By: Lou McLaughlin

Vito Mielnicki Jr. will be entering the paid ranks of boxers on the undercard of Saturday’s Shakur Stevenson fight card. The young man from Roseland will be taking on Tamarcus Smith (2-2, 2 KOs). Smith already has four pro bouts under his belt with his 2 wins coming by knockout. This is a test for Mielnicki combined with pressure of fighting in his home area and a lot of attention on him.

Young Vito fighting in this four-round super welterweight bout received a special exemption from the New Jersey Athletic Control Board to compete at age 17 due to his exceptional skills as an amateur.

His Father Vito Melnicki Sr. is CEO of GH3 Promotions. His company has developed an array of successful professional fighters. Among them are John “Apollo Kidd” Thompson who contested for the World Super Welterweight Title on International television.

Young Vito’s interest in boxing began at the tender age of 7 watching with his Dad a Floyd Mayweather fight. He laced the gloves on for the first time at age 8 and fought in 167 amateur matches and holds an amateur record of 147-20. His final one as an amateur was in Spain and he lost a controversial decision. He felt that the boxing skills he showcased in that bout qualified him to go for pro. Vito considers himself more of a boxer then a brawler. His extensive amateur career has exposed him to a variety of boxing styles so he comes into his first pro bout with a wealth of experience. What makes this fight exceptional for him is that he is fighting in a large crowd arena. Most fighters turn pro in small club venues. Vito’s start in the sport is a great leap into a boxing career that will hopefully give him much success. At the young age of 17 he has a long future ahead to achieve his ambitions.