Photo by Joe Lovell St. Clairsville’s Duncan Pagano, left, trades punches with Cameron’s Ashton Hoge during their middleweight championship bout at the 44th annual Ohio Valley Toughman Contest Saturday night inside downtown Wheeling’s WesBanco Arena. Pagano won on a split decision to defend his title.

WHEELING — St. Clairsville resident Duncan “Fighter for Christ” Pagano concluded his Toughman career late Saturday night on a winning note as the 44th Ohio Valley Toughman Contest concluded its two-night stand inside WesBanco Arena.

The 23-year-old Bridgeport High School graduate earned a hard-fought split decision over Cameron’s 18-year-old Ashton “The Boss’ Hoge in a three-round middleweight slugfest, much to the delight of the large crowd. It was his second title in as many years.

When asked if this title meant more than last year, the 5-11, 168-pound Pagano said, “I got hit a lot more this year than I did last year. There were a lot of tough guys this year.”

Due to Toughman rules, he announced his retirement.

“This is my last Toughman. I’m officially done because I have too many amateur fights,” he noted. “I love Toughman and I love boxing. Toughman has helped me out a lot. I found out about it and it really has helped me through life.

“I love Toughman. I love boxing. I love my family. Thanks to the Lord above.”

Cameron didn’y go home empty handed, however, as 19-year-old “White Tyson” Payton Neely won the lightweight crown with a razor-thin split decision over 18-year-old Kaiden “The Tank” Baker, a resident of Bridgeport who is a senior at Shadyside High School.

“It feels amazing … amazing,” Neely said. “I finished second last year and I used that to push me to the title this year. I really wanted this jacket.”

Weirton’s 25-year-old Joshua “The Terminator” Taflan made it three champions from the Ohio Valley with a victory over Cameron “The Baconator” Brown of Dennison in the heavyweight division.

The 6-3, 227-pound Weir High graduate dominated the fight from the opening bell.

“A month-and-a-half ago I fought in Huntington and lost my first match to a quality opponent, but because of that, I came back stronger and pushed back stronger,” Taflan explained. “That’s why I am a Toughman champion. It feels great.”

Zanesville’s “Wildman” Stevie Allen recorded a TKO of former Toughman champ Trace “The Strawberry Cowboy” Roby, of Quaker City, in the cruiserweight division.

In the women’s divisions, Wheeling’s 38-year-old Kayla “Honey Bee” Varney made her return to the ring after 15 years, a successful one with a win over Kennedy “Powerhouse” Walker, a 30-year-old from Parkersburg. Despite standing a mere 5-4 compared to the 6-3 Walker, Varney captured the heavyweight title with ease.

In the welterweight division, Clarksburg’s 23-year-old legal secretary “Irish” Iris Kolench earned a split decision over Morgantown’s 38-year-old Brandi “The Beast” Field.