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00:00Good. Punches from here on up are good. Touch goes now. Come on, fighting at the bell.
00:05Alright, Vito Melnicki says,
00:07I do not like it when they call me a ticket seller. I'm more than that.
00:12But, Tim, that's part of being a star. That's part of getting yourselves on cards early on in your career.
00:18Yeah, but that's the way he perceives it. I mean, you hear a ticket seller, it's like,
00:21oh, he's only here because he can sell tickets, but he can't really fight.
00:25That's his perception of a ticket seller. However, yes,
00:29that is why we're here. That's why we have a boxing, a business in boxing.
00:34It's because if you can sell, the promoter is definitely going to like you.
00:38But if you can fight, they'll love you even more.
00:41And look, the reality is we talked about how we were looking at the junior welterweights in this fight.
00:46How about now looking at the 154 pounders?
00:50And Vito Melnicki and later on tonight, we're going to see Xander Zayas.
00:54And that is a fight that eventually will happen,
00:59but they have to work their way towards belts to make it worthwhile.
01:03Melnicki right now is kind of like on his own path right now.
01:07He's on his own course. He's taking his time.
01:10You know, he's trusting the process.
01:13Xander and his team has reached out to Melnicki and his team.
01:17Obviously, they believe that their guy is not ready yet, meaning Melnicki.
01:21However, a few years from now, I think it'll be a huge fight in the middleweight.
01:27You know what? I think I might be a super middleweight by then.
01:32Are you?
01:33You're a heavyweight.
01:34No, no.
01:34I'm just saying they're junior middleweights now.
01:37Yeah.
01:39They'll be middleweights.
01:39Yeah, yeah.
01:40160.
01:41I mean, and look, the state of the middleweight division today offers great opportunities for both Xander and Melnicki,
01:47but they both want to be multi-division champions.
01:50And that's, I think, the intent of staying at 54.
01:53I understand, but they're young, man.
01:55Yeah, they're young.
01:56Melnicki's 22.
01:57Yeah, 21.
01:59He just turned 22.
02:00Just now?
02:00Xander.
02:01Xander?
02:0222 years old.
02:03Both young, still growing.
02:05Look how big, big.
02:07And look at the physique of Melnicki.
02:10Look at his legs also.
02:12He's definitely going to grow.
02:15Maybe a couple of weight classes in the next few years.
02:18Talked to us about the importance of his grandfather, who would take him to the gym every day.
02:25Said there was days I didn't want to go.
02:27And my grandfather, Willem Melnicki, who passed away on March 7th, made sure I was going to be at the gym.
02:33It was my first call every day, my last call, my shoulder to lean on.
02:38And he says it was tough when he passed away.
02:42But he continues to apply his craft because he's got to do it for himself, for his family.
02:50El-Haraz is trying to close the distance.
02:52Melnicki doing a good job right there.
02:54Sneaking two shots upstairs, but then reaching for that left hook to deliver around that guard.
03:01Beautiful setup right there.
03:03That's one way to get down to downstairs.
03:05You know, you make them bring those elbows in and then you come right around that guard.
03:09He's fighting a guy that's never been stopped before in his career.
03:12Absolutely, and that's how you've got to break him down.
03:14You've got to go downstairs and continue to dig to the body.
03:30Alright, there is Sandy Ryan, the WBO welterweight world champion, coming into enemy territory.
03:37This is only her second fight in the United States, and she's a little leery right now as she steps in.
03:42There was an incident outside of her hotel.
03:45And, you know, we're going to get Mark Creagle on that to figure out exactly what happened.
03:51But she's here to defend her belt, Tim.
03:53And she's as tough as they come.
03:55And she's been through so much back home.
03:58You're absolutely right.
04:00You know, I hope she's okay.
04:01I hope she's focused.
04:03I hope she can, you know, turn it on and turn it off.
04:05I understand what happened outside the hotel, but she's got business to take care of tonight.
04:10And it depends on her future.
04:12So, it's a must win tonight for Sandy Ryan.
04:16And I believe she actually has the goods, man, to pull off this victory.
04:21I mean, absolutely, she has the talent.
04:22She's the current world champion for a reason.
04:25She's coming off of a win against Terry Harper by stoppage in four rounds.
04:30She's taking a moment to pray right before she starts to get ready for her third world title defense here inside the theater at MSG.
04:41And this is round two of a scheduled 10-round fight between Vito Melnicki and Khalil El-Haraz.
04:49Melnicki looks like a good athlete.
04:54You know, very coordinated.
04:56Placing his shots extremely well.
04:59Knows where he wants to go.
05:01You know, he has a plan and that's the box, box, box.
05:06Going up and down with his attack.
05:13Nice counter right there from El-Haraz.
05:15Yeah, El-Haraz, he's gonna be again, he's looking for a mistake.
