Bill “Hutch” Hutchinson, 36, of Pittsburgh, started boxing at 13. He’s been a pro for 12 years with a record of 20-3-4, nine victories by knockout, and has been a part of world-class events in the city and the country.
“I’m starting to catch my wind, and I’m starting to make a lot of strides,” said Hutchinson, a graduate of Montour. “I’m now fighting at a world-class level.”
Now, he’s making strides to bring world-class boxing to Pittsburgh as the headliner and promoter of Turf Wars, the first of a multi-year, multi-event agreement with two venues in the Pittsburgh area.
The first show is Saturday at AHN Montour Sports Complex in Coraopolis. The first bell is at 7 p.m.
Hutchinson will take on veteran Mexican boxer Saul Corral (31-23-0, 20 KO) in the main event; it’s his first fight in Pittsburgh since January 2022.
“He’s a blood-and-guts kind of warrior, and the fans are going to have nothing but fun watching it,” said Hutchinson.
Hutchinson has experience in promoting shows. He was part of the promotion team with Pinnacle Fighting Championships, run by Matt Leyshock, featuring MMA and boxing cards he fought on.
“I was very active and involved at that time. I stayed in the background because I was fighting on them”, said Hutchinson.
In addition to local boxing cards, he’s appeared in events promoted by legends like Lou DiBella and Don King.
In his last fight in June 2023, he showcased grit in a 10-round decision loss to Adrien Broner on a King-promoted card in Miami.
He learned from all of those promoters that you can’t cut corners when you are fighting and you can’t do it when you are promoting either.
“You want the people to have a good time,” said Hutchinson. “This is very much going to be an experience for the fans. It will be very much an event, not just a fight.”
Live musical performances by local artists and the University of Pittsburgh drumline will be featured alongside the night of boxing.
Hutchinson said negotiations had a lot of back and forth, but the agreement came together because of the ability of the venues and himself to put on significant events.
“We are marketing and investing together,” said Hutchinson. “This is a joint venture that we expect to see become very fruitful for the future of combat sports and Pittsburgh.”
Undefeated locals Jerome Baxter (4-0-0) and Danny Bodish (3-0-0) are featured fighters. An MMA pro with four wins, Cheyenne Hall will debut in the squared circle, and MMA fighter and professional wrestler Shane “The Savage Gentleman” Chojnacki will return to boxing.
Chojnacki, 39, has appeared in local pro wrestling shows and All Elite Wrestling and is a personal trainer. He’s undefeated in three professional MMA fights and competed in grappling tournaments.
Going through a divorce, he felt in his spirit that he should return to the sport — a friend of Hutchinson from when he began training in MMA and boxing 20 years ago. The opportunity to try again in boxing has touched his life.
“I’ve been training at multiple gyms daily,” said Chojnacki. “I was thinking I’ll call it quits if nothing happens, and here we are, making a run for it in the last hour.”
He last had a boxing match in 2016, losing by decision, and is excited for the chance to return to the ring to get a victory. He’ll fight an opponent 12 years his junior, Igor Da Silva, at heavyweight.
“I’m in the best shape of my life right now,” said Chojnacki. “It’s time to return to this one and bring good, high-quality boxing.”
Turf Wars will have a future show at Highmark Stadium sometime this summer. It will be the first boxing show in a significant Pittsburgh sporting venue since November 2014, at the then-Consol Energy Center. He plans for the match cards and spectacle to be even more prominent in future events.
“The reality is, I have some big, big plans for future events,” said Hutchinson. “March 1 is just the appetizer.”