1 KO) returned to the ring against the experienced Erik Hanley (1-2, 1 KO) in a 4-round super featherweight bout. Wanna came out firing hard punches from the opening bell, showcasing his superstar potential with quick-twitch explosiveness, speed, and power, highlighted by a ferocious left hook. Despite Hanley’s toughness and ability to absorb punishment, Wanna’s relentless pressure and aggressive combinations overwhelmed his opponent. Walton dominated throughout and earned a well-deserved win by majority decision (40-36 x2, 38-38).
Post-fight, an emotional Walton spoke to ringside reporter Sibley Scoles, expressing his gratitude to MVP, his family, and his fans for their unwavering support following a tough global debut in March 2024 and recent injuries. Jake Paul joined him in the ring, noting that Walton, like himself, started his career in the spotlight and rose to the occasion. Paul praised Walton’s ability to handle pressure and highlighted the significant improvement he's shown, emphasizing the display of power, aggression, and skill that made his performance so impressive.
In a sensational heavyweight battle, undefeated Cuban Olympian Dainier "The Fear" Pero (10-0, 8 KOs) made his fourth Most Valuable Prospects series appearance of 2024, capturing the vacant WBA Continental USA Heavyweight title with a TKO win over Walter Burns (8-3, 6 KOs). The 25-year-old Pero delivered a devastating display of power, knocking Burns down twice with thunderous head shots in the first round before finishing him for good at 2:50 of round 1. The victory, his sixth straight by TKO, capped an unstoppable year for Pero, who went 5-0 with 5 KOs in 2024, solidifying his status as a leading candidate for Prospect of the Year. Following the bout, Pero thanked MVP, Boxlab, and his supporters.
Tamm Thibeault (1-0), two-time Canadian Olympian, amateur world champion, and MVP’s latest signee, made history tonight as the first female boxer to make her professional debut under men’s rules—four three-minute rounds—in the Most Valuable Prospects 10 main card opener. Facing the WBA’s #10-ranked contender, Natasha “The Nightmare” Spence (8-7-2, 6 KOs), Thibeault delivered a commanding performance that showcased her immense potential as a future champion. Utilizing her impressive height, reach, and fluid movement, Thibeault combined strength and technical precision to dominate from the opening bell. Demonstrating the power and skill that made her an unstoppable force in the amateur ranks, she earned a unanimous decision victory (40-36 x3) to begin her professional career with a powerful statement.
Thibeault celebrated her victory alongside her new MVP teammates Jake Paul and Amanda Serrano in the ring, marking a momentous occasion for women’s boxing. Paul praised Thibeault as “the future” of the sport, while Thibeault expressed gratitude to Serrano for breaking barriers and inspiring a new generation of female fighters. Serrano reflected on the empowerment of being a female fighter in this historic era.
Following the bout, WBA President Gilberto Mendoza joined them in the ring to recognize their contributions. Mendoza thanked Jake Paul for his unwavering commitment to women’s boxing, presenting him with the title of Most Influential Promoter of 2024. Amanda Serrano was honored as a lifetime WBA ambassador for her groundbreaking achievements and dedication to the sport. Boxing legend and former women’s champion Christy Martin was also celebrated, receiving the title of WBA Honorary Lifetime Champion for her decades of contributions to women’s boxing.
In the preliminary card headliner, 24-year-old Orlando talent Jeovanny Estela (14-2, 5 KOs) faced Jocksan Blanco (8-0, 4 KOs) in an eight-round bout for the WBA Continental USA super welterweight title. After a hard-fought battle that went the distance, an emotional Blanco secured the title with a majority decision victory (76-76, 77-75 x2).
Additional action on the preliminary card featured the undefeated Armenian prospect Gurgen “Big Gug” Hovhannisyan (7-0, 6 KOs), who battled Samoan fighter Patrick Mailata (6-3, 3 KOs) in an eight-round heavyweight bout. In a back-and-forth affair, Mailata landed some devastating shots in round 6, wobbling Hovhannisyan. However, the resilient Hovhannisyan regained his composure and demonstrated why he's one of the most exciting up-and-coming heavyweights, finishing strong with his jabs to secure a hard-fought majority decision (76-76, 77-75 x2).
Opening the preliminary card, Dominican prospect Hendri “La Bazuca” Cedeño (15-0, 11 KOs) continued his undefeated streak as he faced Mexican fighter Luis “Matador” Hernandez Ramos (23-6, 20 KOs) in an 8-round super lightweight bout. The 26-year-old Cedeño continued to showcase his rise in the division against the formidable 28-year-old Ramos, securing a unanimous decision victory (78-74, 79-73 x2).
The WBA recognized 103 years of progress ahead of the preliminary bouts, thanking fans and fighters around the world for their support. Current and former boxing champions were in attendance to celebrate, including Miguel Coto, Felix Trinidad, Nonito Donaire, Franchon Crews-Dezurn, Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Marques, Caleb Plant, Jose Valenzuela, Erislandy Lara, and Alycia Baumgardner.
Opening the night, 32-year-old Venezuelan Fradimil Macayo (18-1, 14 KOs) took home a second-round KO victory over seasoned Colombian veteran Oscar “El Guerrero” Escandon (27-9, 18 KOs) in an 8-round lightweight clash.
In a series of closing walkout bouts, Melbourne, Florida 18-year-old talent Alex Bray (8-0, 6 KOs) became the new WBA Continental Americas super welterweight champion, defeating Argentina’s Gaston Rios (10-2, 7 KOs) by first round TKO. Kissimmee, Florida’s 25-year-old talent Antreveous Ingram (9-0, 4 KOs) earned a TKO victory over Nicaragua’s Freddy Espinoza (10-8, 7 KOs) at 1:00 in the first round of a super welterweight bout. In a 6-round middleweight bout, Jamar Pemberton (8-1, 5 KOs) vs. Kahlil Mitchell (4-1, 2 KOs) resulted in a majority decision (56-56, 57-55x2) for Pemberton.
The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and marketed by MVP with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter and is distributed globally by DAZN. The tenth event in the series highlighted the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to showcase the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, maker of lifestyle energy drinks, is the exclusive energy drink of MVP and the presenting sponsor of the Most Valuable Prospects series. Most Valuable Prospects is also sponsored by Fansly, Event Ticket Center, Total Wireless, and Undisputed.
For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @DAZNBoxing.
About MVP:
Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. Since inception MVP has consistently produced the biggest combat sports pay-per-view events. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. The company signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which is the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.
About DAZN:
DAZN is the home of European football, women’s football, boxing and MMA, and the NFL (excl. USA). We are building the ultimate sports entertainment platform, based on premium sports rights, world-leading tech, and multi-platform distribution. DAZN believes that fans from across the globe should be able to watch, read, bet, play, share, socialise, buy tickets and merchandise, all in one place, with one account, one wallet and on one app. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit dazngroup.com.
