Jake Paul may not be able to fight due to his surgically repaired jaw, but that hasn’t stopped his influence as a full-time promoter looking to make the biggest fights in women’s boxing.
On Friday, Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions’ MVPW-02 will take place at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden with Alycia Baumgardner facing Bo Ri Me Shin headlining the event. However, there’s also a co-main event that is drawing extra attention as Shadasia Green puts her unified super middleweight titles on the line against two-division champion Lani Daniels.
Should Green emerge victorious, Paul believes it will set the stage for what he calls one of the biggest fights in women’s boxing.
“I think there are five super fights to be made in women’s boxing, and Claressa Shields versus Shadasia Green is on that list,” Paul told ESPN. “That fight is bigger than a lot of the so-called men’s super fights going on because Shields and Green have that aura, attitude and the s— talking. That’s what boxing fans want to see.”
Shields and Green have been circling each other for the past couple of years. Although Green’s progress hit a speed bump with her 2023 loss to Franchon Crews-Dezurn, “The Sweet Terminator” made a major statement by defeating Shields’ former rival Savannah Marshall last July.
The two have exchanged words on social media and in interviews about a potential fight and with Green defending her titles against another former opponent of Shields, Paul sees it as the perfect opportunity to build toward Shields vs. Green.
“Claressa, this is your official invite from me personally to come Friday, April 17th, Madison Square Garden,” Paul said. “Come pull up and watch your future opponent, Shadasia Green, go to work.”
ESPN reached out to Shields’ promoter, Dmitriy Salita, to ask about the possibility of the fight coming to fruition. Salita said that he is open to the possibility of working with Most Valuable Promotions “down the road” on a Shields-Green fight. However, he also believes the unified super middleweight champion still has some work to do, specifically against a fighter co-promoted by Salita and Shields.
“Danielle Perkins is the light heavyweight champion and defeated Shadasia Green in the amateurs,” said Salita. “That’s a fight that can be made this Summer. Shadasia should beat another fighter that Claressa has beaten to prove that she’s more than talk and has the skills to compete. Perkins is the perfect opponent.”
Salita did not confirm nor deny that Shields would attend Friday’s fight.
