International megastar Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton has answered the call to face UFC great Henry Cejudo at Misfits Boxing’s show in Miami next week, live on DAZN.
A fired-up Cejudo was ready to face Deen The Great on Saturday, September 26 but injury to the boxer and viral streamer has forced him out of the contest.
Yet without hesitation the exciting Wanna, the 20-year-old undefeated boxer and global acting star – best known for playing Ashtray in the hit HBO series Euphoria – has stepped into the breach.
Misfits Boxing Co-President, Mams Taylor said: “We’ve just turned up the heat on our Miami show with an almighty plot twist!
“Deen The Great is out of the main event with an injury, and in comes the megastar Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton.
“Wanna has accepted this showdown at really short notice, but he did not hesitate for a second when we presented the opportunity; he is super confident and ready to rumble with the former two weight UFC champion and Olympic gold medallist, Henry Cejudo.
“This has all the makings of one of the most exciting fights we’ve ever had on Misfits Boxing, because Wanna has the chance to take a massive scalp, while Cejudo is hell-bent on cutting a swathe through his scene in double-quick time.
“This is a classic crossroads fight; a battle of the stylish young buck who is ready to catapult his career, against the decorated combat veteran, who plans on dishing out a few lessons.”
Nakisa Bidarian, Co-Founder of Most Valuable Promotions said: “Most Valuable Promotions will never stand in the way when we are presented with a meaningful opportunity for our athletes, even when we have no involvement in the event.
“Misfits offered us a significant financial guarantee for Wanna to step in on short notice against Henry Cejudo, an Olympic gold medallist and two-division UFC champion.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity for Wanna to show the world why you don’t play boxing and I am confident he will shine bright as the star he is and defeat a UFC great.”
Henry Cejudo said: “I knew all along that Dean The Bitch would back out, and so I am not surprised he has done.
“But I have a new opponent now, who thinks he’s a fighter, but Wanna will be playing another robot by the time I’m done with him.”
Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton said: “Henry Cejudo is an Olympic gold medalist and a former UFC champion, so I know exactly the level of athlete I’m stepping in there with. This fight came up out of nowhere and I stepped up without hesitation. I stay ready for moments like this. This is boxing, and this is my world.
“Headlining on DAZN in Miami against a name like Cejudo is a huge opportunity, and on Saturday, September 26, I’m going to show everyone exactly what I’m capable of. Thank you to MVP for giving me the opportunity to step up and headline a card like this.”
MVP’s 20-year-old multi-talented star Javon “Wanna” Walton (3-0-1, 1 KO) signed with MVP in July 2023 as an athlete under development before making his pro debut in 2024.
As the youngest-ever athlete to sign with Nike’s Jordan Brand, Walton has continued to excel as a boxer, most recently defeating Anthony Mora by unanimous decision on MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 15.
Walton began boxing at the age of four, and at age eight became one of America’s youngest amateur prospects, becoming a 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 has since continued to co-star in numerous other film and TV titles. He trains under his father and coach, DJ Walton.
In Cejudo, he faces a combat sports legend, who held UFC titles at flyweight and bantamweight.
The man known as ‘Triple C’ first scaled the heights in wrestling, winning multiple national and international medals, before his career culminated in 2008, when he won the Olympic gold medal at 55kg in Beijing.
