MVP announced Tuesday that 18-year-old boxing prodigy and actor Javon “Wanna” Walton (1-0-1, 1 KO) will be facing professional boxer Erik Hanley (1-1, 1 KO) over four rounds at super featherweight in the co-main event of MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 8. The event will take place on Friday, September 6 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida, available globally on DAZN.
The main card of Most Valuable Prospects 8 will be headlined by a 10-round super lightweight showdown between rising Cuban star Kevin Brown (5-0, 3 KOs) and seasoned Puerto Rican contender John Bauza (18-1, 8 KOs) for the WBA super lightweight Continental Americas title. Joining the main card will be 26-year-old Dominican talent Hendri “La Bazuca” Cedeno (13-0, 10 KOs) vs. Enriko “Gudan” Gogokhia (13-1-2, 8 KOs) in an eight-round super lightweight fight. The 26-year-old rising Cuban standout Yoelvis “La Joya” Gomez (7-1, 6 KOs) will also compete in an eight-round middleweight fight on the main card.
Walton aims for his second professional win after signing with MVP in July 2023 and fighting to a split draw in his global debut in MVP’s marquee event in March 2024. As the youngest-ever athlete to sign with Nike’s Jordan Brand, Walton has continued to excel as a boxer. Walton began boxing at the age of four, and at age eight became one of America’s youngest amateur prospects. His skill and hard work earned him the title of multi-time Junior Regional Champion and two-time Junior Olympic national silver medalist.
The Atlanta native is also a world-renowned actor who captured international attention with his debut role as the beloved drug dealer “Ashtray” in the HBO Max Emmy-winning series Euphoria, starring alongside Hollywood icons Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney, and he has since continued to co-star in numerous other film and TV titles. Walton will now take on 30-year-old professional Hanley, who comes to the ring from Rancho Cordova, California by way of Oceanside, New York, ready to challenge Walton’s rise to professional stardom. Hanley most recently secured a KO victory in the ring in February 2024.
In an eight-round super lightweight bout on the main card, Cedeno will take on Gogokhia. Cedeno, from La Romana, Dominican Republic, turned professional in May 2021, collecting an impressive 13 wins in just under three years before joining Team Combat League’s Philly Smoke in April 2024. Cedeno now returns to the professional ranks to take on a true test in the seasoned Gogokhia, a Georgian-born Ukrainian, who began his career in kickboxing in Europe before moving to the United States and taking up boxing in 2016. Gogokhia fights out of Woodland Hills, California and will look to end Cedeno’s undefeated run.
Also on the main card will be Gomez, who will compete against a to-be-announced opponent. Gomez comes to the ring from Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Havana, Cuba following a strong start to his professional career since his debut in 2019. A hopeful future title contender, Gomez will seek to demonstrate his knockout power.
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