By Brian Gorman

With former world heavyweight champion James "Buster" Douglas and former lightweight champ and training partner Paul Spadafora at ringside, Bunola, Pa.'s "Lightning" Rod Salka (13-1, 3 KO), 140.5, punctuated his first self-promotion with an entertaining but dominating win over Toledo's Gabriel Morris (4-13-2), 140, in a junior welterweight main event in Salka's hometown, south of Pittsburgh.

In an action fight, where Morris showed great mettle and a solid chin, Salka repeatedly tried to work towards a stoppage but had to settle for a unanimous decision by scores of 59-55 (twice) and 60-54.  He staggered Morris in rounds one, three and four, but Morris stayed upright and continued to return fire, more often than not getting beaten to the punch.

Salka upped the pressure for a knockout in the sixth and final round with a body attack and well-timed rights as they mixed it up, but Morris earned the crowd's respect by withstanding the attack in game fashion.  The scores of 60-54 and 59-55 (twice) were fair.

In the co-feature, McKeesport, Pa.'s Dan "Hard Way" Harvison (15-0, 9 KO), 194, shook off ring rust from a five year layoff and easily defeated Cleveland's Rayshawn Myers (4-11, 3 KO), 193, by three scores of 40-36.

Harvison took the first two rounds or so to loosen up by way of a steady, pumping jab, and he relaxed and stepped up the attack in the final two rounds with solid left hooks and right crosses to outpoint Myers, a fairly talented boxer who remembered his showboating but forgot to bring actual punches.

On the undercard:

Douglas protege John L. Smith (6-0, 3 KO), 271.5, earned a decision over entertaining Akron journeyman Mike Miller (6-20-2, 3 KO), 295, with clearer and more frequent connects, for scores of 40-36 (twice) and 39-37.

Atlantic City's Antowyan Aikens (2-0, 1 KO), 167, received a deserved majority decision against Pittsburgh's John Fairley (1-4), 168, despite fading in rounds three and four.  Aikens boxed smoothly but punched himself out when he went for a knockout after a beautiful left hook dropped Fairley in his tracks in the second.  Scores were 37-37, 38-36 and 39-35.

Warren, Ohio journeyman heavyweight veteran Zack Page and Adah, Pa.'s Jeremiah Karpency (4-0, 1 KO) engaged in an exhibition of what would be an interesting pro contest.