Vito Mielnicki knows he cannot afford to slip up when he faces Omar Huerta in Atlantic City on April 11.
Mielnicki is 22-1 (13 KOs) and headlines at the Adrian Phillips Theater inside the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.
Huerta is 15-0-1 (13 KOs) and boxes out of San Ysidro, California via Tijuana.
Mielnicki, a popular ticket-seller fighting out of Roseland, New Jersey, is rated No. 5 by the WBO, No. 9 by the IBF and 10 by the WBC and he has been preparing in Houston under coach Ronnie Shields, who has been with him for around three years.
“The last few fights I felt like we’ve grown together and have really meshed,” said Mielnicki. “He’s seeing what I’m seeing in the ring. We are on the same page. Being around him and these great fighters, it only levels you up and makes you even better. “The last few years have been a great experience for me. I’m like a sponge taking it all in and learning from him on a daily basis. It has been a blessing.
Mielnicki has reviewed tape of Huerta, a tall southpaw and good bodypuncher and Mielnicki is excited by the prospect of boxing on the New Jersey shore.
“Atlantic City is new for me,” he added. “I fought in the Prudential Center a bunch of times. This should be an exciting atmosphere and a different feel on another big stage. It should be exciting when everybody supports me shows up. I plan to give them their money’s worth that night. It should be a great night of fights.”
Mielnicki’s last contest was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in November when he defeated Samuel Nmomah over nine rounds.
The defeat early in his career came after eight fights when he lost a decision over eight rounds to the then 6-2 Philadelphia James Martin.
“To me, every fight is a world title fight,” Mielnicki explained. “Ever since my first career hiccup I realized this isn’t something to play with. Every fight is a world championship fight, and every fight could be your last because it’s dog eat dog. “Throughout these 12 weeks I’ve been locked in and putting in the hard work.”
