On a night when Alycia Baumgardner showed why she’s considered one of boxing’s hottest properties, it was a longshot from New Zealand in the co-main event who threatened to steal the show.
Baumgardner retained her WBO, IBF and WBA junior lightweight titles early Saturday morning at the Theater at Madison Square Garden with a commanding 10-round unanimous decision over South Korea’s Bo Mi Re Shin in the headline bout of the first US card staged by Most Valuable Promotions Women, the nascent women’s boxing platform launched by boxer-influencer Jake Paul.
The 31-year-old Ohio native, fighting out of Dallas under crack trainer Derrick James, dominated Shin for five rounds before turning back a furious rally to win a wide verdict by scores of 98-92, 98-92 and 99-91. (The Guardian had it 98-92.)
But Baumgardner’s sixth title defense in the 130lb division, where she’s held at least one belt since 2021, was nearly upstaged by the fight before it. That’s when Lani Daniels upset the 4-1 odds against her with a shocking ninth-round technical knockout of unified super-middleweight champion Shadasia Green – a moment that quickly gave way to harrowing scenes when Green was hurried out of the ring on a stretcher apparently unconscious and taken to hospital.
“I hope she’s alright,” Daniels said in her post-fight interview. “I’m happy but also concerned for her. I’m happy for this and I’m happy to become a world champion once again.”
Mike Leanardi, Most Valuable Promotions’ head of boxing, said Green was ”awake and talking” at the hospital during a news conference after the main event, which followed a previous report that she was “conscious, speaking and moving”.
Daniels, nicknamed the Smiling Assassin, previously held the IBF’s version of the light-heavyweight and heavyweight championships, but entered Friday’s fight coming off back-to-back losses to Claressa Shields and Sarah Scheurich. Now the 37-year-old from Whangārei along New Zealand’s northern coast has added a world title in a third different weight class.
Shortly after Green was stretchered from the ring by a team of EMTs, Baumgardner made her way to the ring at half past midnight accompanied by New York rapper Lil’ Kim, a flashy entrance that elicited wild cheers from the several thousands spectators in attendance.
In a contest held under men’s championship rules with 10 rounds of three minutes each, Baumgardner controlled the action from the opening bell, taking the center of the ring and immediately establishing her technical superiority. Crisp, straight shots punctured Shin’s guard early, while a sharp right-left combination set the tone for a first round that showcased the champion’s impeccable timing and accuracy. Shin circled and stayed active, but much of her offense fell short as Baumgardner consistently beat her to the punch.
The pattern held through the second and third. Baumgardner boxed with poise behind a disciplined jab, stepping into range to land clean power shots before slipping out of danger. Shin attempted to disrupt the rhythm, even wrestling Baumgardner to the canvas in the third, but it did little to shift momentum. By the fourth, Baumgardner had the crowd on its feet, snapping Shin’s head back with a concussive right uppercut that briefly threatened to end matters before the challenger steadied herself.
Through five rounds, it was a masterclass in controlled aggression. Baumgardner varied her attack effectively, working both forward and off the back foot as Shin began to lean into a pressure-based approach. That crowding started to pay dividends in the sixth. Shin’s persistence and willingness to absorb punishment allowed her to edge inside, where she found success in scrappy exchanges and finally swung a round in her favor.
The seventh brought the fight to life. Shin barreled forward with urgency, throwing in volume and forcing Baumgardner into uncomfortable exchanges. For the first time, the champion looked briefly unsettled as the challenger’s intensity turned the bout into a genuine contest.
But Baumgardner steeled herself and showed the finishing kick of a champion, reasserting control with deft footwork and a ramrod jab. She created angles, made Shin miss and reset the pace to her liking. By the ninth, the tide had fully turned back. Shin continued to press but absorbed heavy punishment, walking into clean counters as Baumgardner’s accuracy re-emerged.
The final round provided a fitting close. Baumgardner, comfortably ahead on the scorecards, chose not to coast. Instead, she met Shin head-on in a furious closing exchange, both fighters trading in the center of the ring as the crowd roared. At the bell, they embraced, the champion having delivered a performance that blended technical command with resilience against a relentless challenger.
“All I knew was I had to stay consistent with my jab and keep setting things up,” Baumgardner said. “Bo was going to come regardless, so it was up to me to set the pace and land my shots.”
Moments later, Baumgardner offered a candid explanation for her performance that drew a loud reaction inside the theater. “Three-minute rounds, 10 rounds, on my period,” she said. “Baby, stop playing with me.”
The remark underscored both the physical demands of the bout and the broader push within women’s boxing toward longer rounds, with Baumgardner among the leading voices advocating for the change. “It’s an adjustment every time,” she added. “Three minutes is a long time, but I think it suits my style. I’m still growing, still learning.”
Baumgardner said that she’d like a fight with Katie Taylor next, but also mentioned Amanda Serrano if a matchup with the Irish star can’t be made. “[Serrano] makes sense, especially here in New York,” she said. “We can do it at the Garden. When you ask who’s tougher, it doesn’t matter. Put me in there and I’ll show you.”
She added: “I’m ready to step up again. If fighters aren’t willing to go three minutes, we can’t even have a conversation. I’m doing a different level of work. I deserve the biggest fights and the biggest paydays.”
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