Denys Berinchyk-Keyshawn Davis, Xander Zayas-Slawa Spomer, and Vito Mielnicki-Connor Coyle in New York triple-header

WBO lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk will make the first defense of his title against Keyshawn Davis in New York.

Ukrainian star Berinchyk and Norfolk hero Davis meet on Friday, February 14, inside The Theater at Madison Square Garden on a Top Rank bill that sees Puerto Rico’s junior middleweight contender Xander Zayas face undefeated German Slawa Spomer.

Also on the bill, in a 10-round televised bout on ESPN, middleweight hope Vito “White Magic” Mielnicki Jnr meets Connor Coyle, who has a favorable WBA rating.
“I’m not going to make any big statements or shower my opponent with compliments,” Berinchyk said.

Berinchyk is 19-0 with nine stoppage wins and he spent the best part of a decade on the Ukrainian national team as an amateur, alongside the likes of Vasiliy Lomachenko and two-weight undisputed king Oleksandr Usyk. He has victories as a pro over Yvan Mendy, Anthony Yigit, and he won the vacant title with victory over Emanuel Navarrete last May, claiming a split decision at Pechanga Arena San Diego.

“I’ll just say one thing,” Berinchyk added. “Don’t relax, dude. It won’t be an easy fight for you.”

Davis is 12-0 (8 KOs) and impressed with a quickfire win over Gustavo Lemos in November. He is the WBO’s No. 1, was a top amateur and the only blemish on his ledger is an October 2023 decision victory over Nahir Albright that was changed to a no-contest after a positive marijuana test.

Davis stopped Jose Pedraza in February, also has a win over Yigit, and beat Mexican puncher Miguel Madueño over 10 one-sided rounds in July on his way to stopping Lemos in front of his adoring fans in Virginia at Scope Arena.

“This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for. Denys Berinchyk called me out, and I answered,” Davis said. “A new era in the lightweight division begins on February 14th. Be there in person or watch it live on ESPN because what I’m going to do must be seen to be believed.”

Zayas, who is now 20-0 (12 KOs), is the WBO No. 1 contender, and last year defeated Patrick Teixeira over 10 rounds and then Damian Sosa. The San Juan native signed with Top Rank at just 16 and made his pro debut as a 17-year-old in 2019.

“Since I was a kid, I always dreamed of making New York City my second home, and it fills me with pride to know that with a lot of effort and sacrifice, little by little, we have been receiving more and more love from my Puerto Ricans from ‘The Big Apple,’” Zayas said. “Fighting in front of my people at Madison Square Garden is always a great honor, and I can’t wait to give them a great night of boxing on February 14. I will show I am ready to challenge for a world title at 154 pounds.”

Spomer, 20-0 (11 KOs), has defeated several unbeaten prospects on his way up the rankings already, including Milan Prat and Adam Ngange.

“I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this my whole life,” he said. “It’s time to show the world that I belong at the top of the sport.”

Mielnicki is 20-1 (12 KOs) and the 22-year-old will be making his middleweight debut on the back of a 12-fight winning run. Coyle is 21-0 (9 KOs), a 34-year-old Irish veteran who, last year, defeated Kyle Lomotey in his only outing of 2024. That was over eight rounds.

The card also sees Dominican-born welterweight contender Rohan Polanco (14 KOs), go up against Jean Carlos Torres, 22-1 (17 KOs), lightweight prospect Abdullah Mason, 16-0 (14 KOs), meets Manuel Jaimes, 16-2-1 (11 KOs) over eight rounds, Cleveland’s Tiger Johnson – an Olympic teammate of headliner Davis and who is now 14-0 (6 KOs) – against Quashawn Taylr, 17-3 (12 KOs). Middleweight Nico Ali Walsh, 11-1 (5 KOs), rounds out the card.

Promoter Bob Arum, discussing the bill, explained: “Keyshawn Davis has everything it takes to be a modern-day great, but he must first defeat an unbeaten, determined Ukrainian champion in Denys Berinchyk. This has all the makings of a lightweight classic in New York City. Xander Zayas is facing a tough, undefeated kid in Slawa Spomer, an excellent test for our Puerto Rican star as he nears a world title shot. And with Vito Mielnicki Jnr facing unbeaten Irishman Connor Coyle, we have a sensational triple-header in store for the fans at The Theater at Madison Square Garden and watching live on ESPN.”