ORLANDO, FL – MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 7 delivered an action-packed and electrifying night of boxing, with every preliminary and main card fight ending in knockout fashion. The main event was no different as 23-year-old featherweight prospect Jan Paul Rivera (10-0, 6 KOs) from Salinas, Puerto Rico, cemented his status as a future star with a stunning display of precision, speed, and power in a sensational TKO win over Justin “Beezy” Goodson (8-1, 8 KOs). Rivera unleashed a brutal right hook that sent Goodson crashing to the mat in the third round, and continued to dismantle his opponent with relentless power shots throughout the bout. Rivera’s masterful display was capped off by a series of back-to-back knockdowns in the seventh round, ultimately sealing the impressive TKO victory at 2:43 of the round. Rivera’s masterpiece earned the Caribe Royale Performance of the Night bonus. The third installment of the Most Valuable Prospects 2024 series, presented by CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, took place at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL, live globally on DAZN subscription with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter.
After Rivera’s TKO win over Goodson, MVP’s boxing trailblazer and unified featherweight champion Amanda Serrano gave praise to Rivera, noting that “school [was] in session” during the bout, and expressed her excitement for the young Puerto Rican talent’s bright future in the sport. Rivera discussed his hard work and relentless focus on honing his skills, and shared his thanks for his team’s and fans’ support.
In the co-main event, Cuban Olympian Dainier “The Fear” Pero (8-0, 6 KOs) returned to Most Valuable Prospects to showcase an impressive display of power and skill against James “Nothing Nice” Evans (7-2-1, 7 KOs) in an eight-round heavyweight bout. Pero, promoted by Boxlab Promotions, demonstrated why he’s a legitimate heavyweight contender with a relentless assault that left Evans overwhelmed. From the opening bell, Pero unleashed a barrage of well-placed jabs and ferocious body shots, breaking down Evans’s defense and sending him to the canvas twice in the fourth round. The relentless pressure continued into the fifth round, with Pero sending Evans staggering repeatedly, hitting the canvas two more times. Despite a brief resurgence, Evans was unable to withstand Pero’s unyielding onslaught and dropped to his knees for the final time at 2:07 of Round 5. The impressive TKO victory proved Pero is a formidable force to be reckoned with in the heavyweight division. After the fight, Pero gave love to his family and his second home in Orlando, Florida, and shared his appreciation for having Boxlab Promotions and trainer Bob Santos in his corner, discussing how he plans to continue learning and growing in the ring in the coming months.
In an action-packed heavyweight thriller, Crescent City, Florida’s David “The Beast” Garcia (7-0, 4 KOs) made a triumphant return to the Most Valuable Prospects series against Chicago, IL’s Domincc Hardy (6-3, 4 KOs). Both fighters came out aggressively swinging from the opening bell, delivering nonstop action throughout the first round. Garcia quickly gained the upper hand, landing a barrage of powerful blows to Hardy’s body and face. The bout was waved off at just 0:43 in the first round, earning Garcia an electrifying TKO victory to raucous cheers from the crowd. After the bout, Garcia discussed his relentless dedication to both his full-time job and boxing, thanking God and expressing his love for his fiancé and son with ringside reporter Sibley Scoles.
Opening the Most Valuable Prospects 7 main card, 24-year-old prospect Sean “Untouchable” Mason (12-0, 9 KOs) put his undefeated record on the line against France’s Thomas Guillemette (8-2, 4 KOs) in a super lightweight bout. Mason showcased an impressive quick-twitch style, deftly evading Guillemette’s punches throughout the fight while surgically picking his spots to deliver powerful blows. Guillemette tested Mason’s endurance in the early rounds, but Mason’s relentless assault proved too much. Late in the fourth round, Mason landed a vicious left hook to the body that knocked Guillemette out, securing his twelfth straight professional victory with a spectacular KO. After the bout, the Orlando, Florida fighter acknowledged his friend Corey Marksman in the crowd, who recently secured a majority decision win over Tony Aguilar on MVP’s Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry event on Saturday, July 20.
“Most Valuable Prospects 7 was nothing short of spectacular,” said MVP co-founders Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul. “We delivered an electrifying showcase with every single fight on both the preliminary and main cards ending in knockout fashion. The intensity and skill displayed throughout the night reaffirm the high caliber of talent we’re bringing to the ring and is the very reason we started Most Valuable Prospects. Thank you to our partners Boxlab Promotions and DAZN and our sponsors, we look forward to bringing more of these exciting Friday night cards to a global audience continuing with Most Valuable Prospects 8 on Friday, September 6, featuring the return of Wanna Walton.”
In the preliminary rounds, 19-year-old Saint Petersburg, Florida cruiserweight Damazion “Mazirati” Vanhouter (7-0, 4 KOs) returned to the Most Valuable Prospects series to make quick work of Spearfish, South Dakota’s Cody Kerr (3-3-1, 1 KO). Vanhouter displayed power and composure from the start, delivering a TKO of Kerr at 0:56 of the first round, notably breaking Kerr’s tooth in the process. Amanda Serrano’s first signed fighter, the 21-year-old Puerto Rican sensation Krystal Rosado (4-0, 2 KOs) continued her dominant start to her professional career, with a fourth round stoppage victory over Sheridan, Wyoming’s Veronika “The Russian Bomb” Dmitriyeva (1-2) in a bantamweight fight. Rosado continued to showcase her star potential in the ring against the older Dmitryeva, displaying her powerful combo jabs and fierce uppercut throughout the bout. After the fight, a well-composed Rosado spoke with Sibley Scoles in ring and shared she had the endurance and training to go a full six rounds for the first time in her young career, but that she was happy to secure a TKO win, noting it is a dream come true to have Amanda Serrano in her corner.
Ahead of Rosado vs. Dmitriyeva, 18-year-old WBO Youth World Champion and 18x national champion Kaipo Gallegos (6-0-1, 5 KOs) showcased his exceptional talent in a 6-round lightweight bout against Armando Frausto (10-5-1, 5 KOs). The fight was a well-fought, action-packed test for both fighters from the opening bell. Gallegos and Frausto traded relentless punches throughout the early rounds. However, Gallegos turned up the heat in the fourth round, earning a knockdown swiftly followed by a TKO victory over Frausto. In the opening bout of the night, the 6 round super featherweight bout between Dade City, Florida’s Roberto Rivera Gomez (4-0, 2 KOs) vs. São Paulo, Brazil’s Carlos Dos Santos Rocha (3-5, 2 KOs) went the distance, with Gomez winning by decisive unanimous decision (60-54 x3).
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 seventh event in the series continued the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. All events within Most Valuable Prospects will take place on Friday nights in 2024. CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, maker of lifestyle energy drink, is the exclusive energy drink sponsor of MVP and the Most Valuable Prospects series. Fansly and Event Ticket Center have also joined on to sponsor the Most Valuable Prospects series.
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