HARMARVILLE - Mike Middleton was on the offensive for approximately 15 seconds Saturday night.

Brian Minto made sure of that.

Minto weathered an early flurry of punches from Middleton, then took control before knocking his opponent out at the end of the second round in a heavyweight boxing match at Harmarville Blade Runners.

The win keeps the Butler native undefeated at 15-0 (eight knockouts).

"I was a bit surprised it lasted just two rounds," Minto said. "You get these underdogs who come in, they've got nothing to lose. He came here to win."

After knocking Middleton down in the first round, Minto relied on left jabs, hooks and uppercuts to gain the upper hand in the second round.

As time was running out in the second, Minto forced Middleton into his own corner. A left uppercut followed by a vicious hook brought the Tampa, Fla., native to his knees.

Middleton got to his feet as referee Ernie Sharif gave him a standing 8-count in the neutral corner. Still unsure if Middleton was prepared to defend himself, Sharif took a few steps backward toward the center of the ring and motioned for the boxer to follow. Middleton took a few staggering steps, prompting the referee to stop the fight.

"I didn't think the fight should have been stopped," Middleton said. "I was on my feet and the ref asked me to step toward him. I took a step and he said it was over."

The knockout was a product of solid lefts to the body and head that Minto began to land in the first round, after Middleton's anxious start.

"It surprised me, how he came right after me," Minto said. "I figured he would start out with the jab.

"That was the biggest thing for me tonight, was just weathering the storm to begin the fight," Minto added. "Once I started landing my jab, that was pretty much it."

"I came out aggressively because I wanted to find out what he had," said Middleton. "The best way to do that is just go after him."

Late in the first round, Minto trapped Middleton in a neutral corner before bombarding him with lefts. The spree continued the length of the ropes until the two boxers found themselves in Minto's corner. That's where Middleton was dropped with yet another pinpoint left hook.

For Middleton (9-13), it was a blow Minto landed earlier in the fight that was the beginning of the end.

"Earlier in the first, he caught me in the ribs on my right side," Middleton said. "It was a great body blow, and that's where I really lost my focus."

By the middle of the second round, Middleton was taking blow after blow, struggling to keep his gloves up in defense.

"I was just beating on him," Minto said. "That's when I knew I had him."

Minto will put his West Virginia state title on the line June 18 when he faces Billy Douglas in Chester, W.Va.