Lauren Blake backs Euphoria star Javon Walton to become a future face of boxing as he prepares to face Henry Cejudo in a major Misfits bout.
Lauren Blake believes Hollywood star and boxer Javon “Wanna” Walton has what it takes to become one of the future faces of boxing.
The stunning presenter has backed the 20-year-old to build a major career inside the ring despite already being widely recognized for his acting work.
Walton became known to millions of viewers through his breakout role as Ashtray in HBO’s hit series Euphoria, where he appeared alongside stars including Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney.
But while his acting career has brought him international attention, Walton’s boxing background began long before he became a familiar face on television.
Blake, who will be presenting for DAZN at Walton’s upcoming Misfits Boxing fight, believes that part of his story is often overlooked.
Speaking to SunSport, Blake said she believes Walton can succeed as a professional boxer because of the years he has already spent developing his skills.
“I do [back him to succeed], just because of his professional boxing development,” Blake said.
According to Blake, Walton has been developed as a boxer for years and is not someone who simply decided to enter the sport after finding fame as an actor.
She also pointed to his connection with Jake Paul and Most Valuable Promotions as another factor that could help Walton’s development.
“MVP has developed him as a boxer, and this has been for many years,” she said. “He’s been boxing since he was a child, actually, and he’s not new to the ring.”
Walton is now preparing for one of the biggest challenges of his young boxing career.
He is scheduled to return to the ring on Saturday for a Misfits Boxing showdown against former UFC two-weight champion Henry Cejudo.
Cejudo, 39, brings an extraordinary combat-sports résumé into the matchup. In 2019, he became a two-weight UFC champion, establishing himself as one of the most decorated fighters of his generation.
Walton, meanwhile, was still a teenager building his acting career and appearing on the set of Euphoria.
That contrast is something Blake believes makes the matchup particularly unusual.
She recalled seeing an image from around 2020 showing Walton on the Euphoria set as a young teenager.
“I remember I saw this picture and it was from 2020,” Blake said. “And in 2020, Walton is sitting on the set of Euphoria as like a 13 or 14-year-old kid holding a machine gun, looking like a little badass.”
At the same time, Cejudo was already competing at the highest level of mixed martial arts and defending championship titles.
“Meanwhile Henry is defending his titles and already had won all these belts and all this,” Blake added.
“So, it’s just going to be funny because of that difference.”
The fight therefore brings together two fighters who arrived at combat sports from very different backgrounds.
Cejudo established his reputation through Olympic wrestling and a long career in elite mixed martial arts, while Walton became a recognizable entertainment figure before many fans fully appreciated his boxing credentials.
Walton’s relationship with Jake Paul has also placed him within a growing crossover boxing environment.
Paul famously transitioned from social media celebrity and online entertainment into professional boxing, building a promotional business while taking on established names from combat sports.
Blake believes Walton could follow a different path, however, because boxing was already part of his life before his acting career took off.
She argued that the public perception of Walton can change significantly when his Hollywood résumé is removed from the equation.
“I think that Walton is grossly underestimated because of his celebrity factor,” Blake said.
“But what people don’t know is that he was actually a boxer before he was an actor.”
Walton started boxing at just four years old, meaning he had already spent years training in the sport before his acting career began.
That experience could be particularly important as he continues to face increasingly experienced opponents.
“He’s been a professional boxer,” Blake said. “So when you think about it, if you take away the acting credits of Euphoria, and you have this 20-year-old who is youthful, he’s a southpaw, he’s had 80 plus amateur fights, he’s a five-time Georgia state champion.”
Those credentials paint a different picture of Walton as a fighter, according to Blake.
Rather than viewing him simply as an actor making a move into boxing, she believes fans should consider the years of training and competition that came before his Hollywood breakthrough.
His southpaw stance, youth and extensive amateur experience could all play a role when he faces Cejudo.
The challenge, however, will be considerable.
Cejudo has competed against some of the best fighters in the world and has experience performing under enormous pressure.
His championship pedigree means Walton will face an opponent with a wealth of high-level combat-sports experience.
The upcoming Misfits Boxing bout should therefore provide an important test of whether Walton can translate his long-standing boxing background into success against a highly accomplished combat-sports veteran.
Blake is clearly confident that Walton deserves to be taken seriously.
And if the young fighter can continue developing under MVP while building his profile in the ring, the Euphoria star could have an opportunity to establish himself as more than just a crossover celebrity.
For now, all eyes will be on Saturday’s clash with Cejudo, where Walton will have the chance to show that his boxing ambitions extend well beyond his Hollywood fame.