There were not many pleasantries said at the press conference ahead of the title fight pitting Denys Berinchyk against Keyshawn Davis. The undefeated lightweights and Olympic silver medalists battle it out on February 14 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, live on ESPN.
36-year-old Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KOs) from Ukraine puts his WBO belt on the line and makes the first defense of his title. 25-year-old Davis (12-0, 8 KOs) of Norfolk, VA challenges for his first major strap.
Continuing Fight Week, the event took on a deeply personal turn during Wednesday’s press conference when Davis accused Berinchyk of delivering a box of bananas and a watermelon to his room – an act he deemed racist – while Berinchyk dismissed the claim as a manufactured controversy, according to Top Rank’s press release.
“I don’t speak English, and I don’t write English,” Denys Berinchyk said. “I saw his message on social media. It’s weird even to mention this. Some people with bad intentions looking for some hype made that.”
“The first thing you need to do is make weight. And afterward, on Friday, we’re going to sort it out.”
“Since winning my title, I’ve been training the entire time. And I was preparing for this defense. Nothing changed too much in my life. We have a war in Ukraine. So, unfortunately, my life didn’t change much.”
“I never imagined myself fighting here. But I’ve been working hard for 25 years to make my dream come true and accomplish this assignment.”
“I have 355 amateur fights. I have more than 500 victorious street fights. I have one bare-knuckle fight that was also victorious.”
Keyshawn Davis said, “I want to address the fact that this guy came to America to give me bananas and a watermelon with a note on it. It’s unprofessional, and I feel like it’s racist. And you just made this fight a little more personal. This man brought a box of bananas and a watermelon to America to bring to my room. I took it as racist. So, I got something for you.”
“Ya’ll did it. It’s OK that ya’ll did it. I’m going to whoop your a** for it. Just know what’s coming Friday night.”
“It’s a real blessing. When he called my name out after he won his last fight, I had a feeling in my spirit that I was going to fight him for the world championship. I never thought it would be at Madison Square Garden.”
“You’re not tougher than me. You can talk about all that bare-knuckle stuff. I come from what I come from. I’ve been doing this bare-knuckle s*** outside the ring. So, all that s*** you’re talking about, I don’t care. I’m going to f*** you up this Friday.”
“I don’t care about none of your experience or amateur experience. I don’t care about your silver medal. I don’t even care about your watch, your belt, or any of that. I’m going to f*** you up on Friday.”
Xander Zayas faces Slawa Spomer in co-feature
In the co-feature, Puerto Rico’s Xander Zayas (20-0, 12 KOs) takes on Slawa Spomer (20-0, 11 KOs) of Germany by way of Kyrgyzstan. The pair square off at super welterweight.
“I feel amazing. Fight No. 7 here at the ‘Mecca of Boxing,'” Xander Zayas said. “New York is like a second home now. I’m excited to put on a show for the fans once again and to put the 154-pound weight class on notice. I’m coming for the world title next.”
“This means the world to me. He’s ranked at No. 11 in the WBO for a reason. He’s 20-0 for a reason. He has good victories behind him. But I’m looking forward to becoming 21-0 on Friday night and to the great opportunities coming next in 2025.”
“I’ve been here since Saturday. We had 10 weeks of training camp. I’m one step away from the main goal. I have to beat him to get there, so I’m going to prove that I belong at the elite level.”
Slawa Spomer said, “I want to show that I belong at the top. Xander is also a top boxer, and I want to climb to the top. In order to get there, you have to fight the best fighters in the world. That’s why I’m here.”
“Camp with Roy Jones Jr. was amazing. So, two dreams have come true. One was to fight at Madison Square Garden, and the other was to prepare with Roy Jones Jr. The preparation and camp were very good. I’ve been in the game long, so I didn’t need to learn the basics. But now, I see different things because of what Roy has taught me. So, I’m proud of that opportunity.”
Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs Connor Coyle kicks off the action
In the main card opener, New Jersey native Vito Mielnicki Jr. (20-1, 12 KOs) takes on Connor Coyle (21-0, 9 KOs) of Northern Ireland. The pair go head-to-head in a 10-round contest at middleweight.
“This is exciting. I’m fighting on the main card on ESPN, which is another great opportunity,” Vito Mielnicki Jr. said. “I feel blessed to be in this position.”
“The goal is to keep climbing and fighting better opposition. This is definitely my toughest to date on paper. And I’m just excited to show what I’ve been working on and how I’ve grown as a fighter. I’m going to put on a dominating performance on Friday.”
“This is everything I’ve dreamt of as a kid. This is everything I’ve ever wanted. So we’re going to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Connor Coyle said, “I’ve been looking for big fights. But I never got them. It’s not like I was ducking or dodging people. I’ve just had to fight whoever was put in front of me.”
“I believe this is my opportunity now, and I’m happy this is at MSG.”
“You’ll see the best version of me. I spent 12 weeks in total away from my kids and family. It was the best camp I’ve had, mentally and physically. I’ve had the best sparring. And this is my opportunity, so I have to grab it with both hands.”
Rohan Polanco, Abdullah Mason, Juanmita Lopez de Jesus in undercard action
Among the Berinchyk vs Davis undercard bouts, Dominican welterweight Rohan Polanco (14-0, 9 KOs) meets Jean Carlos Torres (22-1, 17 KOs) of Puerto Rico.
“I’ve moved up in weight, so this camp was more intense, and I did more weight training,” Rohan Polanco said. “The sparring was intense, too. But for this fight, I feel very good. I have a lot of experience. I know that my opponent has a lot of experience as well. I think that with my boxing skills, I will walk away victorious.”
“My trainer, Hector Bermudez, is very intelligent. He is always teaching me how to adapt to professional boxing because I had such a long career as an amateur. We have meshed well, and I believe it was a great decision for my career to have chosen him.”
“The plan is to keep winning so I can keep positioning myself until I get a world title opportunity. That is what we are looking for.”
Abdullah Mason (16-0, 14 KOs) of Bedford, Ohio takes on Manuel Jaimes (16-2-1, 11 KOs) of San Jose, CA at lightweight.
“From my last fight, I learned to fight smart and make sure I listen to my corner,” Abdullah Mason said. “Every time I’m tuned into them, the easier the fight is. I did get up and do exceptionally well, but I need to fight smart.”
“I see myself up there with the guys who hold the titles. Skill-wise, I feel like I’m able to hold my own in one of those fights and come out on top. But we’re proving ourselves, and we’ll keep taking those steps forward. Hopefully, we grab a smaller title later this year.”
Puerto Rico Olympian Juanmita Lopez De Jesus makes his pro boxing debut against Bryan Santiago (1-1-1) of Weslaco, TX at super flyweight.
“I want to make my people in Puerto Rico proud, so I’m going to show what I’m made of and what I bring to the table,” Juanmita Lopez de Jesus said. “This is definitely a different experience. I’ve never had this kind of attention before, so I’m very excited.”
The welterweight fight between Tiger Johnson (14-0, 6 KOs) of Cleveland, Ohio and Quashawn Toler (17-3, 12 KOs) of Cincinnati, Ohio has been canceled due to Toler being overweight.