Most Valuable Promotions brings its women’s boxing platform to American television for the first time Friday night when MVPW-02 airs live on ESPN from the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden. Unified junior lightweight champion Alycia Baumgardner (17-1, 7 KOs) headlines the all-female main card with a defense of her WBA, WBO, and IBF titles at 130 pounds against South Korea’s Bo Mi Re Shin (19-3-3, 10 KOs) in a 12-round bout contested with three-minute rounds.
The card arrives on the heels of a successful MVPW-01 launch in London, where Caroline Dubois unified two lightweight belts, Ellie Scotney became the youngest undisputed champion in UK history, and Chantelle Cameron claimed a title in her third weight class. That event gave MVP’s new ESPN partnership instant credibility. Friday’s card will test whether it can generate the same energy on this side of the Atlantic.
Baumgardner vs. Shin: The Main Event
Baumgardner, 31, has held the undisputed label at 130 pounds, though she relinquished her WBC belt over the organization’s reluctance to sanction fights with three-minute rounds. She enters Friday’s fight as a three-belt unified champion with momentum from her last two performances under the MVP banner, both victories in co-main event slots on Netflix cards headlined by Jake Paul. In July, she outpointed Jennifer Miranda on the Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano III card, and in December she defeated Leila Beaudoin by unanimous decision over 12 rounds with three-minute rounds on the Joshua vs. Paul undercard.
Neither fight was regarded as a breakout moment. Baumgardner won clearly in both but never produced the kind of explosive statement that turns casual viewers into fans. Friday represents her first opportunity to headline on a major American broadcast since becoming undisputed at Madison Square Garden in 2023, and the stage could not be more fitting. ESPN’s own analysts have framed the question plainly: can Baumgardner become the face of women’s boxing? This card is designed to give her that chance.
Shin is not here to provide a soft landing. The 30-year-old from South Korea turned professional in 2016 and has built a record that includes 10 knockouts and high-level experience against top competition. Her two most notable defeats came against elite opposition in Caroline Dubois, who beat her by majority decision in March 2025 in a fight that was far more competitive than the result suggests, and Delfine Persoon, who edged her by split decision. Shin is ranked in the top seven by the WBA, IBF, and WBO, and she accepted this fight knowing the stage and what it could mean for her career.
Baumgardner’s advantages are clear. She is the sharper technician, with the better jab, more refined combinations, and the ability to control distance with her footwork. She has also demonstrated legitimate knockout power, most memorably in her 2021 stoppage of Terri Harper that altered the trajectory of women’s boxing at 130 pounds. The three-minute rounds should work in her favor, giving her more time to set up her offense and break down opponents who try to outwork her.
Shin’s path to victory runs through volume and pressure. She showed against Dubois that she is willing to walk through fire to land her own shots, and she possesses the kind of toughness that can make any fight uncomfortable for a more technically gifted opponent. If she can push the pace and turn this into a war of attrition, the fight could be closer than many expect.
Green vs. Daniels: The Co-Main Event
Unified IBF and WBO super middleweight champion Shadasia Green (16-1, 11 KOs) puts both belts on the line against Lani Daniels (11-4-2, 1 KO) in a scheduled 10-round co-feature. Green earned her unified status last July with a split decision over Savannah Marshall on the Taylor vs. Serrano III card, a fight that confirmed her standing among the best at 168 pounds but also raised questions about her ability to dominate at this level.
Daniels, a 37-year-old New Zealander and former light heavyweight champion, sits at IBF No. 2 and WBO No. 5 in the super middleweight rankings. Her record includes four losses, but she has been in with legitimate opposition throughout her career, and she is the kind of durable, seasoned fighter who can make things awkward for anyone. Green’s power should be the difference, but she will need to be sharper than she was against Marshall to put a convincing stamp on this defense.
The real stakes for Green extend beyond Friday. A dominant win sets the table for a potential superfight with Claressa Shields, a matchup that MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian has publicly expressed interest in making. Green has been equally direct about wanting that fight. Anything less than an emphatic performance here could push that timeline back.
Main Card: Rosado vs. Reyes and Dove vs. Micheo
The ESPN main card, which begins at 10 p.m. ET, features four bouts. Puerto Rican bantamweight Krystal Rosado (8-1, 2 KOs) opens the main broadcast against Mexico’s undefeated Fernanda Reyes (8-0) in an eight-round fight at 118 pounds. Rosado, a 23-year-old protege of Amanda Serrano, has developed steadily through MVP’s prospect pipeline since her pro debut in 2023 and brings a fan-friendly, aggressive style that belies her age. Reyes is unbeaten and looking to establish herself on the biggest card of her career. The Puerto Rico vs. Mexico dynamic adds a layer of intrigue to what should be a competitive matchup.
Flyweight Natalie Dove (7-0-1, 2 KOs) was elevated to the main card after the originally scheduled middleweight bout between Tamm Thibeault and Nadja Jesus fell through due to visa issues for the Brazilian fighter. Dove faces Maria Micheo (14-6, 8 KOs) in an eight-round fight at 112 pounds. Micheo is a two-time world title contender who has shared the ring with Yokasta Valle and Gabriela Fundora, among others, and she brings a level of experience that should test Dove’s unbeaten record in meaningful ways.
The Undercard
The ESPN+ prelims, streaming from 6:30 p.m. ET, carry several bouts worth monitoring. U.S. Olympian and 2021 amateur world champion Jahmal Harvey (2-0, 1 KO) faces Daniel Lugo in a six-round lightweight bout. Harvey, from Oxon Hill, Maryland, was a Paris 2024 quarter-finalist and a 10-time national champion as an amateur before turning professional on the Joshua vs. Paul undercard in December. He is one of MVP’s marquee young male prospects and among the most credentialed American amateurs to enter the pro ranks in recent years.
Undefeated junior welterweight Alex Vargas (14-0, 5 KOs) out of Bellport, New York, faces fellow unbeaten Ryan O’Rourke (13-0, 3 KOs) in an eight-round contest that represents a legitimate step up for both fighters. Super bantamweight Elon De Jesus (11-1-2, 8 KOs), a Dunkirk, New York, native, meets England’s Connor Adaway (10-2-1, 4 KOs) over eight rounds at 122 pounds. Raquel Miller (13-0, 6 KOs), a former WBA interim super welterweight champion ranked No. 2 by the WBC at 168 pounds, makes her MVP promotional debut against Brazil’s Adriana Araujo (6-3, 1 KO) in a six-round super middleweight contest. Albanian heavyweight Luis Gjolena (6-0-1) rounds out the card in a four-round bout against Robert Salinas.
MVP has structured its MVPW cards with an all-female main card supported by male bouts on the undercard, a deliberate inversion of the traditional model. Whether this format can sustain viewership and build a devoted audience beyond the existing women’s boxing fanbase is one of the central questions the platform will need to answer over the next year. Friday night’s card, broadcast live from the most famous arena in boxing, is as good a test as any.
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