Top Rank’s potential future star, Keyshawn Davis (12-0, 8 KOs), will be making his first attempt at a title when he faces the WBO lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KOs) at the Theater inside Madison Square Garden on Valentine’s Day. The fight will stream live on ESPN, ESPN+ & ESPN Deportes and will kick off the first fight of 2025, which will see the end of Top Rank on ESPN later this year.
This matchup is intriguing as Davis is getting a title shot after just 12 pro fights, and Berinchyk will look to prove the win over Emanuel Navarrete was not a fluke. “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,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “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 Jr. facing unbeaten Irishman Connor Coyle, we have a sensational tripleheader in store for the fans at The Theater at Madison Square Garden and watching live on ESPN.”
As Arum mentioned, this event will also mark the return of Puerto Rican sensation Xander Zayas (20-0, 12 KOs), who is on the cusp of a world title opportunity but must first get past the undefeated German contender Slawa Spomer (20-0, 11 KOs). Zayas was recently linked to a fight against Interim WBC junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr., but that fight fell through, with Ortiz now taking on Israil Madrimov in February. As Zayas looks to get his first world title opportunity, this fight against Spomer will be tough and will test to see if he is truly ready for the next level.
STANDING ON BUSINESS 🏆@KeyshawnDavis8 makes his world title debut against Lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk at @TheTheaterAtMSG!
Pre-sale Wednesday – 12PM ET | On-Sale Thursday – 12PM ET pic.twitter.com/NMVvPV4ciI
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) January 7, 2025
“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. I will not back down!”
Here are the rest of the fighters who will be on this February 14 card at the Theater inside Madison Square Garden.
- Dominican-born welterweight contender Rohan Polanco (14-0, 9 KOs) continues his march towards a world title against Puerto Rico’s Jean Carlos Torres (22-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-rounder. Polanco represented his homeland at the Tokyo Olympics and has knocked out four of his last five foes. Torres has won three bouts since a 2021 stoppage defeat to Darwin Price.
- Rising lightweight Abdullah Mason (16-0, 14 KOs) will make his 2025 debut against Manuel Jaimes (16-2-1, 11 KOs) in an eight-rounder. The Cleveland-born Mason fought five times in 2024, stopping all his opponents in four rounds or less. Jaimes lost a 10-round decision to former world champion Rolando Romero last September.
- Cleveland’s Tiger Johnson (14-0, 6 KOs), an Olympic teammate of Davis’ in Tokyo, will face Cincinnati native Quashawn Toler (17-3, 12 KOs) in an eight-round welterweight battle for Ohio supremacy. This marks the fourth straight appearance at The Theater for Johnson, who went 3-0 with one knockout in 2024. In September, he won an eight-round decision over Yomar Alamo.
- Middleweight prospect Nico Ali Walsh (11-1, 5 KOs), the grandson of “The Greatest,” will face an opponent to be named in a six-rounder. Ali Walsh avenged the lone loss of his career last June, overcoming a dislocated shoulder to win a unanimous decision over Sona Akale.
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