05:18That's all he's doing.
05:19He's gonna buy his time.
05:20He's gonna play defense, defense, defense.
05:23That's the reason why he hasn't been stopped.
05:24He's very patient.
05:26He's okay with taking, taking shots on the gloves and maybe you sneak one through.
05:30However, eventually he's gonna get to you.
05:32He's gonna keep plodding forward, putting that pressure on you.
05:35And you have to stay concentrated all the way through because if you fall asleep, El-Haraz can land something like that.
05:42Yeah, that's a nice quick combination of uppercuts from Vito Melnicki.
05:45He can be flashy at times.
05:46They call him white magic.
05:48And he says, look, people think I've been spoon fed.
05:50But what they don't know is that I was in Newark down there working hard in all the roughest gyms and I had to earn my respect.
05:59Came up with Shakur Stevenson.
06:02Was trained by Wally Moses for a while as a young man.
06:07So hasn't been an easy path for Melnicki.
06:10He says, every day I gotta prove myself.
06:16Hear the fans.
06:18Vito.
06:19Nice body shot.
06:20Restless.
06:29Nice body shot followed by the left hook from El-Haraz.
06:32He picks his spot.
06:33He does.
06:34Again, he saw Melnicki trying to get, trying to disengage.
06:39Dropped his hands a little bit.
06:40He was able to sneak shots around the guard.
06:45All he needs is just an opportunity to land his shots.
06:48El-Haraz.
06:48Again, a lot of experience.
06:50Been in there with a lot of undefeated guys.
06:52Beautiful uppercut right there from Melnicki.
06:54Getting his head off the line and set that up too.
06:58And.
07:01And also a nice momentum flinch right there to stop the momentum of El-Haraz.
07:08Good body work again from Vito Melnicki.
07:11Taking his time.
07:12Showing poise.
07:16A little level change right there.
07:17You just seeing what El-Haraz know.
07:20He, what the shot he's looking for is the uppercut.
07:23Oh, nice counter.
07:24Yeah.
07:25El-Haraz dangerous.
07:27Very dangerous.
07:28Yep.
07:29Inching closer and closer.
07:30All right, let's listen in to Ronnie Shields who's working the corner of Vito Melnicki.
07:35All right, good round, good round.
07:38How we feel?
07:41Listen.
07:42You the biggest, strongest guy, okay?
07:47Let's control the middle of the ring, okay?
07:50You can do everything you're doing, but you got to do it in the middle of the ring, okay?
07:54Look, keep shooting uppercuts on both sides now, okay?
07:57Left side, just bring the head over and shoot it under.
08:00Bring the head over this way and shoot it under, okay?
08:04And then when you see that body, go to that body for me, okay?
08:08Keep, sometimes double that body shot up and then bring the uppercut behind it.
08:13All the things we worked on in the gym, okay?
08:15Just keep thinking about what you're doing.
08:17Everything is good.
08:18Keep controlling with the jab, but look, faint sometimes.
08:21Faint and then get that uppercut under there.
08:26What'd you think of the instructions from Ronnie Shields?
08:28I told you he was looking for the uppercut.
08:30Ronnie Shields, he went on ahead and alluded to it and told him,
08:33Hey, the uppercut is open.
08:39Round 3, fight scheduled for 10 rounds in the junior middleweight division.
08:43Vito Malnicki, 19-1 with 12 knockouts in the shiny trunks.
08:48The Ed Hardy collaborative trunks.
08:51And then Khalil El-Haraz from Rome, Italy in the classical black and gold trim.
08:58See, I understand what the coach was saying.
09:03However, El-Haraz is putting a lot of pressure on Malnicki.
09:08It's really hard to keep your back off the ropes.
09:13I mean, he's using his jab, he's boxing well, he's sliding left and right.
09:20However, that pressure, that pressure coming from El-Haraz,
09:24really making it difficult for Malnicki to control the center of the ring.
09:30There's different ways of pressuring, Tim, and this is a very effective way of El-Haraz.
09:36Nice left, though, from Vito Malnicki as he doubles up.
09:43Right to the body also from Malnicki, that one's straight low.
09:48Charlie Fitz right on top of it.
09:51What you see how the shorter fighter knows how to lean forward,
09:55get those elbows tucked in, and stay away from them body shots.
10:01And what a taller fighter gotta understand is when you're going downstairs,
10:06a shorter fighter,
10:09you gotta drop your knees because you're making yourself vulnerable.
10:13You know, you've got shots over the top. If someone's going downstairs, you come up top.
10:19If someone's going upstairs, you have the opportunity to go downstairs.
10:26So Malnicki, he better be cautious because El-Haraz is looking for that looping right hand.
10:31He's trying to set it up.
10:34If Malnicki, if he throws a number cut from the wrong position,
10:37he can get caught with that looping right hand from El-Haraz.
