Add a new bullet point to Jake Paul’s resume as he leaps into the combat sports world.
Paul is taking a leap in promoting an ambitious all-women boxing card, the second of its kind for his MVPW promotion, on Friday night under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.
The primetime slot on ESPN is a major changeup for Paul, who told The Post he is coming for a big piece of the combat sports pie as he enters his 30s next year.
“I’ve always said that, really, since Day 1, that arguably I would have a bigger impact in combat sports outside of the ring than even in my own fights,” Paul said. “We can use my fights to elevate our roster, which has been the case because I bring a lot of viewership and that casual fan. Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor steals the show on me vs. Mike Tyson. Now Amanda Serrano has 30 million new fans. It’s this big flywheel that has been working very effectively.”
Friday’s card is headlined by Alycia Baumgardner (17-1) vs. Bo Mi Re Shin (18-3-3) for the Super Featherweight championship, and should be one of the biggest fights in the women’s boxing world.
It is a massive card with four title fights on a major network, as Paul and his promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions, look to carve out a significant piece of the puzzle currently shared by the UFC (and Zuffa Boxing), as well as Matchroom and Golden Boy Promotions.
“I’m not going to box forever, but I will be a promoter forever,” Paul said. “I am the youngest, by far, in the promotional world, and I also have the largest following. When you think about those two things combined it makes for a very bright future.”
Paul added that becoming a world champion “is and was the goal” in his weight class, which he appears likely to continue pursuing in the future.
“It’s a personal challenge for myself to say I was the best in the world at this,” Paul said.
Paul’s latest foray is into the MMA world, where his promotion has blasted onto the scene with Ronda Rousey going up against Gina Carrano in May.
The card, which is one of the most anticipated of the year, also has Francis Ngannou, Nate Diaz, Mohammad Mokaev and many other landmark MMA names as they look to take market share away from the UFC.
The UFC is far and away the biggest promotion in MMA and has even faced legal action over monopoly concerns in the sport. Though MVP’s recent charge into the space could change the entire sport, as fighters look for alternate employment options.
