Brian Minto has a sour taste in his mouth. The sooner he gets rid of it, the better.

His handlers feel the same way and plan to get the professional heavyweight boxer back into the ring within two months.

"We're looking at the end of February or first week of March," trainer Lou Duva said. "We're going to put on a show in the Pittsburgh area and Brian will headline it."

Duva Boxing is working with Erie-based promoter Mike Acri to put together a pro fight card.

Acri said the bouts likely will take place either at Grove City College or the Pittsburgh Hilton at Southpointe in Canonsburg.

"Both are good venues," Acri said. "The facility at Grove City can hold 2,700 and the Hilton can hold 1,500 or so.

"I put on a show featuring (former champion) Paul Spadafora at Southpointe and packed the place. There's enough interest in Minto to do that again," he added.

Minto (18-1, 11 KOs) is coming off his first loss as a pro, an controversial 10-round split-decision Dec. 30 to former WBA champion Tony Tubbs at The Harv in Chester, W.Va.

"I figured the fight was close, and, after viewing the tape, I still feel that way," the Butler resident said. "But one judge had me winning seven rounds to three.

"How can the two other guys see the same fight so differently? Something's wrong somewhere."

Tubbs clutched, grabbed and leaned on Minto throughout most of the fight and never received a warning from the referee.

"Tubbs was laughing about it after the fight, it was so absurd," Duva said. "He walked up to me later that night and said he couldn't believe he got away with everything he tried.

"He knew he couldn't punch with Brian, so he didn't even try to go that route," he added.

Minto said he's not opposed to a rematch with the 46-year-old Tubbs and that has been discussed. But it likely won't be his next fight.

"I'd do it tomorrow, but I don't think Pennsylvania's commission would sanction the fight," Minto said. "When the fighter's that old, he has to be tested physically, go through CAT scans. … He didn't have to do that stuff in West Virginia."

Minto's next opponent is yet unknown, but Duva insists it won't be an easy fight.

"We want Brian to get his confidence back, certainly, but we don't want him fighting somebody who's just going to lay down," Duva said. "We want somebody who's going to stand in there and fight him."

Acri said he would be happy to help find an opponent for Minto, but hasn't yet been asked to do so.

"I'm longtime friends with the Duva family and I'm glad to work with them on this card," he said. "That loss isn't going to hurt Brian's career at all. People around the boxing industry know that was a robbery and that's how they're treating it."

Before losing to Tubbs, Minto was scheduled to make his second appearance on ESPN2's "Friday Night at the Fights" Feb. 25.

"They (ESPN) decided to go in another direction," Minto said. "I don't think they wanted to feature a guy coming off a loss.

"Boxing can be a bad, dirty game. It's up to me to get back in the ring and fix this. I'm ready to get going again."