Talk about anticlimactic.

The buildup of the Brian Minto-Donnell Holmes fight last weekend at Pullman Park was certainly warranted. One boxer was 33-2. The other was 31-0.

Both were ranked among the top 15 in the world in the heavyweight division.

And such a boxing match was taking place in a Butler ballpark?

Bring it on.

And they did.

Minto and Holmes appeared to be hunkering down for a pretty darn good fight with plenty on the line — the WBO's North American title and presumably a top-five world ranking.

Then Minto suffers a gash over an eye. The referee rules accidental head-butt. The fight's over. The night's over.

Just like that.

By boxing rules, when four rounds have been completed and an accidental head-butt is declared by the referee, the judges' scorecoards decide the winner.

Minto won by unanimous decision. He clearly won the first three rounds. Holmes never argued about or disputed that.

The North Carolina fighter claimed his camp's strategy was to allow Minto to feed off the crowd early, tire himself out, then succumb to a Holmes barrage later in the fight.

If that was the strategy, Minto is highly critical of it.

"I was always taught to put rounds in the bank right away," Minto said. "Get ahead. You never know what might happen."

What happened was unfortunate.

Minto got the championship belt he sought. He just didn't get it the way he would have preferred.

Holmes is screaming for a rematch, and a rematch should happen.

But it's probably not going to.

Minto can't fight for 90 days while his cut heals. When he can fight, the money would have to be there for a rematch.

Minto already put up his own money for last weekend's fight. He can't be expected to do it again.

If a major television network or pay-per-view outlet doesn't pick up on a Minto-Holmes rematch and put up the cash, Minto's not biting.

Holmes will step in the ring against Minto again for a smaller amount than Minto wants. That should't be a surprise. Minto's holdng what Holmes wants: that title belt.

If Minto can get a world title bout or get involved in an eliminator fight for a championship shot, either of which could net him a six-figure payday, why would he want to mess around with Holmes again?

The public wants to see a rematch But boxing is Minto's profession and, from a business perspective, it's not the right move for him. Unless the money makes it right.

Brian Minto and Donnell Holmes aren't likely to get back into the ring together ever again.

Yes, it's a shame.

But, sadly, it's part of the game.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle.