CHESTER, W.Va. — For two weeks, Byron Polley's training regimen was interrupted by a power outage in the Midwest.

Just as well. Brian Minto turned his lights out in the first round of their World Boxing Association Federcentro heavyweight title fight Sunday night at The Harv anyway.

Butler's Minto (29-2, 18 KOs) won the title belt when the bout was stopped 1:50 into the opening round as Polley (21-8-1) struggled to his feet, barely barely beating the referee's 10-count. Polley was sent to the canvas by a right hand to the head.

"He caught me right on the temple," Polley said. "I don't remember much about it besides that."

Seconds earlier, Minto caught the 244-pound Polley just above the left eye with another right, opening a gash on the Missouri fighter immediately.

"You never see that happen." said Tom Yankello, Minto's trainer. "Usually, cuts open up around the eye through an accumulative effect. Brian's got one-punch power now that he didn't have a year or two ago. He just keeps getting better."

As brief as his performance was, it was not a perfect one in Minto's eyes. Polley's first punch of the fight was a right hand that caught Minto flush on the cheek.

"It didn't hurt me, but it stung me," Minto said. "And it did get me into things a little bit. I knew I was in a fight. I wasn't happy getting caught like that. I'm disappointed I let that happen."

But Minto appeared more muscular in the ring while Polley was pudgy. The latter said the loss of power in his hometown curtailed his training somewhat.

"I have to train at night and the ice storms out there took a toll on the whole area," he said. "There wasn't much I could do without any power."

There wasn't much he could do once he suffered the cut above his eye, either.

"Blood started trickling into my eye and I couldn't see what was coming, particularly from the right," Polley said.

But he could feel it.

"Ooh, yeah .... He got me," Polley said, forcing a smile. "I should have taken my trainer's advice. He told me to be ready for an early onslaught from (Minto) and I just wasn't expecting that. I wanted to come out and be the aggressor.

"I told you, I came here to fight."

Minto said he wasn't surprised by the early knockout. Sunday marked his third first-round stoppage in his last five fights, mixed in with a sixth-round TKO of Axel Schulz and a 12-round loss by decision to Luan Krasniqi in Germany.

"I'm stronger now and a lot more powerful," Minto said. "Once he hit me, I felt like I needed to respond, to open up and pick up the pace. I can't say I'm surprised I got to him early."

Clutching his championship belt, Minto looked at it and said: "I hope this helps. I don't know who's next for me, but I'm ready for a big-time fight."

Yankello agreed.

"I've been saying this for three or four years now, but it's true. Brian just keeps getting better," Yankello said. "He's learned from every experience he's had in the ring. Tony Tubbs wouldn't last three rounds with him if they fought again. We'd love to fight Krasniqi in the states to show him what we can do. A lot of people think Brian beat him over there (Germany).

"If Brian fought anybody in a rematch, he'd win handily, guaranteed."

Minto's win Sunday will presumably give him a top 15 ranking in the WBA.

"That guy may be on his way to a world title shot," Polley said. "He impressed me."

"It shouldn't take long now," Yankello said. "Six months to a year, Brian will be ready for anybody. I can see him fighting a Wladmir Klitschko or somebody like that. Brian has become a very explosive heavyweight."

Klitschko (49-3, 44 KOs) is the International Boxing Federation heavyweight champion.

While the national anthem was being sung prior to Sunday's fight, Minto began jumping up and down in the ring.

"Nervous energy," he said, smiling. "I had to get rid of it."

Just like he got rid of Polley moments later.

Notes: Verquan Kimbrough (19-1-1, 7 KOs)of Aliquippa won the vacant United States Boxing Association lightweight title with a grueling 12-round split decision over Oisin Fagan (20-5) of Oklahoma City. ... The seven-bout card featured three other split decisions and a draw. Chris Stallworth (9-1, 3 KOs), nephew of Steelers Hall of Fame receiver John Stallworth, won a six-round split decision over Dan Wetsel of Toledo, Ohio.