Joe Tessitore will be absent from this Friday’s SmackDown broadcast.
Instead, he’ll be providing commentary for Top Rank Boxing’s upcoming event on ESPN. The card will feature exciting matchups, including Denys Berinchyk vs. Keyshawn Davis, Xander Zayas vs. Slawa Spomer, and Vito “White Magic” Mielnicki Jr. vs. Connor “The Kid” Coyle.
Tessitore will join Timothy Bradley Jr., Mark Kriegel, and Bernardo Osuna for the boxing coverage.
At this time, it’s unclear who will step in to fill Tessitore’s role on SmackDown this Friday.
ESPN released this following press release announcing details:
“Top Rank Boxing on ESPN: Berinchyk vs. Keyshawn will be presented live this Friday, February 14, at 9:00p.m. ET/ 6:00p.m. PT on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+. The event takes place at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.
WBO lightweight world champion Denys Berinchyk will make the first defense of his title against the undefeated fighting pride of Norfolk, Virginia, Keyshawn Davis.
Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KOs) built an impressive career as an amateur member of Ukraine’s national team alongside boxing greats Vasiliy Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk. After winning the European title in 2022, he secured the WBO lightweight world championship with a hard-fought victory over Emanuel Navarrete last May. Now, he prepares for his first title defense, stepping in as the underdog against Davis.
Davis (12-0, 8 KOs) rose to the WBO No. 1 ranking in less than four years, showcasing the skills that made him the most accomplished American amateur of his generation. In 2023, he dominated former European champion Francesco Patera and stopped former two-division world champion Jose Pedraza. He capped the year with a statement win, knocking out Gustavo Lemos in two rounds before a sold-out hometown crowd.
In the 10-round junior middleweight co-feature, Puerto Rican standout Xander Zayas steps up against fellow unbeaten Slawa Spomer.
Zayas (20-0, 12 KOs), the WBO No. 1 contender, spent 2024 fighting at The Theater. He headlined Puerto Rican Day Parade Weekend in June, coasting past former world champion Patrick Teixeira over 10 rounds. Three months later, as the co-feature to the Sandy Ryan-Mikaela Mayer main event, he shut out Mexico’s Damian Sosa. The San Juan native made his pro debut as a 17-year-old in 2019 and currently holds a pair of regional titles.
Spomer (20-0, 11 KOs) has beaten three undefeated prospects in his career. In October 2023, the German defeated the highly touted French standout Milan Prat in 10 rounds. Spomer returned 13 months later and picked up a first-round TKO over Adam Ngange in Dubai.
in the 10-round televised opener, New Jersey-born middleweight Vito “White Magic” Mielnicki Jr. (20-1, 12 KOs) looks to upend undefeated, world-ranked contender Connor “The Kid” Coyle (21-0, 9 KOs).
The action-packed undercard bouts begin at 5:00 p.m. ET/ 2:00 p.m. PT on ESPN+.
ESPN’s Joe Tessitore, Timothy Bradley, Jr., Mark Kriegel, and Bernardo Osuna will call the action.”
