While Valentine’s Day is normally thought of as a day for love, affection takes a back-seat to pugilism on Friday night. Feb. 14 brings more competitive violence to the Big Apple of New York City as Top Rank Boxing presents Berinchyk vs. Davis this weekend as part of a light schedule on the combat sports calendar.
This edition of Top Rank on ESPN emanates from The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Live coverage of the event begins with the undercard at 5 pm ET/ 2 pm PT Friday afternoon on ESPN+ before going over to ESPN proper at 9 pm ET/ 6 pm PT for main card fights immediately following this year’s NBA All-Star Celebrity Game from San Francisco.
Barring any last-minute alterations to the event, Friday’s Top Rank card will feature 10 fights from The World’s Most Famous Arena. This show comes at an interesting time for the promotion. Earlier Tuesday, reports indicated that Top Rank and ESPN would be parting company later this summer and Bob Arum‘s promotion is already meeting with several subscription-based services to become the organization’s new media rightsholder.
ESPN’s partnership with Bob Arum’s Top Rank will end this summer, The Ring has confirmed, with their final show tentatively scheduled for July 26th.
Top Rank reps have held talks with reps from Max and DAZN as they are believed to seek multiple streaming partners moving forward.
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) February 11, 2025
Top Rank on ESPN Main Event: Denis Berinchyk vs. Keyshawn Davis- WBO World Lightweight Championship
While its long-term future is now certainly in question as it relates to how cards will soon be able to be viewed, the immediate future for the promotion includes a three-fight main card on Friday night. At the top of the bill is the battle for the WBO World Lightweight Championship between current titleholder Denis Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KOs) and IBF Intercontinental, WBC United States, and WBO Intercontinental Lightweight Champion Keyshawn Davis (12-0, 1 NC, 8 KOs.)
This is an advertised maximum of 12 rounds at three minutes per round to close the show. Denis Berinchyk enters the main event having yet to lose thus far in the ring during his professional career.
Back in May of last year, he bested Emanuel Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs) by way of split decision after 12 rounds to score the then-vacant title in San Diego. Friday’s contest is Berinchyk’s 11th straight fight with a championship belt at stake.
He’s already gotten his hand raised and a belt 10 times in succession. Will Friday’s contest be any different?
Meanwhile, Keyshawn Davis is also unbeaten in his 14 career fights. At the moment, he’s gone 4-0 with one no-contest in his last five bouts.
Last November, he scored a second-round knockout victory over Gustavo Lemos (29-2, 19 KOs) in Norfolk, VA. He had an active 2024, fighting and winning three times. Can he start off his 2025 with a victory on Friday night?
Top Rank on ESPN Co-Main Event: Xander Zayas vs. Slawa Spomer
Immediately beforehand, the co-main event of the evening sees action take place in the super-welterweight division when a pair of undefeated fighters lock horns as Xander Zayas (20-0, 12 KOs) meets Slawa Spomer (20-0, 11 KOs) in a 10-round contest. Zayas enters the co-headliner having posted a mark of 5-0 in his last five bouts.
Most recently, he defeated Damian Sosa (25-3, 12 KOs) by way of unanimous decision after 10 rounds in The Theater at Madison Square Garden on September 27 of last year to defend the NABF and WBO Super-Welterweight Championships. While no titles are going to be at stake on Friday night, Xander Zayas makes a return to the scene of his latest victory under the Top Rank banner.
Zayas has been a regular fixture of fight nights at MSG, as this is his third straight bout in The Theater and fourth out of his last five. Is the venue going to serve him well this time?
Across the way, Slawa Spomer enters this fight with a 5-0 record in his last five fights. Most recently, he scored a first-round knockout win against Adam Ngange (23-13-2, 14 KOs) in Dubai last November.
This is Spomer’s first career fight inside the United States of America. Prior to this, he’s fought almost exclusively in Germany, with the lone exception being the fight in Dubai last fall. Will his first trip to New York City result in a victory?
Top Rank on ESPN: Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Connor Coyle
To open up the Top Rank main card this Friday night, the middleweights will head to the ring in New York City when Vito Mielnicki Jr. (20-1, 12 KOs) meets up with Connor Coyle (21-0, 9 KOs). This contest is an advertised maximum of 10 rounds at three minutes per round.
Mielnicki enters the fight with a record of 5-0 in his last five fights, and much like Xander Zayas in the co-main event, also fought at The Theater last September, winning a majority decision against Khalil el Harraz (16-6-1, 2 KOs) after 10 rounds. He’s been on a roll of late, securing victories in his last 12 outings.
Only time will tell, however, if he’ll turn it into lucky number 13.
In the other corner, Coyle has yet to lose thus far in his professional career. Last time out, he bested Kyle Lomotey (12-3, 2 KOs) on points after eight rounds in Barnsley, England six months ago. Connor Coyle has fought 16 of his contests on US soil, so how will he do in his 17th bout in America?
Final Thoughts
Which of the three contests on the Top Rank main card are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments.