Javon “Wanna” Walton has a confirmed opponent – his toughest, to date - for his continued pro tour throughout The Americas.
The lightweight prospect is set to face Anthony Mora in supporting capacity to the September 27 Sol Cudos-Kim Clavel IBF 108lbs title fight. Their scheduled six-rounder will serve as the headliner for the preliminary undercard preceding Most Valuable Promotions’ (MVP) “Most Valuable Prospect 15” event live on DAZN from Theatre St-Denis in Montreal, Canada.
“Every fight is a chance to grow, and I’m excited to show what I’ve learned from my last fight while facing a tough opponent with a winning record like Anthony Mora,” Walton told BoxingScene in a provided quote. “Competing in a big fight city like Montreal on a big stage is right where I “Wanna” be.
This card is stacked with MVP talent and on Saturday, September 27, I want everyone to tune in to see my best performance.”
On the preliminary undercard preceding Walton’s bout:
- Naomy Valle, 14-0 (9 KOs) – the younger sister of three division champ Yokasta Valle – faces Federica Macri, 6-0-1 (1KO) in an 8-round 108lbs contest.
- Dominican prospect Hendri Cedeno, 16-0 (12 KOs) takes on Alejandro Frias, 19-11-2, in a 10-round 140lbs bout;
- Amanda Galle, 11-0-1 (1 KO), a recent MVP signee, faces Mexico’s Alondra Hernandez, 8-1, in a scheduled eight-round bantamweight bout.
- Sherbrooke-based prospect Loick Lahaie, 2-0 (0 KOs) takes on hard-hitting Berlin native Rufus-Venice Camara-Macauley, 4-0 (3 KOs) in a six-round middleweight bout.
“This card will also feature one of the youngest megastars in the sport,” MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian said in a provided joint statement. “Wanna Walton proving himself against his toughest opponent to date in Anthony Mora, a rising superstar in Costa Rica’s Naomy Valle, and other Canadian and international prospects eager to prove themselves on a global stage.
“Montreal has a rich boxing history, and on Saturday, September 27, fans will witness the next generation carrying that tradition forward live on DAZN.”
Walton, 2-0-1 (1 KO) will fight in his fourth country/territory in as many pro bouts with his appearance on this show. The multi-talented influencer is previously best known for his role as “Ashtray” in the hit HBO Max series “Euphoria” and as the youngest ever signee to Nike’s Jordan Brand.
He was also known as a standout amateur boxer before he signed with MVP in July 2023 and made his pro debut later that year. A first-round knockout win in the Dominican Republic was followed by his first taste of adversity, a four-round draw last March 2 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Walton rebounded with a four-round, majority decision victory over Erik Hanley last December 13 in Orlando, Florida.
The 19-year-old southpaw from the greater Atlanta area now makes his way north of the border for his awaited return.
Mora, 7-4-1 (4 KOs), represents Walton’s most experienced opponent to date. The 36-year-old Ecuadorian Dominican lightweight from New Haven, Connecticut has won three of his last four starts as he enters his fifth fight on the year.
The main show will include Germany’s Nelvie Tiafack, 1-0 (1 KOs), a 2024 Olympic bronze medalist and MVP’s latest signee who faces Ramiro Robles, 5-0 (3 KOs). Their scheduled six-round contest will appear on the main card which also includes Cudos-Clavel and rising middleweight contender Tamm Thibeault, 3-0 (2 KOs) against Italy’s Cristina Mazzotta.
Also previously announced for the main card, locally based welterweight Mazium Akdeniz, 21-0 (8 KOs) will face unbeaten Anthony Soto, 13-0-1 (8 KOs) in a scheduled ten-round contest.
Tiafack turned pro on July 19 and scored a second-round knockout in Heidelberg, roughly 2 ½ hours south of his hometown of Cologne, Germany. His anticipated debut came just under a year removed from his run in 2024 Paris, which ended in a defeat to eventual two-time gold medalist Bakhodir Jalolov.
The 26-year-old Cameroonian German will now return to North America for the first time since 2022, when he was still a standout amateur. His signing with MVP was a foregone conclusion, as far as he is concerned.
“MVP is the most disruptive promotion out there,” Tiafack noted. “They understand the game in and outside the ring, putting their fighters on big stages and also helping them grow their brand through huge social media exposure.
“My goal is to become the best in my division and become an MVP, so it’s a no brainer why I chose to work with Most Valuable Promotions.”
His mindset is directly in line with the vision shared by his new promotional team
“Most Valuable Prospects is about introducing fans to talent that can define the future of boxing, and this card delivers on that mission,” Paul and Bidarian reiterated. “Our newest signee, Nelvie Tiafack, is an Olympic bronze medalist making his professional debut under the MVP banner, and we believe he has all the tools to become a world champion.
“Nelvie now joins our growing roster of Olympians including Tamm Thibeault from Canada, Keno Marley from Brazil, Yankiel Rivera from Puerto Rico, and Jahmal Harvey from the U.S.”