10:40So, again, doing things at the right distance is extremely important for Malnicki.
10:45Yeah, you just can't keep going to the well with the same shot and become predictable.
10:49Especially against a fighter with the experience of El-Haraz.
10:53Malnicki now is in the center of the ring, giving a little bit more offense.
11:01You know who he took the distance to?
11:03Who?
11:04Vincenzo Gualtieri, who fought...
11:06Oh, Gualtieri, yes.
11:07...who ended up fighting Zanabek.
11:11He also went the distance with former champion Jack Colquet.
11:14That was in March of 2022.
11:20Strong will, good chin, and again, good defense.
11:26Has a few tactics, does it very well.
11:30He's getting hit to the body, El-Haraz is, and he's also dishing his body shots as well.
11:38I got you.
11:43Give me a deep breath, I'm going to go slow.
11:45Listen, stop backing him up now.
11:47But I need combinations going now, not just one punch.
11:51Okay?
11:52You can double the jab, double the jab right hand, bring an uppercut on either side,
11:56it don't make a difference, and then go to the body.
11:59Okay?
12:01Let's back this guy up now, okay?
12:03Let's get him out of here.
12:04I don't want him using his head.
12:07Alright?
12:08You're hurting him with body shots.
12:10Okay?
12:13Next time you go to the body, they shoot the uppercut behind the body shot.
12:16Okay?
12:17He's not looking for that shot.
12:18Okay?
12:19Don't let him know what he's looking for.
12:20Alright?
12:21But back him up.
12:24Melnicki told us in the fighter meetings,
12:26Andre Ward, his ring IQ, just being able to get in and out.
12:29And he said, look, Caleb Plant, I love his eyes and his defense.
12:34A lot of different styles.
12:35Yeah.
12:36Yeah.
12:37Yeah.
12:38Yeah.
12:39Yeah.
12:40Yeah.
12:41Yeah.
12:42Yeah.
12:43Yeah.
12:44Yeah.
12:45Yeah.
12:46Yeah.
12:47Yeah.
12:48Yeah.
12:49Yeah.
12:50Yeah.
12:51Yeah.
12:52Yeah.
12:53Yeah.
12:54A lot of different styles.
12:55Yeah.
12:56Take a little bit from everybody.
12:57That's what you do.
12:58That's how you grow on your style.
13:02With that left hook from El Jaraz.
13:04See, the reason why Ronnie is telling Melnicki to control and then back him up is because he understands the psychology of these veteran type of fighters.
13:14Once they start to gain confidence and you allow them to do what they want to do, then they become harder to stop later on.
13:23So he wants him to get control of El Jaraz right now so that way he won't be a sore thumb later.
13:31Don't want him to gain that confidence.
13:34And I would advise Melnicki to listen to his corner.
13:41Put some pressure on El Jaraz.
13:43Make him think twice about coming inside.
13:47Right now, Jaraz is in a comfortable spot making Melnicki do all the work.
13:54And he's just comfortable to pick off any opportunity to counter Melnicki.
13:59Good jab.
14:07That body work once again from Melnicki.
14:09But Jaraz had his elbows in a good position.
14:12Block.
14:14And if you're El Jaraz, this is what you want, Tim.
14:19The room is quiet.
14:21You took his home crowd out of the fight so far.
14:24Yeah.
14:26You get to counter shots like that.
14:28Again, he's looking for the right hand.
14:30He's looking to either place the left hook or the right hand.
14:32Nice uppercut on the inside right there from El Jaraz.
14:35You know, yes, you want to counter.
14:38Again, nice uppercut on the inside right there from El Jaraz.
14:41You know, yes, you want him to bang down to the body.
14:44However, when you get inside, okay, he walks him back to the corner.
14:47That's smart.
14:48When you get inside, you got to be careful because a short-armed fighter is going to have an advantage.
14:53El Jaraz can have an advantage on the inside.
14:55He let his hands go.
14:57He has shorter arms and more compact punches.
15:02Guido continues to put in more work downstairs, trying to set up the shots to the head.
15:09Oh, he was setting up that right uppercut that El Jaraz bid on.
15:19It's a chess match in there.
15:20Yeah, I like it.
15:21I like it.
15:22It is.
15:23And these are great rounds for a fighter like Melnicki.
15:25It's a different look.
15:27I think rounds are great in general for any fighter, you know.
15:31Going rounds is extremely important.
15:34I told you what the limit is.
15:36Give me 100 good rounds, and I think you're ready for the championship.
15:39Of course, you got to have the talent to go long and the mentality.
15:42However, 100 rounds is what's needed.
15:44All right, Melnicki came in with 89.
15:46You add the 4, that's 93 rounds.
15:48He's getting closer to your threshold.
15:50And the body shots from Guido Melnicki have been probably his calling card against Galil El Jaraz.
