Picture by: Joe Lovell
The successful champions Saturday night time on the 43rd annual Ohio Valley Toughman Contest have been, from left, RJ Harris of Zanesville (heavyweight males); Belpre's Mercedes Trescott (girls's heavyweight); Parkersburg's Esther Hardy (girls's cruiser); Kersten McAbee (girls's light-weight); ring lady Jessica; Heidi Goldy of Ashland, Ky. (girls within the welterweight class); Tyler Ball of Moundsville (males's light-weight); Richard Violet of Wheeling (males's welterweight); Zanesville's Steve Allen (males's cruiserweight) and St. Clairsville's Duncan Pagano (males's middleweight).
WHEELING — 4 Ohio Valley residents discovered they have been “robust sufficient” late Saturday night time because the 43rd annual Ohio Valley Toughman got here to a detailed inside WesBanco Area.
Moundsville's Tyler Ball gained his third title as he dominated the boys's light-weight division; Wheeling's Richard “Extremely” Violet lastly took the following step into the boys's welterweight division; Duncan Pagano of St. Clairsville additionally gained its first males's middleweight championship. Within the girls's light-weight division, Wheeling's Kersten “Web page to the Stage” McAbee took the title.
Every of the boys's champions needed to wrestle 4 occasions over the weekend, together with three on Saturday night time, earlier than elevating their fingers and receiving their championship jackets.
The 5-9, 137-pound Ball, who gained his first two titles in 2015 and 2017, gained a three-round determination over 18-year-old Payton Neely of Cameron, who was competing for the primary time.
“This feels so much higher,” Corridor mentioned. “I did some martial arts stuff in between, however it felt good to get again within the ring and struggle.”
Ball, 32, mentioned he partially tore his proper bicep in his struggle Friday night time, however that didn't cease him. He defeated Steubenville's Dashawn “The Joker” Schaeffer in his first struggle Saturday after which defeated Zanesville's David Leasure within the semifinals by break up determination.
“I'm coming again,” mentioned Neely, a former two-sport standout — soccer and wrestling — at Cameron. “I'm coming again.”
Violet was a two-time runner-up who was sure and decided to not let that occur once more this yr. After posting a TKO in opposition to Steubenville “Killer” Denzol Morrow within the first struggle Saturday night time, the 33-year-old Violet stopped Wheeling's “Killer” Caleb Bell within the semifinals. His title struggle was halted when Pittsburgh's RayQuan “The Joker” Glover dislocated his left shoulder and was unable to proceed.
“I did. I did,” Violet mentioned. “It doesn't matter the way it occurred, I gained the title.”
Pagano, 22, who was a basketball standout at Bridgeport Excessive College, earned a unanimous determination over Pittsburgh's Christian “Unhealthy Boy” Glover. He beforehand defeated James “Scarface” Davis of Moundsville and Austen “The Mullett Daddy” of Bellaire Rejonis.
“I by no means thought of myself a troublesome man. Even after I was enjoying basketball, I wasn't a kind of robust guys who would throw himself on the ground for a free ball,” he mentioned. “So, I made a decision to get within the ring someday and see how robust I could be.”
Pagano was second in Clarksburg two weeks in the past.
McAbee, 24, posted a unanimous determination over Bellaire's “Made within the USA” Meddles, Michaela, 22.
Two-time heavyweight champion RJ “The Hitman” Harris, 25, of Zanesville, gained his third title with a TKO of Nicodemus “The Ghost” Payne, 21, of Monesson , Bye. The 6-6, 293-pound Harris almost ended the struggle together with his first punch, however the 6-Eight, 238-pound Payne stored coming. Harris gained in Elkins in 2022 and Wheeling final yr.
Different champions have been Heidi “Sunshine” Goldy of Ashland, Ky. (girls within the welterweight class); Parkersburg's Esther “Arduous Knocks” Hardy (Girls's Cruiserweight); Belpre's Mercedes “Amazonian” Trescott (girls's heavyweight); and Steve “Wild Man” Allen of Zanesville (males's cruiserweight).