CHESTER, W.Va. — This time Brian Minto had the right referee — and landed the right punch.

The Butler heavyweight landed a straight right to the liver of Forrest Neal in the second round Wednesday night at Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort, dropping the 224-pound Detroit fighter to his knees in his corner.

Neal never left his knees as referee Tim Wheeler counted him out, ending the scheduled 8-round main event just 2:12 into Round 2.

"A direct shot to the liver is worse than a clean shot to the head," said Tom Yankello, Minto's trainer. "It paralyzes you. It numbs you."

"I couldn't get up," Neal said. "He caught me square. I had no answer for that."

Before the knockdown, Neal was warned three times and eventually penalized a point for constantly holding on to Minto.

"He'd throw a punch, then he'd grab me before I could counter," Minto said. "The guy was so awkward. … I was a little disappointed they stopped it. I wanted to beat the crap out of him."

Neal's strategy was similar to that of former heavyweight champion Tony Tubbs against Minto in their Dec. 30, 2004, bout at the same location. Tubbs latched on to Minto through much of that bout and won a split decision.

That's the only loss in Minto's (22-1, 13 KOs) pro career. It was also the last time he fought here.

"They got rid of that referee," Minto said. "He was an older guy and they don't let him work here anymore. This guy tonight (Wheeler) did a good job."

Neal (16-8, 12 KOs) began the fight by flicking a right jab in Minto's face, waiting to unload with his left. After the jab, he'd back away toward the ropes.

Minto landed a solid right to Neal's mid-section late in Round 1.

"I know that hurt him," Minto said. "And I knew I could get him there again. He did catch me with a straight left in the first round and I'm not used to that. But it didn't hurt me."

Neal began Round 2 the same way as the first, flicking his right jab.

"It was obvious he was loading up his left," Minto said. "I was just waiting for him to start winging it and I was gonna duck it and counter."

"Brian had him figured out," Yankello said. "This fight wouldn't have lasted much longer anyway."

Once Minto ducked inside a left and connected with Neal's liver, the fight was over.

"My strategy was to stop him in his tracks," Neal said. "Once I was penalized that point, it threw me off my game. I got flustered.

"That was my mistake. I knew he (Minto) would try to go to the body. I just took this fight last week and he knew nothing about me. That was the safest way for him to go."

Neal failed to last longer than four rounds for his fourth consecutive fight.

Despite the short night, Yankello said it was a worthwhile one.

"(Neal) was awkward. He was a southpaw and he was different," Yankello said. "This was a good experience for Brian. He has to learn how to handle guys like that.

"If he had gone at him more, been a little more aggressive and peppered him with punches … (Neal) would have been forced to do something."

As it was, Neal did nothing but fall to the canvas.

"That irritates me, fighting guys who don't try to use their skills in the ring," Minto said. "That guy made me look bad."

"Brian wanted to put on more of a show tonight," Yankello admitted.

Minto will have an opportunity to do that at The Harv as part of a fight card Dec. 30, when he faces veteran heavyweight Troy Weida (44-20-2) in an eight-round bout.

Weida, 33, has 31 KOs in his career, but has lost his last three fights by TKO.

"He'll come right at me and fight," Minto said. "That one will be a show."

Notes:

Minto weighed in at 212 pounds Tuesday, the same weight he registered when he won by TKO over Vinnie Maddalone last month. … Minto has won four straight fights since losing to Tubbs. … There were three other knockouts on Wednesday's card. Joe Wyatt (22-0, 14 KOs) of Pittsburgh stopped John Hammond of Columbus, Ohio, in the first round of their junior middleweight bout. Monty Meza-Clay (18-0, 12 KOs) of Rankin stopped Jefferson Rodriquez of Cartagena, Columbia, in the fifth round of their lightweight bout. Verquan Kimbrough (14-0-1, 7 KOs) of Aliquippa stopped Juan Manuel Matias of the Dominican Republic in the first round of their featherweight bout.