24.11.05 – Knockouts were in the air at the Mountaineer Racetrack and Gaming Resort in Chester, West Virginia Wednesday night. Heavyweight Brian “The Beast” Minto, who was last seen on HBO Pay Per View last month taking out tough Vinnie Maddalone in impressive fashion, picked up where he left off by punishing southpaw Forrest Neal that ended in a liver shot that kept Neal down for the full ten count in the 2nd round. With the KO victory Minto moves to 22W-1L-13KO..
Crowd pleasing undefeated Junior Lightweight Monty Meza-Clay used brilliant skills to breakdown Jefferson Rodriguez before taking him out in the 5th round with blistering shots that dropped the tough Colombian twice, the second of which he was unable to retain his feet as he laid dazed on the canvas. The rising Pittsburgh contender Meza-Clay moves to 18W-0L-12KO with the impressive destruction of Rodriguez who falls to 20W-7L-19KO who had previously went the distance with
current WBA World Champion Vicente Mosquera.
Former U.S. amateur star Verquan “The Show” Kimbrough continued his rise by landing a blazingly powerful right hand at 1:13 of the 1st round to quickly close the book on Juan Manuel Matias. Matias regained his feet at the count of nine, but was clearly unable to continue as he almost fell through the ropes as he wobbled badly. Kimbrough moves to 14W-0L-1D-7KO with the win and looks like a major prospect to keep an eye on in the near future.
Ironically, Minto, Meza-Clay, and Kimbrough are all developed products of trainer Tom Yankello, whom four days earlier was in the victory corner of one of his other developed products top heavyweight contender Calvin Brock (27W-0L-21KO) whom captured the IBA Americas Heavyweight Title with a unanimous decision victory over David Bostice. Yankello, most known to this point for developing former lightweight king and boxing technician Paul Spadafora, continues to make noise as the young trainer to watch.