Hearn on Working With Jake Paul, MVP on Taylor-Serrano: It's Just a Great Mix, It’ll be Impressive

Eddie Hearn is enthusiastic about working on the biggest female fight in recent memory with one of boxing’s most unlikeliest personalities.

The head of Matchroom Boxing has delivered the match between his charge Katie Taylor (20-0, 6 KOs), the women’s lightweight world champion, against Amanda Serrano (42-1-1, 30 KOs), a multiple-weight division champion, for Taylor’s IBF/WBC/WBO/WBA lightweight titles. The fight will take place on April 30 at Madison Square Garden.  

Of course, Hearn won’t be doing the promoting alone this time. Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-sporting phenomenon, will be doing his part to elevate the billing but not necessarily with his fists; Paul is Serrano’s business adviser. Serrano joined Pauls’ Most Valuable Promotions label as his inaugural client.

“Me and Jake are going to be co-promoters,” Hearn told IFL TV. “Biggest female fight of all time – Let’s stop saying ‘biggest female fight of all time: Let’s just say it’s one of the biggest fights of all time.

“Undisputed lightweight world champion against a seven-division world champion. Matchroom versus Most Valuable Promotions. Huge event. Live on DAZN, baby.”

Hearn, who actually promoted Paul in his boxing debut against AnEsonGib in January 2020, says he has no qualms about working with a figure who has been nothing less than a lightning rod of controversy in the boxing world for the past year. Indeed, Hearn believes that Paul’s involvement with Serrano has only benefited the Taylor-Serrano bout, elevated its financial worth.

“I have no problem with it,” Hearn said. “Look at the job Jake Paul has done for Amanda Serrano. One, he’s got a great deal, he’s increased their value. She’s done a great job as well. Katie Taylor, one of the biggest stars in female boxing, goes into that fight with another huge star. Biggest promoter in the world and Jake Paul. It’s just a great mix.

“You’ll see how myself and Jake and MVP work on that event. It’ll be impressive. It’ll be a very impressive performance.”

Hearn says he has been pleased with his dealings with Paul thus far and expects to work him in various capacities moving forward. Hearn recently signed two fighters who appeared on Paul’s own fight cards. The first was 140-pound contender Montana Love (17-0-1, 9 KOs), who came out with a breakout performance against Ivan Baranchyk, stopping the Ukrainian in seven rounds, on the undercard of Jake Paul-Tyron Woodley I at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio on Aug. 29.

The other is 140-pounder Liam Paro of Australia, who won a 10-round split decision over Yomar Alamo on Paul-Woodly II on Dec. 18 at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Floria

“Legitimately, dealing with him on Katie Taylor and Serrano, that could have been a fight that could have been very hard to make for various different reasons,” Hearn said of Paul. “And I think we’ll do business together. More business, on fights and stuff like that. Maybe us not involved in his fights but he’s had Montana Love. He put him on his card, we signed him. Liam Paro, he was on his card, we signed him.”

“He’s given these guys a good platform,” Hearn continued. “You cannot underestimate his numbers and his draw power, and you’ll see that in the Serrano fight.”