Called a "late blossomer" by his coach, Jason Pinckney has proved he has the skills to be a national caliber fighter. KEVIN MARTIN/STAFF

"One round," he said. "I'm dropping him in one round. That's all."

True to his word, the Augusta Boxing Club's Pinckney needed just one of the four scheduled two-minute rounds in his open division 147-pound bout with Ronald Wright of Columbus, Ga. With crushing left hooks that twice drew standing eight counts, Pinckney staggered Wright a third time to put an end to their Georgia Games matchup.

"I told you," Pinckney said. "When I dropped him that first time with the left hook, I just kept using it."

Pinckney's left hook and compact power package is quickly establishing him as the next big thing from Augusta's boxing lineage. His electrifying style leaves his teammates hooting and hollering and his coach gushing about the usual 139-pounder.

"He's just a special kid, and he's getting better and stronger," said Augusta Boxing Club coach Tom Moraetes. "If you're not a national caliber boxer, he's going to stop you."

It's easy for Moraetes to have a soft spot for Pinckney. The 18-year-old fireplug has been a gym fixture longer than anyone else in the 27-year history of the Augusta Boxing Club. Pinckney has been hanging around so long - since he was 5 - he's the only guy there who can say he shared the gym with current welterweight world champion Vernon Forest.

"One day I signed up and got serious about it," he said.

As a talent, Pinckney is just starting to warm up. Part of what took him 13 years was his tendency to bleed easily from the nose, stopping fights and cutting workouts short. When doctors at St. Joseph's Hospital surgically cauterize the blood vessels in his nose 18 months ago, Pinckney's boxing status took off.

"It was a career-saving operation," Moraetes said.

While his coach labels him a "late blossomer," the rising senior at Richmond Academy considers everything right on schedule.

"I feel like it's easier to take my time and get stronger so when the Olympics roll around I'll be ready," he said, referring to his standing among peers leading up to the 2004 games in Athens, Greece. "I feel like they'll be burned out and I'll be fresh, come out of the blue and surprise everybody."

Pinckney won't be a complete surprise. He turned a few heads with his performance at last year's National Police Athletic League Championships in Kansas City, where he scored a major upset in his first match by beating Jose Rosario.

But it was the match he lost, against current No. 1-ranked Lorenzo Reynolds, that left the biggest impression. Pinckney lost 9-7, but he knocked Reynolds down with a left hook that sent the gym into a frenzy.

"He won't forget me," Pinckney said. "He'll never forget that left hook. I did a good job and left my mark in that tournament."

This year's National PAL will be held in Augusta for eight days in October. Few in the Augusta Boxing Club don't expect Pinckney stepping up there to set himself up as the next big thing in his weight class.

"If they don't know about him, they will," said club heavyweight Kevin Burnett, who will share an apartment with Pinckney as they both prepare for the same dream.

Of the 10 Augusta Boxing Club members who participated in the Georgia Games, seven won gold medals in their division.

Reach Scott Michaux at (706) 823-3219 or scott.michaux@augustachronicle.com.