AMATEUR BOXING Koval unbeaten after close victory in 'Winter Classic'

The local heavyweight scored a four-round decision over Tony Taylor of Akron.
By BOB ROTH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN -- Austintown's Chris Koval has never tasted defeat through several championship years of the KO Drugs High School Boxing Tournament and now through five fights as an amateur heavyweight.
However, Saturday night he was tested in a four-rounder with Tony Taylor of the Akron Rubber City Boxing Club.
It was the finale of a 10-bout card at the Buckeye Elks Youth Center titled "A Winter Boxing Classic" which was the second in a series of amateur boxing cards paying tribute to the late trainer Pedro Tomez.
Taylor, a big strong opponent, muscled Koval around the ring in the first round, but Koval, with the moniker of "Special K" finished the round with a flurry.
Good movement: In the next round Koval was evasive with good ring movement and began to tag Taylor with quick combinations as he turned the fight around. Patience, defense and good counterpunching were his tools to victory against the larger Taylor, with a quick left jab and rights to the body part of his attack, as he gained a close decision, improving his record to 5-0.
"This guy was tough, but if I want to improve I have to fight guys like him and better than him," said Koval, who represented the Tomez Buckeye Elks and made it a 3-0 sweep on the night for the local stable.
Other fights: In a 156-pound fight Anthony Pietrantonio of the Elks used a savage two-handed attack to win over Akron's Ron Miller when the referee stopped the contest in the second round.
Also impressive was Elks' 178-pounder, Joshua Harris, who used a straight left to polish off Jeff Fox from Akron in round one. Those Frank West trained fighters showed the best punching prowess of the night, but the best bout of the evening was a 147-pound open battle between Billy Lyell from Jack Loew's Southside boxing club and James Denson from Akron.
It was an action packed four-rounder that had Denson with outstanding boxing and sharp counterpunching looking good through the first two rounds. Then Lyell did a number in round three landing big rights to the head and body as he turned things around. Lyell out-fought Denson in the last round to get the decision.
Also, Durrell Richardson, also from the Southside Boxing Club, stopped Larry Bollinger from Ellwood City.
Richardson used a blistering attack before the referee stopped the contest in the second round. Also from the Southside Boxing Club fighter was 80-pound Chad Brown who decisioned Sandusky's Takye Penderson in a three-round Junior Olympic fight. There were two other Junior Olympic bouts and a pair of open division bouts that entertained the crowd of over 250 boxing fans.
More cards expected: Matchmaker Tommy Cordell said he was pleased with the action in the bouts and said there will be more amateur cards at the Elks.
Frank West, trainer at the Buckeye Elks and a longtime associate of Pedro Tomez said, "Promoting these cards to honor my old friend Pedro Tomez makes these nights special."