Saturday, April 24, 2004
Travis Fulton couldn't answer the second-round bell.
By BOB ROTH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
WHEELING, W.Va. -- Austintown heavyweight boxer Chris Koval clobbered Travis Fulton from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for a first-round victory Friday at the Wheeling Island Race Track and Gaming Center.
Koval (16-1, 14 knockouts) used a series of solid right uppercuts and solid hooks to Fulton's (7-4) body to cut short the scheduled six-round fight.
Fulton (264 pounds) came out strong in the early going, missing Koval (242) with several big haymakers. Then the Austintown belter connected with a right-left combination followed by a pair of right uppercuts.
Rattled and rolled
A big volley in Fulton's corner decked the Iowa heavyweight, and Koval, with a non-stop two-fisted attack on the ropes, punished Fulton to the first-round bell.
Fulton was unable to answer the bell for the second round.
"I implemented my uppercut well with hooks to the body," said Koval, adding, "Fulton is a tough kid who took some good shots. Believe me, I threw a lot of heavy punches.
"After a solid right to the body, when I had this guy against the ropes, I knew I had him," Koval said.
Tom Cordell, Koval's trainer, said, "Chris did what he had to do in short order tonight."
Manager Pat Nelson was elated and looking to the future.
"Chris was very sharp tonight as he varied his arsenal with uppercuts, body shots and effectiveness with both hands," Nelson said.
"Chris is looking forward to his next fight, which will be in Youngstown on May 21st against Rocky Phillips from Dayton with a 20-10 record," Nelson said.
Eyeing Minto
The Koval bout was labeled a West Virginia heavyweight championship elimination match, with the winner to fight Brian Minto, the Butler, Pa., heavyweight who remains undefeated after a 10-round main event.
Minto is also managed by Pat Nelson. With new cornerman Tommy Yankello, Minto fought one of the best fights of his career in stopping Jeremy "The Beast" Bates at 2:56 of the eighth round to win the West Virginia state heavyweight championship.
Minto (14-0) scored his ninth knockout against Bates (17-8-1), from Ashland, Ky., in a bout that turned into a pier six slugfest.
Minto (210) seemed to be having his way with his left jab in the early rounds, but in round five, Bates (226) staggered Minto with a two-fisted attack.
Minto did an excellent job of tying up his opponent and smothering his attack. Then with lightning-like quickness, Minto turned the fight around with a solid right cross and a left hook to the body that staggered Bates and floored him twice for eight counts.
Maintaining order
The damage was done as Minto continued his pounding attack through the next three rounds.
"With the body shots I tagged him with, I can't believe he stayed up through the seventh and eighth rounds," Minto said.
"He hurt me good in the fifth -- if I didn't smother his attack he might have finished me," Minto said. "He came back to catch me with a good left hook in the seventh."
Asked if he would fight Koval in Youngstown, Minto smiled and said, "No way."
Nelson said, "The fight would have to be here or at Mountaineer."