Boxing has always been a business of power. But never before has the contrast between two competing visions of that power been so stark. On one side stands Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), the lean, media-savvy upstart co-founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. On the other, Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA), the lavish state-backed machine led by Turki Alalshikh. One builds with belief. The other buys with billions. The recent events surrounding Jake Paul’s WBA ranking and Canelo Alvarez’s alignment with Turki have revealed just how deep this fault line runs. But this isn’t just about fighters or rankings. It’s about which model will define the future of boxing — and which will fall under the weight of its own illusion.
MVP emerged through disruption. Built not on legacy, but on vision. It gave Amanda Serrano the platform to become a household name. It brought women’s boxing into Madison Square Garden. It treated content creation, streaming, and social media as the main stage, not the sideshow. And most importantly, it refused to play by rules written by people who never wanted it at the table.
The General Entertainment Authority (GEA), in contrast, is control incarnate. Fueled by Saudi oil wealth and political backing, it transformed Riyadh into boxing’s most extravagant stage. But for all the fireworks and fanfare, something is always missing. Empty seats. Manufactured hype. 'Tom and Jerry' fights. The spectacle is grand, but the soul is synthetic. Alalshikh didn’t just want to host fights — he wanted to own the narrative. So he bought Ring Magazine. He locked in exclusive rights. He paid hundreds of millions to fighters not just to compete, but to comply. And when the WBA dared to rank Jake Paul — a fighter outside his orbit — he reportedly threatened to cancel their GENNEXT tournament altogether.
That’s the kind of power GEA wields. But that power is now being challenged. Boxing League 1, the new player in town, has quietly become the most subversive force in the sport. Minority shareholders Terence Crawford and his manager Ishmael Hinton — a former Creative Artists Agency executive and adviser to Turki — represent something Turki can’t buy: autonomy. Multiple sources confirm that Turki made aggressive attempts to buy into the league, only to be rejected by stakeholders who saw through his model. They didn’t want a benefactor. They wanted freedom.
The irony is hard to miss. Turki, in seeking to consolidate control, may have unintentionally sparked the very rebellion he feared. MVP and League 1 are now aligned in philosophy, if not officially in structure. They both operate outside GEA’s influence. They both prioritize athlete empowerment. And they both understand something Turki still doesn’t: power that’s purchased is never as durable as power that’s earned.
The question now is not whether these forces will clash — it’s how long the sport can survive under a split-screen model where authenticity and authoritarianism coexist. For Jake Paul, this moment is particularly pivotal. His recent face-to-face meeting with Turki may have signaled a softening — a desire to reset. But if that détente comes at the cost of the WBA, who risked their reputation to rank him, then MVP's credibility could fracture. Because standing up to the system only matters if you also stand with those who stood by you.
GEA’s model is not built for sustainability. It's built for spectacle. It can buy headlines, rent loyalty, and dominate short-term attention. But it cannot build fandom. It cannot build grassroots passion. It cannot build the kind of generational respect that MVP and League 1 are now fighting to preserve.
At its core, this isn’t just a turf war. It’s a referendum. One path says boxing must bend to money. The other says it must return to meaning. In that equation, every fighter, every fan, and every sanctioning body must choose. Because neutrality is no longer neutral. It's an endorsement of the old order — and an abdication of the new.
On 07/11/2025, MVP — co-founded by Jake Paul — will stage a historic all-women’s boxing card at Madison Square Garden, headlined by Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano III. Promoted in partnership with Netflix and streamed globally at no additional cost to subscribers, the event is the first all-women’s card at the iconic venue and may break the Guinness World Record for the most world title belts contested on a single night. It’s a milestone moment — not just for MVP, but for the future of women’s boxing.
One day later, on 07/12/2025, Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens will host its first-ever boxing event: an all-men’s card headlined by Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda for the WBC lightweight championship. Presented by Ring Magazine — now owned by Turki Alalshikh — and broadcast on DAZN, the event will showcase top-tier male talent in a setting better known for the U.S. Open than the sweet science.
The contrast between these two events is striking. One uplifts women in a sport that has long marginalized them; the other continues the tradition of male-dominated showcases. Expectations remain tempered, but if the women’s card captures the moment, it could quietly redefine what success looks like in boxing.
Turki, who comes from a culture where women have historically been sidelined, may find this weekend’s real lesson not in the ring — but in the reaction. Because when the final bell rings, the question won’t be which event had the bigger budget — but which one moved the sport forward. An update and comparison will follow once all the data is in.
And while the July 11th card highlights what progress can look like in the ring, the sport’s power struggles outside of it remain just as defining.
When the WBA ranked Paul at cruiserweight, it was more than symbolic. It was a statement of merit. A message to the sport that it’s time to evaluate fighters based on impact, not just pedigree. But it also put a target on the WBA’s back. According to reliable sources, Turki Alalshikh threatened to withdraw his support for the WBA's GENNEXT tournament — a retaliation designed to punish a sanctioning body for thinking independently.
That threat wasn’t idle. Other organizations, once supportive of the same idea, have since gone silent. It’s a classic pressure tactic: isolate the boldest actor, make them regret their courage, and discourage others from following suit.
Now that Jake Paul and Turki have reportedly met to 'bury the hatchet,' the spotlight turns back to Paul. If he allows the WBA to be penalized for its risk, his legacy as a disruptor will ring hollow. This is where moral compass matters. Disruption without loyalty is opportunism. And if Jake Paul wants to lead the next generation, he’ll need to prove that he stands for more than just himself.
Canelo, too, is facing a moment of reckoning. By chasing softer opposition while ducking David Benavidez — the one fight fans have long demanded — he’s placed his legacy in the rearview mirror. He’s now seen by many as a sellout, a fighter more interested in cashing checks than closing chapters. From John Ryder to Jermell Charlo, from Jaime Munguia to Edgar Berlanga, Canelo’s recent opponents have one thing in common: they’re not the best available.
The irony is that while Canelo and Crawford may be setting up a so-called 'historic' fight, neither man is in his prime. And if the bout ends up being another 'Tom & Jerry' sequel, they’ll still be waiting for the wire to hit — indifferent to fan disappointment and immune to legacy damage.
That’s what makes this moment so crucial. The sport is watching. Not just for action in the ring, but for truth outside of it. Who stands by their partners? Who plays both sides? Who values legacy over leverage? And who is willing to lose something real in pursuit of something meaningful?
History doesn’t remember the biggest paycheck. It remembers who changed the game.
And as MVP and GEA battle for boxing’s soul, the fans may soon decide who really deserves to shape its future.
Future articles will follow, including a detailed comparison between the MVP event scheduled for 07/11/2025 and Turki’s upcoming card at Louis Armstrong Stadium on 07/12/2025. Additionally, we’ll present a hypothetical Wall Street-style breakdown of MVP and GEA as if they were public companies—analyzing which model is truly built to last.
