BOXING Koval gets decision for 20th victory

The Austintown fighter beat Joe Lenart of Cleveland in eight rounds.
AKRON -- Heavyweight Chris Koval won his 20th pro fight in the main event of a seven-bout card Thursday at Chapparels Community Center.
Before an estimated crowd of 800, Koval (20-1) won a unanimous decision over Cleveland veteran Joe Lenart in their eight-rounder.
Strong at end
Koval, who came in at 248 pounds against the 6-foot-6, 320-pound Lenart, showed a lot of energy in the final rounds of his longest fight.
The eighth round featured several exchanges that had the crowd on its feet.
Late in the round Koval clinched his victory with a six-punch combination.
It was a combination similar to what the Austintown fighter used at the close of the fifth round, when a combination, followed by a countering left hook staggered Lenart.
"I really had to do some moving to get out of the way of those big rights Lenart was throwing," said Koval.
"I worked my jab well and I was able to do a lot of things offensively that I wanted to do, but [Lenart] is a good defensive fighter and very hard to take out."
Lenart out quickly
Lenart came out from the opening bell throwing rights and a left jab. He tried to cut off the ring and take Koval out by taking him to the ropes and throwing roundhouse haymakers.
Koval was superb in fighting off the ropes and taking the attack to Lenart, though, effectively using his left jab and solid rights to the body.
The three judges voted 78-74, 79-73 and 80-73 for Koval.
"Koval did better than I thought he would," said Lenart, "and was better defensively than I thought he would be."
Koval will next fight Oct. 2 at Madison Square Garden in a 10-rounder against Owen Beck.
The undercard had six four-rounders and all but went the distance.
Cleveland welterweight Glen Dunnings won his second pro fight, stopping Dayton's Matt Horning at 2:51 of the second round, and Dayton's Yamin Mohamad stopped Akron's Nick Sheehan at 1:28 of the second round.
Akron's Chuck Brown, with a very good left hook, won a split decision over Dan Whetsel from Toledo in a heavyweight fight.