Harvison, Smith win, Perry falters in bouts

Heavyweight boxer Dan Harvison is trained by Pat Nelson of Youngstown.
By BRENNAN LAFFERTY
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
CHESTER, W. Va. -- Dan Harvison says he likes to start slow in the ring.
But the heavyweight from McKeesport, Pa., has no trouble finishing fast.
In his first fight in nine months, Harvison (14-0, 9 knockouts) smacked Mike Middleton to the canvas twice Thursday at Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort before the referee stopped the fight at 1:26 in the third round for a technical knockout.
"I'm just trying to have a good time," a smiling Harvison said after the fight.
The 14th ranked fighter in the World Boxing Organization had plenty to cheer about as he reduced the overmatched Middleton to a bloody mess in the third round.
"He definitely knocked the rust off tonight," said Harvison's Youngstown trainer Pat Nelson.
Controlled the bout
Harvison controlled the bout from the beginning, landing mostly body shots and jabs.
Middleton (11-17-1) answered the bell for the third round with a swollen left eye.
About a minute later, though, Harvison connected with a right that twisted Middleton against the ropes before he stumbled to his corner.
After a standing 8-count, Harvison attacked again, sending Middleton into the ropes, his only support at that point, as the referee ended the evening for the Tampa native.
"By the end of the year, we hope to be 18-0 and fighting for a world title," Nelson said.
Look for Harvison to return to Mountaineer in June.
Under new management
Youngstown heavyweight Adam Smith and his new trainer and manager Dave Bowers seem to be a good combination.
Smith (6-11-1, 3 KOs) knocked Rocky Phillips down and out at 1:40 of the second round.
Wearing stars-and-stripes trunks, the 27-year-old former Toughman champion outslugged Philips in the second round after a relatively even first.
"I need more fights like that," said Smith who disagreed with Bowers about whether an overhand right or left uppercut floored Phillips (21-13) of Dayton.
Smith's next fight is either April 28 in Massachusetts or May 12 in Maryland, his trainer said.
Rough debut
Welterweight Steve Perry of Youngstown went all four rounds, but lost to John Lipcomb (2-1) in Perry's first professional fight.
Perry, a 39-37 loser on all the judges' cards, took the first round, but found himself pinned against the ropes several times in rounds 2-4.
"I wasn't doing what I should have been doing," the 20-year-old Perry said. "I didn't move."