BOXING Minto still undefeated after KO in 10th round

The Pennsylvanian bounced back from a first-round knockdown.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- If ever a fighter proved himself in a big career fight, it was Butler, Pa., heavyweight Brian Minto in Friday's 10-round fight at the Trump Taj Mahal.
Minto, managed by Youngstown's Pat Nelson, remains undefeated after he came back from a first-round knockdown to knock out Vincent Maddalone at 32 seconds of the 10th round.
Minto (18-0), who is labeled "The Butler Beast," rocked the New Yorker ( 21-2) with a short and solid left hook.
It was the 11th knockout for the former Little All American linebacker at Slippery Rock University.
Caught early
Shorter and 20 pounds lighter at 208 pounds than his opponent, Minto was caught with a short right to the jaw and an overhand right to his ear that sent him down in the first round.
Minto was tagged by a Maddalone left hook early in round two, but he came on with superb boxing behind a good left jab and several left hooks to take that round.
Then he went to work with his quickness and avoided getting tagged with the huge right-hand shots by being evasive and tying up Maddalone.
In the seventh round, Minto opened cuts over Maddalone's eyes, staggered the big man and outpunched him four to one in a turnaround round.
In the late rounds, Maddalone chased after Minto and connected with several rights and appeared to have the fight going for him.
Knockout blow
In the final round, Minto worked several shots to the head against the bloodied Maddalone before delivering the picture book knockout left hook.
"It sure is a good thing I had something left to nail him with because I don't know how much longer I could have gone," said Minto who was hospitalized for exhaustion. "I knew he was just as tired as I was and when an opening was there I put something into that left hook and it did the job."
Nelson said, "Brian fought a very smart fight using his boxing ability well against a physically superior opponent. Our goal was to work with speed and tire Maddalone, but it almost worked against us.
"Brian's heart [was] the difference as he stayed in and worked to an opening and now the rest of the division of heavyweights will have to think about him as a worthy opponent," Nelson said. "In a first major show on national television against a prime opponent Brian answered the call as well as anyone can."