15:57Yeah, he's trying to take some steam away from El Jaraz.
16:00Oh, that was a nice shot.
16:01El Jaraz, I don't even know how he took that.
16:03That was right placed on the liver.
16:06But he's doing a little bit of everything.
16:08Again, a nice little stab jab downstairs.
16:10Stop your opponent's momentum from coming forward.
16:12When he's leaning forward, he has that high guard.
16:14He's going to just reach around it.
16:16Landed a nice little solar plex shot there on the inside.
16:20But great variation, switching up ways of getting down to that body to siphon the gas tank of El Jaraz.
16:27He's hoping that it pays good dividends down the stretch of the fight.
16:32Remember, side to side, dig the body, okay?
16:54If I'm in El Jaraz's corner, what I'm telling him is just saying,
16:57let your hands go a little bit more.
16:59Once you're able to close the distance on Melnicki, let him go and adjust.
17:04You don't have to swing to the head.
17:06Go down to the body, start low, and come up high.
17:15Just need more offense from him.
17:17He's coming close.
17:19Melnicki right there did a good job.
17:23And using the clinch to get off the ropes.
17:25Moving this man back in the center of the ring.
17:27Great tactic against pressure.
17:31Nice right hand.
17:33On the ear.
17:47Nice body work from Guido once again.
17:49Yeah, on the inside. I like the physicality.
17:53Most fighters, when they get in close, what they do is they get relaxed.
17:57They're like, oh, you can take my hands.
18:00So there's plenty of opportunities.
18:02Good shots right there from El Jaraz.
18:04There's good opportunities for you to be able to manipulate your opponent's offense.
18:09Or go through his defense and land shots like Melnicki's landed.
18:13Short, tight shots on the inside as he's trying to rest and recover.
18:19That was a veteran tactic right there.
18:24Nice body shot again.
18:25Yeah, you always want to try to unnerve your opposition.
18:27That is a nice body shot.
18:28Because he went right and then left.
18:35You holding me, I'm going to hit you with the opposite hand.
18:37Whatever hand is free, I'm letting it go.
18:49Melnicki's doing a great job with those long arms.
18:52Shortening up his punches on the inside.
18:58I don't know if those body shots are starting to add up.
19:00El Jaraz is slowing down.
19:03That's one way of looking at it.
19:04Because that's the reason he is slowing down.
19:08You hear that belt line?
19:09Yeah.
19:10Yeah, right on the cup.
19:12El Jaraz.
19:15Landing right on the belt line of Melnicki.
19:19Wow.
19:31A lot of wrestling going on.
19:32A lot of wrestling for positioning.
19:38Stop!
19:43Time!
19:45You want to see this building light up?
19:48Well, how about Edgar Berlanga shows up.
19:51Berlanga.
19:52After his loss to Saul Canelo Alvarez as the WBA's number one super middleweight contender.
19:57He always had a lot of bling.
19:59But after that Canelo money.
20:00He's looking rich, don't he?
20:01That Canelo money.
20:02Absolutely.
20:03And there's Shi Lei Zhang coming up.
20:06Yeah.
20:07I lost to Joseph Parker a few fights ago.
20:10A few fights ago.
20:11And then that huge victory over Deontay Wilder.
20:15Yes, he's on camera.
20:16He's on TV.
20:17Big bang.
20:18Big bang.
20:20He say, Chinese power.
20:23Yeah, he did say that.
20:24And he won the WBO title.
20:27Yes.
20:28The stars are in the house.
20:41Ronnie Shields.
20:42A tough one today.
20:43Yeah.
20:44That's an interesting comment.
20:45Because that is what he's facing in Khalil El-Haraz.
20:48A tough opponent.
20:49Yes.
20:50Absolutely.
20:51In that last round.
20:52You saw that wrestling.
20:53You saw Villanello.
20:56You saw him trying to use his physical advantages.
21:01Trying to lean on El-Haraz.
21:05No, I said Villanello.
21:06My bad.
21:07No, Nikki.
21:08That's the heavyweight, brother.
21:09The Italian is El-Haraz.
21:10Yeah.
21:11That's all good.
21:12Well, excuse me.
21:14It's all good.
21:15Things happen.
21:17Good jab.
21:28Six rounds in.
21:29Now it's El-Haraz stepping forward on Vito Maldini.
21:33Yeah, but he's not.
21:34He's just practicing.
21:35I mean, he's not throwing any punches.
21:38I said he was stepping forward.
21:40I didn't say he was throwing punches.
21:44Now he's trying to work on the inside.
21:46Nikki's doing a good job of just crowding him.
21:49Tying up his hands on the inside.
21:51Not allowing him to work.
21:53I was just describing what was happening in the ring.
21:59And the pace has slowed since that hot start from Rojan Polanco early in the night.
