Boxing
Jan Paul Rivera earns sensational TKO win against Justin Goodson
Watch Shields vs. Joanisse live July 27 on DAZN
MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 7 delivered an action-packed and electrifying night of boxing on Friday, 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 took place at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida, live globally on DAZN.
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 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 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.
Most Valuable Prospects 7: Main Card Results
- Jan Paul Rivera W-TKO Justin Goodson
- Dainier Pero W-TKO James Evans
- David Garcia W-TKO Dominicc Hardy
- Sean Mason W-KO Thomas Guillemette
Live on DAZN: Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov on August 3. Click here for details.
