BUTLER TWP - Brian Minto is back.

The 30-year-old Butler heavyweight, fighting for the first time since losing a split decision to Tony Tubbs in late December, dominated David Polk for eight rounds Wednesday night at the Butler Days Inn and won by unanimous decision.

All three judges scored the fight 80-71.

Minto (19-1) knocked Polk down with an overhand right just before the bell ending the fifth round. Polk rolled over on his side and didn't get up until the count of eight.

"I couldn't believe he got up at all," Minto said. "I thought he was done. He's got a helluva chin."

Minto repeatedly cut off the ring on the mobile Polk, pounding him with body shots along the ropes in almost every round.

"That was the plan," said Tom Yankello, Minto's trainer. "I didn't even want Brian trying to hit him in the head during the first four rounds.

"He wore him out. By the sixth round, those punches had taken their toll."

Polk smiled at the crowd while Minto hit him with body punches in the first two rounds and was often animated after the referee separated the fighters, hopping a couple of times while moving about the ring.

By the fourth round, his face showed fatigue and he took deep breaths as the referee separated him from Minto.

"I thought I blocked most of those," Polk said of the body punches. "He hit me with a couple of good ones, though. I probably let him cut off the ring too much."

Polk established an effective left job at times, but followed with little else.

"He never hurt me," Minto said. "I have a cast iron jaw, but I was ducking as I went into him. I wasn't gonna let it get hit."

Minto charged straight at Polk the entire fight. He snapped Polk's head back with a left hook in the third round and rocked him with a right cross to the jaw early in the fifth round.

Polk tried to throw more punches at the start of the seventh and eight rounds, but more Minto body shots quickly slowed him.When the bell sounded to end the fight, Minto raised his arms in victory, pounding his chest as Polk slowly returned to his corner."My defense is much better now and I didn't bury my punches this time," Minto said. "I got inside and went to the body right away."If I had fought this way against Tubbs, I'd have knocked him cold. I should be 20-0 right now."Polk (9-3) had his nine-match winning streak snapped with the loss."Tonight was his night," Polk said. "Every fighter gets a wake-up call every now and then. I got mine tonight. I have to get back in the gym and go back to work."Minto worked with Yankello for seven weeks leading up to this fight. They had worked together for only three weeks before the Tubbs fight."We work well together," Yankello said. "Brian loves to learn and he's receptive to what I tell him."If that knockdown in the fifth round occurred 20 seconds sooner, the fight would have been over right then. The bell saved him (Polk)."Polk was knocked down for only the second time in his career. He recovered to win the fight he was first knocked down in.Minto will undergo surgery to repair bone spurs in his right elbow next week. The surgery will shut him down for three weeks."I needed a cortisone shot beforehand just to get through this fight," he admitted.His plans are to fight again in Butler sometime in May, then have a rematch with Vinnie Maddalone in either June or July on ESPN."ESPN has already agreed to air the fight," Minto said. "It just comes down to money for me. It has to be worth my while because I already beat the guy."I definitely plan to fight in Butler again. This was a big crowd, I did well and I think people want to see me here again."Minto weighed in at 211 pounds. Polk weighed in at 218½.In other bouts on the card:Zack Page (5-2) of Warren, Ohio, won by unanimous decision over Dandre McCole (4-11-3) of Akron, Ohio, in a 6-round cruiserweight match.Brian Camechis (4-0) of Columbus, Ohio, won by TKO in the third round over Rasheen Daniels (2-4-1) of Warren, Ohio, in a welterweight bout.Chris Stallworth (6-1) of Pittsburgh, nephew of former Steelers receiver John Stallworth, won by unanimous decision over Roosevelt Johnson (1-2-1) of Cleveland, in a 6-round cruiserweight fight.Adam Smith (3-4) of Youngstown, Ohio, won by unanimous decision over Darrly Smith (0-5) of Cleveland, Ohio, in a 4-round heavyweight bout.