22:07Yeah.
22:10Think Polanco.
22:11Gotta be careful.
22:12That looping shot right there.
22:13And it's grazing almost behind the head of Mel Nikki.
22:20Those type of shots, man.
22:22On the ear.
22:23Behind the head.
22:27Take equilibrium.
22:28Exactly.
22:29My point exactly.
22:33Warning there from Charlie Fitch.
22:34He says,
22:35You speak Italian?
22:36Doesn't matter.
22:37I'm gonna show you what you did wrong there.
22:38Take that jab.
22:40Nice counter right there from El Hiraj.
22:42Been looking for that shot all night.
22:45Finally landed it.
22:47Mel Nikki again.
22:48He's trying.
22:49Look.
22:50I understand using the physicality and trying to take over the fight.
22:53But, man.
22:54Right at the proper distance, man.
22:56At the right time.
22:57Now, I told you.
22:58El Hiraj.
22:59He likes to end range.
23:01To end close.
23:02Mid-range distance.
23:03He has short arms.
23:04And he can sneak Mel Nikki over the top.
23:06It's easy.
23:07This fight's easy if Mel Nikki keeps the fight on the outside.
23:11He can still press forward.
23:12Still be aggressive.
23:13Still be dominant.
23:14But at the right distance and right range.
23:16And so, El Hiraj has no opportunity of landing anything on him.
23:24El Hiraj trying to make it harder.
23:25Turning it into a rough fight for the 22-year-old Vito Mel Nikki.
23:30Who said,
23:31Look, man.
23:32Losing my fight against James Martin in April of 2021.
23:36And then rattling off those 10 wins was the best thing that happened to me.
23:41Because it helped me focus on my career.
23:43And not believe that I had everything figured out.
23:46Well, he's going to have to figure some things out here against Khalil El Hiraj.
23:55Luckily, he's got Ronnie Shields to help him out in the corner.
23:58How do we feel?
23:59Good.
24:01I got it.
24:02I got it.
24:03Okay, now listen.
24:05You got to watch this guy's head, okay?
24:07Look.
24:08When you're in there, he's trying to hold you.
24:10Move your head side to side.
24:11Then pull your hands out.
24:13You got to dig that body, man.
24:15Okay?
24:16You got to dig into the body.
24:17But Vito, you got to lead off with the uppercut.
24:20That's going to keep that head up.
24:22That's going to enable you to get to the body.
24:23Okay?
24:24Look, just move your head over a little bit and get the uppercut in.
24:27He's going to be there for you.
24:28All day.
24:29Okay?
24:31Come on, man.
24:32Let's go to work in there now.
24:33Okay?
24:40Come on.
24:41Deep breath.
24:42Let him out slow.
24:43Come on.
24:44Let's go to work in there.
24:45Let's go.
24:46Let's go.
24:51All right.
24:53All right.
24:54Round 7 of a scheduled 10-round fight for Vito Milnicki.
25:08Oh, good body.
25:09I like that.
25:11Hurrah.
25:12That's what he needs to continue to do.
25:14Just like anything.
25:15You want to chop a tree down, you want to hit the base.
25:18Hit that body.
25:20Hit it downstairs.
25:23And again, now hurrah.
25:24What he needs to do to cut off that ring.
25:27Again, he attempted it there.
25:29But a little bit off balance.
25:30His punch where Milnicki is going.
25:33Where he perceives he's going.
25:47There's a lot of stuff going on backstage.
25:49There's a lot of stuff going on backstage.
25:52With the drama that we've heard about between Michaela Mayer, Cade Caroma, and Sandy Ryan, the welterweight champion.
26:02We'll have Mark flesh it out and break down exactly what is happening as the night progresses.
26:11That'll be our main event on ESPN.
26:14We'll move over from ESPN Plus.
26:19At 10.30 Eastern Time.
26:21Nice combination there from El Garaz.
26:25Walked down Milnicki.
26:26I would say...
26:29Milnicki is lucky that El Garaz don't have a whole lot of knockouts.
26:33He only got two knockouts in 16 or 22 fights.
26:37However, I've seen a guy just recently get knocked out last week, man.
26:42With a guy, a fighter that had one knockout.
26:44So again, it's the punches that you don't see are the ones that hurt you.
26:47It doesn't matter if they only have two knockouts, one knockout, or no knockouts.
26:51You always gotta be on your P's and Q's.
26:54Defensively.
26:56That was Alan Garcia last week.
26:59Out in Phoenix, Arizona.
27:01And that was a vicious knockout.
27:04But, these are the situations that happen in the sport.
27:07That's why you have to be focused at all times.
27:11Every now and then, El Garaz is landing that looping right hand and occasional left hook over the top.
27:17When Milnicki is trying to disengage and get out and reposition himself.
27:23Gotta be careful moving forward.
