Local Boxer Mielnicki
Returns To
Prudential Center
By Jim Dombrowski
Vito Mielnicki returned to The Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, the site of his debut into professional boxing, to avenge his only loss a few months ago. Mielnicki, still a Roseland High School student, became one of the youngest New Jersey boxers to ever enter the professional ranks. Vito won that televised fight which even had Bruce Beck as part of the announcers’ crew.
Vito moved his record to 8-0 before a loss to journeyman James Martin. His boxing team quickly requested a rematch at The Prudential Center in Newark. With no rules regarding crowd size & vaccinations, boxing returned to The Rock. (Unfortunately when the pandemic struck, causing havoc in the sports world, a lot of boxing moved to the Shrine Auditorium in L.A.)
The Roseland native with strong roots in Belleville & Nutley has strong drawing power and tickets sales were strong for the home town favorite.
Mielnicki‘s best boxing weight is 147 pounds. His first loss to James Martin came at 152 and the rematch was to be at 147 pounds. Martin didn’t make weight so Noah Kidd (6-4-2, 5 KO) stepped in to face Vito, and was defeated quickly, raising Mielnicki’s record to 9-1, 6 KO.
Photo: Vito Mielnicki moving in for the second round KO.
During the post-fight press conference, Mielnicki stated that he had moved on from Martin and saw no reason to set up a rematch, especially given the fact that he couldn’t make weight for this televised co-feature on Fox. Mielnicki said that at both the pre-fight Press Conference and the post fight presser he learned a lot from his loss to Martin. James Martin was part of the large card on The Return of Boxing to The Rock. He lost to a stable mate of Vito, Joey Spencer, who upped his record to 13-0. Boxing is tentatively scheduled to again return to The Rock in December.
Photos by Jim Dombrowski
