International superstar and serial risk-taker Jake “The Problem Child” Paul officially kicked off fight week in style, riding in to his open media workout on horseback much to the thrill of hundreds of fans in attendance at WaterDance Plaza in the Westgate Entertainment District just outside of Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz. Paul meets UFC legend and professional boxer Anderson “The Spider” Silva in a must-see eight-round cruiserweight match on Saturday, October 29 in a Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) event live on SHOWTIME PPV at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from the arena just outside of Phoenix.
The media workout also featured one of boxing’s most exciting prospects, MVP’s Ashton “H20” Sylve, who faces Braulio Rodriguez in the co-main event, as well as elite UFC striker Uriah Hall and former NFL star running back Le’Veon Bell, who make their professional debuts against each other on the SHOWTIME PPV undercard. A pair of the sport’s most intriguing newcomers, combat sports veteran and Nate Diaz disciple Chris Avila and his opponent, “Dr. Mike” Varshavski, also showed off their skills in front of media and fans on Wednesday evening. Rounding out the event were two of Arizona’s most exciting prospects, undefeated super bantamweights Danny Barrios Flores and Adrian Rodriguez, who compete in separate bouts on the undercard.#
Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell, whose podcast MORNING KOMBAT was recently named Best Sports Podcast of the Year at the People’s Choice Podcast Awards, hosted Wednesday’s workout live on the SHOWTIME SPORTS® YouTube channel, Jake Paul YouTube channel, Jake Paul TikTok channel and the SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page.
The Paul vs. Silva event is co-produced by Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and SHOWTIME PPV and is available now for purchase in the United States at SHOWTIME.com/ppv and via the SHOWTIME® app for a suggested retail price of $59.95 (SRP). Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com. The official promo for the event was inspired by the 1983 cult classic Scarface and is available to watch and share HERE.
Here is what the fighters had to say just three days out from fight night:
JAKE PAUL
“This is how you know you made It. That’s the power of a dream. I’m about to fight my idol, it doesn’t get better than that.
“I have more than what it takes. My heart and the power of my mind are my greatest attributes. People are going to realize that on Saturday night and I’m here to show out for the fans.
“I have had plenty of big fights already, but I think you can call this a mega fight. It’s going to be all action.
“I have the Mamba mentality. Kobe knocked over Pau Gasol, his own teammate with the Lakers, when he was with the Redeem Team in the Olympics. I carry that same kind of drive with me, that killer instinct.
“Phoenix is just an amazing town, I feed off the energy of it. I can feel the buzz and it makes me even more motivated.
“I want to knock him out within the first 5 rounds. That’s the goal.”
ANDERSON SILVA
“This is two generations coming together to do something awesome. I feel so lucky.”
“I can control what I do in my training, but I don’t worry about the things that I can’t. I remain focused with a positive mindset. I try to continue to do this for myself. I do it because I love it.
“I do this for myself, for my fans and for my team with all the respect in the world for the boxing community.
“My message for the next generation is simple: Believe in yourself. If you do, then anything is possible.
“My prediction? I don’t know how, all I know is that I’m going to win.”
ASHTON SYLVE
“Discipline was the key to my boxing career. I did have to sacrifice some things, but it was all worth it in the end.
“I feel like I trained at a whole different level. I’ve been working a lot on my power. I’m going to win by knockout.
“What round? I can’t tell you that, because it depends on whether he comes out to fight me respectfully or disrespectfully. I’ll be ready for anything.”
URIAH HALL
“I’m always going be a professional athlete, competitive at heart. I have nothing bad to say about Bell, it’s about proving myself outside of my comfort zone and seeing who imposes his will.
“As a mixed martial artist, I used to train in a versatile way with kickboxing, boxing and other disciplines. Now I just had to strip that all away and solely focus on boxing for my training.”
LE’VEON BELL
“Boxing is definitely harder than football. On the football field, you have 10 of your teammates to lean on. Inside the ring, it’s all about you and the weight of expectations lies only on your shoulders.
“I felt this would be a great challenge. Uriah Hall is someone that has been fighting at a high level for a long time and this provides a great opportunity for me to showcase my skills.”
- MIKE VARSHAVSKI
“It was about 10 years ago that I was going through dark times after losing both my grandparents and my mother in the same year. Boxing became my safe harbor, the place where I found I could recover both my physical and mental health.
“I started doing it for fitness but now, 10 years later, I feel like I can finally reach my potential.”
CHRIS AVILA
“(Dr. Mike) ain’t got no fights. He never faced anybody like me before. He’s scared.
“Yeah, I saw his last fight. He went out there and competed. I’m taking this seriously and I plan to go out there to prove I’m the superior fighter.”
DANNY BARRIOS FLORES
“I feel in shape, motivated and ready to put on a show. I don’t think it’s going to go past the first few rounds, because I’m going to come out applying pressure and looking for the knockout.”
ADRIAN RODRIGUEZ
“I want to put on a good show for you all. If I have to be tactical, I will, but I want to thrill the crowd and look for the knockout. I am beyond years, so happy to be here and fighting here in Arizona. It truly means a lot to me.”
