FISTICUFFS — Josh Taflan of Weirton battles Jesse Beckwith of Steubenville in the ring. - Kim North

WHEELING — The inaugural Foundation Fight Series Saturday night was a knockout inside the sold-out, standing-room-only Stifel Fieldhouse on the Linsly campus.

Several local fighters prevailed on the card that drew approximately 1,000 fans.

“I was very happy with everything that took place,” Black Ledger Promotions’ Josh Baker said. “I was super proud of the fighters, my event staff and our great sponsors.”

Highlighting the 16-bout card were two championship fights – a Super Lightweight and a Heavyweight.

Jordan Varney, of Ravenswood, captured the Super Lightweight title belt with a close, split decision over Marvin Workman, of Leon, W.Va. Varney sent Workman to the mat in the first round for a standing 8 and then held on as the three judges scored the bout 30-26 in Varney’s favor, 28-27 in Workman’s favor and 30-26 for Varney.

In the heavyweight bout, Bethesda’s Bradley Huntsman was TKO’d by Illr Pllana, of Hedgesville. Huntsman, now 15-6, was knocked down in the first round with a big left hand, and took a standing-8 count early in the second before being knocked down a third time at 1:38.

It was the sixth victory for Pllana with no losses. Huntsman was a three-time Ohio Valley Toughman champion and held the Rough N Rowdy Heavyweight belt, as well.

St. Clairsville’s Duncan Pagano also won a close, split decision over Say’yid Campbell, of the Columbus area. Pagano, a two-time OV Toughman champ, raised his record to 17-10.

The judges scored the bout 30-27 and 30-27 in favor of Pagano, with one judge seeing it 29-28 for Campbell.

The Bullpen Fight Club of Wheeling had winners in Saige Clark, Corey Toth, Josh Taflan and Michael Kidwell.

Clark defeated Wheeling’s Abigail Gerney by a unanimous decision in a super featherweight bout, while Toth scored a first round TKO. Taflan, a Ohio Toughman winner last year, won a three-round slugfest against Steubenville’s Jesse Beckwith with a split decision, 30-27, 29-28 and 28-29 on the judge’s scorecards Kidwell also won on a split decision.

A pair of fighters from Cameron also prevailed. Ashton Hoge scored a third-round KO and Allen Earnest won by TKO.

Baker said he will hold another show sometime in the spring or early summer.

“I will keep the amateur boxing and I’m thinking about adding kick boxing, mixed martial arts and, possibly, Jujutsu,” he said. “Being a first-time promotor, I learned a lot from my first event, but there will be more to come.”

NOTE

• During the event, Cameron’s Angels sold 50-50 tickets to help Shawn Gill in his fight against stage 4 Lung cancer. The group raised $626 for Gill. A spaghetti benefit dinner will also be held on Jan 10 from 2-6 p.m. at Rutt’s Cross Creek Tavern in Mingo Junction. There will also be a bake sale, Chinese raffle and gun raffle, as well as a 50-50.