BUTLER TWP— Jim Emrick scored a bloody decision last month at The Harv in Chester, W.Va.

Fortunately for him, all the blood belonged to the other guy.

Emrick, 38, of Butler, posted an eight-round split decision over Dan Whetsel of Toledo, Ohio, in their heavyweight bout.

"I dominated that fight from start to finish,"Emrick declared. "It was very poor judging. Even the referee and ring officials were talking about it.

"When I took my shoes off after the fight, my socks were soaked in his blood. I cut him above the eye in the second round and it just got worse from there."

Whetsel required 10 stitches above an eye and three stitches along his nose after the fight.

The bout proved costly to Emrick (7-1-1, 2 KOs) as well. He has a pulled bicep tendon in his left shoulder and some ligament damage to a hand.

His doctor advised him to pull out of his scheduled Nov. 1 fight against William Shahan (6-0, 5 KOs) of Glenville, W.Va.

The six-round bout was to be part of the Brian Minto-Marcus McGee undercard at Morrow Field House on the campus of Slippery Rock University.

"I'm going to have a MRIdone on the shoulder. Right now, we're trying cortisone shots to settle it down,"Emrick said. "I'm going to have to take a month off."

Matchmaker Pat Nelson said if Emrick can't fight Nov. 1, a suitable replacement will be found.

"I already have two or three names in mind,"Nelson said.

Emrick said he did the damage to himself "mainly from my jab continually hitting his face."

"To see (Whetsel) leaving the ring after the fight, both eyes nearly swollen shut. ... He was a mess,"Emrick said.

Shahan, 29, has knocked out five of his six opponents and has needed to go beyond two rounds only once. He has no amateur fighting background.

A two-time Toughman Contest winner in Parkersburg and Elkins, W.Va., in 2004, Shahan decided to take a shot at pro boxing after that.

"My older brother (Tyson) turned pro and I do so right after him,"Shahan said. "I'm surprised at my early success. I lost my first four Toughman fights."

The Emrick-Shahan fight was scheduled for six rounds. If the bout remains scheduled for that long, it will mark Shahan's first six-round fight of his career.

He's fought only 10 total rounds in his first six fights.

"I pace myself a lot more in boxing than I did in Toughman,"Shahan said. "Toughman is survival. Boxing is a sport. I'm in shape to go six rounds if I have to."

Other undercard bouts Nov. 1 feature Tom Joseph (3-1-1) against Khristian Geraci (3-3-1) in a four-round 147-pound fight, Dave Cook (3-2) of Butler against a middleweight opponent still to be determined, Billy Vusick (1-1) against Billy Greenawalt (1-4) in a four-round heavyweight fight and Shane Gierke (4-15-1) vs. Cliff Gregory (0-4-2) in a four-round fight at 154 pounds.

Minto (31-2, 20 KOs) faces McGee (21-16, 5 KOs) in a 10-round main event for Minto's WBAFedecentro heavyweight title.

"There's added pressure when you're fighting at home,"Emrick said. "Brian's a seasoned guy and he knows how to handle it. I'm still learning the ropes and that's added pressure for me.

"I'm probably better off fighting out of town."

Tickets are available at Sir Speedy and the Monroe Hotel in Butler, and through the Slippery Rock University Athletic Department.

Ringside tables are available by calling Minto at 724-504-6708.