27:24If you pull out too soon from the wrong range with your hands down, you're gonna get caught on the way out.
27:47Three, two, one.
27:54Time.
28:09Okay, listen.
28:11Let's go with a stiff jab.
28:13Now, okay?
28:14Let's go with a hard jab.
28:15Go with the hard jab.
28:16Why not?
28:19I know. Keep shooting it over there.
28:21Okay?
28:22That's legal on that side.
28:23So just keep throwing that right hand over there again and throw a hook behind it.
28:27Okay?
28:28Every now and then, you gotta throw a combination though.
28:30You gotta double your punches up.
28:32Double, triple the punches up.
28:34That's gonna make an opening for you.
28:36Okay?
28:38Come on, man. Let's go to work.
28:41Yeah, yeah. Easy.
28:43Easy.
28:44Listen.
28:46But let's go to the middle of the ring.
28:47We don't need to be on these ropes, okay?
28:58Stay in that corner.
29:04Listen to me.
29:05Ain't no brother-in-law in here.
29:07We touch gloves at the beginning of the fight.
29:10You over here, you touching gloves.
29:11This is like sparring session.
29:12It's like, hey, good job, man.
29:14You know, come out the next round and keep doing what you're doing, man.
29:17You're doing a great job.
29:18Like, Melnick, you gotta be meaner than that, man.
29:20You don't want to touch this man's hands at all, or gloves.
29:23You want to put leather on his face and body.
29:25That's what you want to do.
29:27Not tap him.
29:28Hey, good job, bud.
29:29No, man.
29:30Leave that for the gym.
29:31Not for the fight.
29:35We're at round 8 of a scheduled 10-round fight.
29:39This will be the last fight of our undercard here on Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+.
29:46You, of course, can stay here and watch our three-fight main card.
29:50Or, at 10.30 Eastern, we will be starting our fight card on ESPN2.
29:59Because we'll be coming on ESPN after the Virginia Tech at Miami game, currently 27-17.
30:06But there's 7 minutes and 32 seconds still left in the third quarter.
30:11So we will see you on ESPN2.
30:17That'll be Bruce Shushu Carrington opening the card.
30:21In a stiff chest against Sully Segawa, who's coming off of that upset against the other number one rated fighter,
30:29when they stepped into the ring, Ruben Villa.
30:32Look, I said it earlier today.
30:34You know, professional fighting, man, is about hurting your opposition.
30:38That's what it's about.
30:41That handshake stuff, man, it bothers me.
30:43I see it all the time by young fighters.
30:45All the time.
30:46Wasn't Pacquiao that type, though?
30:48That he'd, like, bow and then kind of dap you up?
30:51Pacquiao didn't dap you up.
30:53No.
30:54I mean, if it was a foul or something like that, Pacquiao would maybe go like,
30:57I mean, if it was a foul or something like that, Pacquiao would maybe go like,
31:03However, man, at the end of the round, Pacquiao never tapped gloves at the end of the round.
31:08Like, good job, Tim.
31:10No way.
31:11Absolutely not.
31:12He was like, your Achilles okay?
31:14Your ankle good?
31:19You got blisters on your feet.
31:20That man put me in the wheelchair, man.
31:22I'll never forget it.
31:23I still got the wheelchair, man.
31:25I swear.
31:26Someday he's going to end up on eBay.
31:30Monica's going to get tired of it being in the garage.
31:32She's going to be on eBay.
31:35Oh, man.
31:36I laugh about it now, man.
31:39She went through it that night.
31:40Yes, we did.
31:44Nice left hook there on the inside for Mel Hickey.
31:47Greenberg.
31:54Look, Tim, we talked about a lot of fighters being tested tonight.
31:58It's not a test of are you going to lose.
32:01It's can you take it to the next level.
32:05Facts.
32:061000%.
32:07Can you take it to the next level?
32:09Again, are you ready for the next level?
32:11Show me that you're ready for the next level.
32:15I don't know.
32:16I don't know.
32:18I mean, he's in there with a tough guy, but he's a guy that's hittable.
32:21He's there to be hit.
32:22He's there to be taken out.
32:25Now, I'm not saying you've got to stop him or knock him out.
32:29But you've got to dominate him.
32:31You've got to make him look different.
32:33That's how you move forward.
32:35And that's how you make believers out of everybody that's watching at home.
32:38You make it look different.
32:39You make it look easy.
32:41That's what the great ones do.
32:43Absolutely.
32:44You stand out.
32:45So far, there's been one standout fighter, and that's Rojan Polanco.
32:48Yes.
32:49Who opened up that night.
32:50Made it look different.
32:51Against the guy, Marcelino Lopez, who had never been stopped, never been dropped.
32:56Made him take three knees.
32:57A man with that type of pride, Tim, to say, man, I've got to take a knee.
