Boxing
Keys to Victory: Where will Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Austin 'Ammo' Williams be won?
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A long, icy faceoff between Vito Mielnicki Jr. and Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams only caved Thursday when Matchroom Boxing chairman Eddie Hearn placed his hand right between their steely gazes. Even then, they needed to be separated by security after bumping into each other while lobbying for space to flex at the weigh-in.
After a fight week which had each man vowing that the other will be a stepping stone, the two middleweights will finally clash tonight. It takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and live on DAZN worldwide and TNT Sports in the United States, as chief support to the Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Damian Knyba heavyweight headliner.
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At 24, Mielnicki (23-1, 13 KOs) is a New Jersey native and will be trying to build onto his unanimous decision win over Omar Huerta in April with his biggest victory to date. Meanwhile, at 30, Williams (20-2, 13 KOs) fell short in his attempt to become world champion by suffering a points loss to WBC middleweight titleholder Carlos Adames back in March.
Will Mielnicki make good on his promise that it is indeed his time in the 160-pound division? Or will ‘Ammo,’ now guided under veteran trainer Derrick James, prove he should have been the ‘A’ side in this co-feature bout? With the stakes high, DAZN News analyzes the Keys to Victory for each fighter.
Vito Mielnicki Jr.’s Keys to Victory
Disguise access into the pocket
Vito Mielnicki Jr. does a solid job of feinting, even double feinting, and changing levels toward disguising his entry into the pocket. Any of those methods should prove valuable against the sizeable reach advantage held by Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams. A subtle double feint, in particular, could freeze Williams up enough for Mielnicki to burst his way into cramped quarters against the more experienced opponent.
Make regular deposits to the body
Consistent deposits to the body are already part of Mielnicki’s ring work and he cannot afford to neglect that strength in his sternest test to date. Landed shots to Williams’ midsection could sap the former title challenger’s energy and force him to frustratingly have to reload his ‘Ammo.’
Punch in traffic, especially with the counter right
Williams has trouble with fighters who are willing to punch in traffic, namely because of his penchant of keeping his head on the center line. Knowing this, Mielnicki must test whether Williams has remedied this issue.
His best way to do it is with a right hand straight down the middle. If Mielnicki lands the shot flush, he can also look to catch an unsuspecting ‘Ammo’ around the guard with a right hook. Either punch could very well point Mielnicki to his biggest resume-building name yet.
Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams’ Keys to Victory
Keep range behind the jab
Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams has a snappy, piston-like jab at his disposal. Asserting it early will allow Williams to keep Vito Mielnicki Jr. on the outside as he keeps his steady contact landing flush, capitalizing upon 10 inches of reach advantage.
Detonate the left hook-left uppercut combination
Watch Williams work and the southpaw does a solid job of firing away with the left hook and quickly turning it into a combination by unleashing a left uppercut behind it. This stinging combo could pay dividends within the fighting flow of Williams’ natural offense or as a paired counter to catch a pressuring Mielnicki off balance. Uncorking this combo with success should also halt plenty of Mielnicki’s feints.
Move head off the center line
During the second round of his March fight against Carlos Adames, Williams got caught with a short right hand through the guard. Instead of quickly moving his head off the center line, Williams kept it there, instead, and ate another compact right a second later for a knockdown. A thunderous right through the guard also spelled the end to Williams at the hands of Hamzah Sheeraz back in their June 2024 fight.
This being said, Williams can ill afford to leave his head on the center line. He’s got to show he has patched this problem up in making good on flashing “a more developed and complete style” under trainer Derrick James.
Who has the edge in Mielnicki vs. Williams?
Analysis: DAZN News’ Mark Lelinwalla
This co-main event between two ranked Matchroom Boxing middleweights is intriguing. Either Mielnicki is going to prove it’s his time or Williams is going to flex plenty of ring savvy over the confident 24-year-old Roseland, New Jersey native.
Williams gained invaluable experience through sharing rounds with world champions Carlos Adames and Hamzah Sheeraz. It’s imperative he shows new wrinkles under the guidance of veteran trainer Derrick James and leans into his urgency as he’s already calling this fight a “must-win.”
I think ‘Ammo’ shows enough adaptability to win on points by a slim margin, giving Mielnicki the growing pains he needs to learn from and improve upon.
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