Junior middleweight prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr., who recently inked a deal with Top Rank, envisions a future showdown with his close friend and promotional mate Xander Zayas. 

Mielnicki (18-1, 12 KOs), is set to make his Top Rank debut on Aug. 10 at the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as part of the undercard for the Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Angelo Leo featherweight title fight.

In a recent interview with Mark Kriegel during a June 8 broadcast on ESPN, the 22-year-old Mielnicki discussed his career trajectory. 

“Obviously, Al Haymon is still my advisor, but I’m now promoted by Bob Arum,” Mielnicki said. “Having two Harvard graduates managing my career, what could be better than that?”

After initially debuting on Top Rank shows, Mielnicki has spent the past four years appearing on cards promoted under Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions banner. He was frequently featured on Fox telecasts during PBC’s distribution deal with the network. Despite that deal ending, Mielnicki continued to be showcased prominently as a preliminary attraction for major fights.

“I’m still growing,” Mielnicki said about his development. “At 18-1 with 12 knockouts, I’m in a stage where I want to fight three times by the end of this year.”

Looking ahead, Mielnicki expressed his ambition to challenge former world champions and fighters of similar caliber. He sees the 21-year-old Zayas (19-0, 12 KOs) as a potential future opponent despite their friendship and shared past. 

“Xander and I were teammates on the junior Olympic team – and even roommates,” Mielnicki said. “We’re good friends, but you know the boxing game – it’s a crash course.”