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Northey, who works at the arena in security management, might not be your best choice of a bouncer to pick on.

Need proof? Check out his North American Boxing Council cruiserweight title belt.

A Brookville native who now lives in Indiana, Northey won the title last Saturday night when he whipped Kyle Patrick in a fifth-round TKO at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Northey, known by the nickname "Dangerous," beat Patrick with enough shots to the face to the point where Patrick's eyes were swelled shut.

After the fourth round, Patrick didn't answer the bell.

Northey hadn't been in the ring since last October when he beat Colin Rodgers at the Timberstone Resort in Rochester Mills.

"It felt really good," Northey, 26, said. "I didn't think I was at the top of my game because I hadn't fought in eight months, but it felt really good to win."

Northey entered Saturday's title match with a 6-1 record, and Patrick was 7-3.

"It was a good fight," Northey said. "On paper it was an even match. The first couple of rounds were close, but after that I knew that he didn't have the punch to take me out."

Since taking up the sport in 1997, Northey said he had always dreamed of a title.

"When I started, I decided that I wanted to go the whole way," he said. "There are 20 or 25 titles in the world in this division, and I have one. Now I just gotta keep going."

With the title in hand, Northey's next task will be to defend his belt. He is scheduled to fight at the Kay Arena on Aug. 13, with the opponent to be determined.

"We don't have an opponent picked out yet," he said, "but I'm looking for one."

Until then, his other goal is to continue his effort to establish a boxing gym in Indiana. Northey said he is working with arena owner Leo Kay to create a place for local athletes to take up the sport.

"It would be good to have a place in Indiana for people to train," he said. "And it would be nice to have fights there, too."

Any other plans?

"There's a few other titles I'd like to go after," he said.