Shannon Courtenay was physically – and, more importantly, mentally – prepared for anything that the much taller and more rugged Jessica Radtke Maltez threw her way.
In the end, the former WBA 118lbs title prevailed via unanimous decision in her Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) debut Tuesday at LIV Nightclub at Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, Florida. Courtenay won by scores of 60-54, 60-54 and 58-56 for her second win of the year.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Courtenay told MVP host Sibley Scoles during their post-fight interview. “That was a scrappy fight. She was awkward and tall.
“Win by any means necessary. I’ve landed in America, MVP style.”
The bout marked the U.S. debut for Courtenay, who could not have picked a more appropriate fight week for the occasion. The 32-year-old Brit hails from Watford, U.K., also the hometown of former two-time unified heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua, 28-4 (25 KOs), who faces Jake Paul, 12-1 (7 KOs) this Friday on Netflix from nearby Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
Courtenay’s bout officially kicked off fight week, with the three-fight MVP Fight Week Showcase 2 card serving as part of an open media workout on site.
There were times where the 5 ft, 3ins Courtenay had her hands full with Minnesota’s Radtke, 2-3-2 (0 KOs), who was 5ins taller and came to fight.
Despite some good exchanges and tense moments, Courtenay ultimately prevailed to extend her modest two-fight win streak. She dropped a stunning 6-round decision to journeywoman Catherine Tacone Ramos last October, her first fight after a two-year hiatus to deal with an assortment of issues including her own mental health struggles.
Courtenay has since become Suicide Prevention UK’s first ambassador, championing the cause as she aims to resume her title winning ways now that she’s under the MVP banner.
“It feels amazing to have these guys backing me,” Courtenay said. “When I was world champion, my phone didn’t stop ringing. Everyone loved me and I couldn’t go out. When I lost the belt, everyone disappeared.
“Now, I got these guys behind me who believe in me. I survived more than anyone can go through. When you beat mental health, you can beat anything.”
Courtenay won the WBA 118lbs title in an April 2021 win over Ebanie Bridges, whose own MVP debut comes this Friday. She never made a successful defense, as she missed weight and ultimately lost outright to Jamie Mitchell in October 2021.
Tuesday’s intimate show also featured the MVP debut of Brazil’s Luan Medeiros, 7-0 (4 KOs), who pitched a shutout over Mexico’s Hugo Macias, 7-2-1 (5 KOs) in their six-round lightweight contest. Scores were 60-54 across the board for Medeiros, who claimed his second straight win on U.S. soil. He previously defeated Tony Aguilar on a June 7 MVP show in Orlando, before eventually signing with the company.
The most physically taxing affair of the night saw Philadelphia’s Nat “No Love” Dove turn away an enthusiastic yet rough Perla Lomeli via unanimous decision in a spirited 6-round bantamweight affair. Scores were 58-54, 57-55 and 57-55 for Dove, 7-0-1 (2 KOs) in a bout that saw both boxers lose one point each in the final 30 seconds of their bantamweight affair.
Dove – who normally fights at 115lbs - also overcame a hematoma over her right eye to maintain her perfect record.
“That was a fucking good fight,” Dove astutely summarized afterward. “I stepped up in weight and she came to fight. She [headbutted] me a lot. But we got the job done.”
