MOUNTAINEER Richardson goes distance for first time as pro boxer

Chris Koval needed just 102 seconds against Carlos Bates.
By BOB ROTH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
CHESTER, W.Va. -- Four Mahoning Valley boxers made it a clean sweep Wednesday at a seven-bout card at Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort.
David Koval of Austintown, Brian Minto, Durrell Richardson of Youngstown and Davey McBride of Salem were winners.
Koval (19-1), who is tentatively scheduled for an October fight in New York's Madison Square Garden, needed just 102 seconds to clobber Carlos "Psycho" Bates (30-21).
Koval went to the body with several solid left hooks and delivered a right cross to the jaw that sent Bates to the canvas for an eight count.
The end
A devastating left hook followed by a solid right to the head decked Bates again and when he struggled to his feet at the nine count the referee halted the bout.
"I needed work so I took this fight on short notice," Koval said. "In the early seconds, I thought it might have been a mistake because Bates is quick and caught me with a few shots.
"But I worked off my jab well and two left hooks to the body on the ropes hurt him," said Koval whose next bout will be July 31 in Akron against Joe Lenart from Cleveland.
Minto, another heavyweight, went to 17-0 with his 11th knockout, defeating Kevin Tallon at 2:58 of the second round. Minto was off to a slow start, but he took over the fight with quick, devastating combinations in round two.
A left hook followed by a right cross sent Tallon (10-17) down for an eight count. A jab and a left uppercut sent him down again and a right cross put him down a third time and that had the referee stop the fight.
"I was able to work combinations better in the second round and the openings were there for me," said Minto, whose next fight will be July 23 at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.
Hands full
Richardson had his hands full winning a unanimous decision over a tough Matt Hill from Baltimore.
Richardson emulated his uncle, former bantamweight champion Greg Richardson, with a lot of ring movement. Durrell (4-0 since turning pro in April) was forced to go the distance for the first time as a pro.
Hill tagged Richardson with a long looping right in the first round. Richardson responded by popping right jabs in Hill's face .
The three judges voted 40-36 for Richardson.
"A win is a win," Richardson said. " I could have done better, I missed some good offensive opportunities, but the good part is that I had four good rounds of work."
McBride is 5-2
McBride improved to 5-2 with a TKO at 2:40 of round one over Margaro Senquiz from Brooklyn.
McBride came out fast, taking the fight to Senquiz with a blistering two-fisted attack that included left hooks to the body and solid rights to the jaw.
"I got hit with a few punches that shouldn't have got through," McBride said. "But I was able to take the ring away from him and take it to him."