Five years of MVP: from influencers to a force in women's boxing
On 29 August 29 Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) will mark its fifth anniversary, five years after staging its inaugural show in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2021; the promotion's anniversary card this weekend is headlined by Mikaela Mayer against Chantelle Cameron in a light-middleweight unification bout.
MVP began with a headline fight on its first show in Cleveland featuring co-founder and online influencer Jake Paul taking on MMA fighter Tyron Woodley, followed by a Paul-Woodley rematch in Tampa a few months later; for a long time the promotion was best known for events such as Paul fighting Mike Tyson, an occasion the article described as occurring "at a time when Tyson was so far over the hill that the hill could not be seen in the rearview mirror." MVP's early reputation was built on cards that many boxing purists regarded as unconventional, but the five-year card this weekend presents a markedly different emphasis.
The main card contains five women's bouts and is headlined by Mayer versus Cameron to unify the WBA, WBC and WBO light-middleweight belts, with Caroline Dubois defending her WBC and WBO lightweight titles against Amelia Moore as the primary support.
MVP has grown into what the article describes as a major player and the primary UK promoter of women's boxing, a shift reflected in the changing attitudes cited by Caroline Dubois. "Respect is the biggest change. I've seen and felt it," Dubois told BBC Sport. "I remember if you said you're a female boxer, people would look at you like 'ah' – but now people are like 'OK, let's see you fight' – it's not a joke, a gimmick, a side caricature. It's part of the real deal."
Chantelle Cameron left promoter Queensberry for MVP last year; her WBC interim title fight against Patricia Berghult in November 2024 was a co-main event at Birmingham's BP Pulse Arena and, eight months later, she fought Jessica Camara at Madison Square Garden on her MVP debut. She returns to the BP Pulse on Saturday to headline what the article describes as her biggest bout since a 2023 double-header against Katie Taylor. "MVP are taking over women's boxing," Cameron told BBC Sport. "They've been amazing. Everything they've said they'll do, they've done. "They got me my world title shot. They got me my Mayer fight. It's all been so quick – it's just my third fight with them."
Cameron previously fought on Matchroom's roster and beat Katie Taylor before Taylor avenged the defeat; Cameron reflected on those contests and the hiatus that followed: "The Katie Taylor fights will always go down in history," she said. "But it dipped. I lost momentum. Went on the shelf. I couldn't get the names, couldn't get the fights, nobody wanted to fight me. I wanted the fights, but they just weren't happening." The promotion's stable now includes Dubois, Cameron, Mayer and Terri Harper, with Serrano, Alycia Baumgardner and former undisputed super-bantamweight champion Ellie Scotney also signed to MVP.
Caroline Dubois has adopted a more outspoken public approach since joining MVP, including calling out Terri Harper and engaging in a face-off that the article described as feisty, moves that coincided with her stepping up from the Park Community Arena in Sheffield to headline shows in Miami and London's Olympia. "They've helped me get to that next level," Dubois says. "I want to be involved in the best, the biggest and the most important fights. "Jake [Paul] brings the social influencer dynamic. He gave me tips and pointers and how I should build fights. "We're entertainers. It's always good to get that insight from someone who is technically outside of the sport. He has that fresh mindset. MVP have that on lock."
Terri Harper, who lost to Dubois on points in April, begins a rebuild earlier on the anniversary card against Miranda Reyes; she had considered retirement after a 2024 defeat to Sandy Ryan but not after the loss to Dubois. "It's my last roll of the dice to see how far I can push to become a four-weight world champion," Harper told BBC Sport. "MVP have delivered the fights and a greater audience." The article also notes MVP's attempt to balance serious investment in women's boxing with its influencer roots, citing August plans that included an "MVP x Tiktok Live" event starring Serrano and saying the arena events and headline acts must remain to sustain momentum in women's sport.
The promotion's fifth-anniversary show takes place this weekend at the BP Pulse Arena, with Mayer v Cameron headlining and Caroline Dubois defending her WBC and WBO lightweight titles on Saturday.