33:01After being knocked down by a vicious uppercut.
33:03That tells you he's different.
33:06Move to the corner.
33:07Go to that corner and get this water.
33:09All right.
33:10Referee Charlie Fitch observes that it's wet over in the blue corner.
33:14A little bit of gamesmanship.
33:16Give their guy a break.
33:17All right.
33:18He's not even breathing.
33:20Nobody's breathing.
33:21Box.
33:22Well, he's breathing.
33:24He's not breathing hard.
33:25There's the tap again.
33:26Go ahead.
33:27Let's fight.
33:28There's the tap.
33:32Look, I like this young man, Melnicki.
33:34You know, I do.
33:35Got hit in another one.
33:37Nice right overhand right right there from El Jaraz.
33:45But, Tim, that's what we're talking about.
33:47You want to fight against the Fedoras, the Crawfords, the Madrimals, the Zus, the Virgil Ortiz, the Merzitalias, the Boachuks, the Lubins of this division.
33:59I mean, you've got to show more.
34:01Yeah, he's not there yet.
34:03He's still growing, still maturing.
34:08So, need a little bit more seasoning.
34:11Yeah.
34:12And he's going to gather.
34:13I mean, these type of fights right here, he's going to gather that type of seasoning.
34:16You know, because now he can go back to the draw board.
34:18He gets through this.
34:19He goes back to the draw board.
34:20He goes and learns new things.
34:21Stop.
34:22No punches.
34:23Cleaver.
34:24Yep.
34:25You know, you're in there with a shorter opposition.
34:26You know, you're leaning down.
34:27Your head is down.
34:28Why is your head down?
34:29Why don't you push his head down?
34:30Yeah.
34:31Take his legs.
34:32Put stress on his back.
34:33Like, little tricks of the trade, man.
34:35He's still got to learn.
34:37He's young.
34:3822 years old.
34:40That's another difference.
34:41You've got a guy that's 31 years old that has his man strength already.
34:44Yes.
34:45You know, that's the one disadvantage of starting so young.
34:48And that's the difference you see in a fighter like Shushu Carrington, who's 27 years old.
34:52Stop.
34:53No punches.
34:54Cleaver.
34:55And Shushu Carrington, I'm going to tell you how smart he is, he's always had the mentality,
34:59but he didn't feel that he had the physical attributes, the physical strength to turn pro at a very young age.
35:04So he took his time.
35:06He said, you know what?
35:08Let me let my body mature.
35:09You're holding his arm.
35:10Think about that.
35:11Let me let my body mature.
35:13Stop.
35:14Now he's, what, 27, I believe, right now.
35:16Has his man strength right in the midst of his prime.
35:20And he said he didn't want to be fast track.
35:22However, his performance is what's making him be on the fast track.
35:26Yep.
35:27He's fast tracking himself.
35:29Already number one in the world.
35:30No, yet anyway, was here last time he fought.
35:33That was slick.
35:35From Melnicki?
35:36Yeah, that was slick.
35:37He hit El Haram on the hip.
35:41Smart.
35:43But it was on the same side of the referee.
35:45Referee didn't say anything.
35:47But you hit him in that sciatica, that sciatic nerve.
35:49On the side, man.
35:50You can get him a dead leg.
35:51Stop.
35:52I used to hate getting hit in there, man, if my leg goes numb.
35:54Oh, I hated it.
35:55Bernard Hopkins used to do that all the time to people.
36:01Great b-hop.
36:04Might not be faster than you, but he was smarter than you.
36:06Stop.
36:08I don't want to hit.
36:09I'm going to have to take a point.
36:10You hold on.
36:11Then you go ahead.
36:12No more.
36:13No more of that.
36:18Time.
36:26All right, baby.
36:27Let's look.
36:31Listen.
36:32But you got to do it in the middle of the ring.
36:34Okay?
36:35Look.
36:36Let's go back to the jab now.
36:37I want a good, stiff jab this round.
36:39Okay?
36:40I need a good, stiff jab.
36:41Keep him on the end of your punches.
36:43Okay?
36:44Keep him on the end of that.
36:46All right?
36:47This is the last round.
36:48Okay?
36:49Let's go.
36:50I need the jab.
36:51I need the jab.
36:52Okay?
36:53Let's go.
36:54I need you in the middle of the ring.
36:56Okay?
36:57But I need a good, stiff jab with straight punches.
36:59Straight punches and an uppercut.
37:00If you can get to the body, get to it.
37:02If you can't, forget about it.
37:03Don't worry about it.
37:08Ronnie is content with just taking the victory as it comes.
37:12Yeah, take the victory, man.
37:14Don't give this man an opportunity to land anything vicious over the top
37:18while you're sitting in the range where he's going to have success.
37:21Okay.
37:22With those shorter arms.
37:23Wait for the bell.
