MONROEVILLE, Pa. -- Bill Hutchinson told me he'd finish Charlie Serrano at Pinnacle Boxing Championships at the Monroeville Convention Center in "four rounds."
Hutchinson was wrong.
Now, if I told you a fighter predicted an early finish but was off-base, you'd probably assume the fight dragged on longer than expected or that they experienced some unexpected adversity.
The opposite was true for Hutchinson Thursday night against Serrano.
From the opening bell, Hutchinson planted leather all over his opponent's head and body, resulting in a second-round finish courtesy of some brutal shots to the body that sent the local crowd into a frenzy in support of the hometown kid.
"I told [Hutchinson] by Round 4 or 5, he'd have him out of there," Hutchinson's trainer Chris Williams was telling me after the fight. "We saw how Serrano had a habit of opening up his body, and you can't do that against a guy with power like Hutchinson. [Matt Leyshock, another of Hutchinson's trainers] told me I was crazy saying it would last four or five. I guess he was right."
The thing about Hutchinson is this: The dude throws bombs. You don't want to get hit in the head. You definitely don't want to get hit in the body. Serrano learned that one the hard way, getting dropped earlier in the fight before eventually being finished with a series of punches to the liver.
"I knew I could hurt him," Hutchinson was telling me after his win. "I knew that coming into it, but that was just kind of proof. When I touch him, I'm going to hurt him. To his credit, he covered up well and he was throwing some big shots. I was actually going to jump right on him, but he's a veteran, he's smart. He kept me at bay for a minute, so I just took a step back, set it back up."
It's exactly that composure and experience that continues to serve Hutchinson well in his professional career. Now 18-2 on an eight-fight winning streak, he's poised for bigger things on the Pittsburgh stage. The momentum is building, and it's attracting some major attention — including the eyes and the support of none other than former Pittsburgh Steeler Arthur Moats.
Moats, an avid boxing and MMA fan, was in attendance Thursday to support Hutchinson and to soak in the atmosphere on fight night. I had the opportunity to speak with Moats — no recorder, sorry — and he was overflowing with positivity and passion for the game. Long after the fights were over, Moats was still holding court with fans, friends and family, all smiles and laughs as the crew cleaned up the ring and loaded up the equipment.
His support of the local boxing scene and its fighters is real, and that is not something lost on Hutchinson.
"It's cool, man, because there's a mutual respect going on," Hutchinson said. "Obviously, I respect him and his time in the game and how much work and effort he's put into it. He's been in the gym with me, seeing my strength and conditioning, so he kinda knows what I'm about a little bit. Having him come out and see me perform, you know, it's great. And you want to continue to build on that ... He knows what I put in, and I think that he respects that."
• The walkout:
• I've always been a fan of combat sports. That's no secret. So, of course, I enjoyed the atmosphere and the fights Thursday. But, removing my fandom, if you've never been to a boxing event or an MMA event ... you should. If you're a fan of sports at all — and you're on this site, so I know you are — check it out sometime. There is something so raw and powerful about a great fight, and it's an electric atmosphere that, at its best, other sports can't match in my eyes. One on one, physical and mental abilities collide, and only one person leaves with their hand raised.
• Besides the fights themselves, the sportsmanship involved in combat sports is worth the price of admission. Yes, in the ring, they're trying to wreck each other. But after the fight? It's all professionalism. Serrano went out of his way to come backstage and congratulate Hutchinson after the fight, and the two shared an awesome moment just thanking each other for the experience and wishing each other well in the future.
• Next step for Hutchinson? Something big. He explains that and more right here:
Full Pinnacle Boxing Championships Results:
Bill Hutchinson def. Charlie Serrano via TKO, Round 2
Michael Balogun def. Edward Fountain via unanimous decision
Robert Weisen def. Dennis Vance via split decision
Ievgen Khytrov def. Gabriel Pham via TKO, Round 6
Eric Walker def. Jose Abreu via TKO, Round 4
Ivan Golub def. Joaquim Carneiro via TKO, Round 5
Victor Padilla def. Benjamin Borteye via TKO, Round 1