37:24Wait for the bell.
37:25Wait for the bell.
37:26Wax!
37:27But, again, I go back and I say,
37:30Look, you got the reach advantage.
37:31You got the height advantage.
37:32Use that reach, man.
37:34Stay on the outside and pick, pick, pick.
37:36I told you.
37:37You can still dominate the center of the ring coming forward at the right range.
37:43Using coming behind your jab.
37:46The crowd is saying, Let's go beat over this El Jarazi who comes out firing.
37:51And he's throwing a little bit more combinations.
37:54Yeah, he's like, Hey, 10th round.
37:56Let's see what happens here.
37:57Let me take a shot.
38:07El Jarazi to level change and come over with the overhand right there.
38:10There he did it.
38:12That's what I'm talking about.
38:13There he did it.
38:15As I was saying it.
38:17That's so funny.
38:18Hey, you might have a future in this commentary thing, Tim.
38:21That's what he needs to continue to do.
38:24I don't know.
38:25Nikki don't understand about the level changes.
38:26You got to be careful with that.
38:29If he pulls straight back and he drops that lead hand, he can get caught.
38:34The level change is just changing levels right in front.
38:36You're dropping your level.
38:37Now, if your opposition doesn't drop with you, you can sneak them over the top.
38:43And El Jarazi, he can set it up by throwing a couple of shots to the body.
38:47A couple of shots to the body.
38:48There he is attempting it right there.
38:50He's trying to set it up now.
38:52And he's looking for that looping right hand.
38:53And he wants to catch Mel Nikki.
38:55Nice uppercut right there.
38:56He wants to catch him as he's moving out.
38:58Moving away.
39:02There it is.
39:03Another level change.
39:04He's trying to set it up.
39:05Come over with the hook that time.
39:06Yeah.
39:07Trying to switch sides on him.
39:10Mel Nikki was smart.
39:11Got underneath it.
39:12Saw it coming.
39:15Quick hands from Vito Mel Nikki, but that right uppercut from El Jarazi pushes him off.
39:26Nice double right hand from Vito, but not much behind it.
39:39There it is.
39:40There it is.
39:41The mouthpiece.
39:42Something came flying out.
39:43Tape.
39:44The tape from the glove.
39:45I don't know.
39:46Something on the back of the tracks.
39:47Yeah.
39:51Great round from El Jarazi here in the 10th.
39:56Break.
39:57Clean break.
39:58Yeah.
39:59You recognize the setups.
40:00I was short.
40:01Well, I'm still damn short.
40:03I know the setups for the taller opposition.
40:08Stop.
40:09I always liked punching up.
40:11I've had difficulties when guys were smaller than you.
40:14I couldn't stand fighting smaller guys.
40:29Alright.
40:30Ten rounds in the book.
40:40Good one.
40:41Good one.
40:43Good one.
40:45Bring it in boy.
40:50Vito Ch grab.
40:51You can do all kinds.
40:52Yeah.
41:07Very similar.
41:08Kaleel Alharaz came into the theater at MSG and gave Riddleman Nicky all he could handle.
41:35A lot of unexpected combinations and Riddleman Nicky just couldn't get out of gear.
41:41Should come away with a win regardless but it could be a close decision as
41:45Marshall Nick is still over there with the commission figuring out the math.
41:53Good rounds of experience for Vito tonight.
41:57A lot of room to grow for the fighter who actually came into this fight
42:03ranked number four by the WBA, number 14 by the WBC.
42:07And after his performance you'd have to say he's somewhere in the middle of that.
42:17Alharaz the former Italian middleweight champion
42:202-2 with one knockout over his last four fights and
42:24you know he said people are going to be watching me back home
42:271.30 in the morning over in Italy but I have my fans.
42:33Riddleman Nicky comes all the way across to congratulate his foe.
42:39Alharaz said look I understand this is the biggest opportunity
42:43of my career I'm going to make the best of it.
42:46The chubby kid who wanted to lose weight when he was a
42:49small young man his father didn't want him to box and then he watched the fight and he says look
42:53I agree you should debut as a professional.
42:56Here he is in his 23rd fight fighting at the theater at MSG.
43:01That means a lot to fighters out in Europe to fight here in New York City.
43:14Mark Chinook is in the ring and we'll send it to him for the decision.
43:21Ladies and gentlemen here inside the theater at Madison Square Garden after 10 rounds
43:26we go to the judges scorecards for the official decision.
43:30Tony Paolillo has it 95-95.
43:34Robin Taylor 100-90.
43:37Alan Nace 98-92.
43:40For your winner by majority decision Vito White Magic Mel Nicky Jr.
43:51All right decision win for Vito Mel Nicky.
43:54There's a lot brewing in the controversy with Sandy Ryan the WBO welterweight champion.
44:01Kay Karoma.