State to hold fight hearing
CENTER TWP — Even while waiting for a hearing, it's business as usual for Brian Minto.
Minto and Donnell Holmes will meet again at a Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission hearing Oct. 21 in Harrisburg concerning the official result of their Aug. 14 fight at Pullman Park.
"I'll be there, (manager) Pat Nelson, the referee (Rick Steigerwald), my attorney and I'm sure Holmes' people," Minto said. "It's just a process I have to go through. I'm very confident I'll be keeping this title.
"We're supposed to bring evidence supporting our arguments. My evidence is the videotape," he added. "I was never even hit by a punch during that fourth round and the tape proves that."
Minto suffered a cut just above an eye during the fourth round of that bout. Steigerwald ruled the cut came from an accidental head-butt.
When the ringside doctor said Minto couldn't come out for the fifth round, Minto was awarded a technical decision based on the judges' scorecards.
After Holmes threatened legal action against the athletic commission, the bout was ruled a no-contest. The no-contest ruling was tossed the following day.
"It can't possibly be a no-contest," Minto said. "Either I win by technical decision or lose by technical knockout. There has to be a result."
For now, the Butler heavyweight (34-2, 21 KOs) still holds the WBO North American heavyweight title and has signed a contract to fight a 10-round bout Nov. 19 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Minto's opponent is expected to be 38-year-old Cliff Couser (26-20-2, 14 KOs) of Las Vegas, who has dropped his last eight fights. Those eight opponents have a combined record of 166 wins and 10 defeats.
During that losing streak, Couser dropped unanimous eight-round decisions to unbeatens Solomon Haumono (14-0) and Johnnie White (18-0). He has been knocked out by Michael Moorer, Rob Calloway and Chris Arreola during his pro career.
"It's the main event and I don't have to put any money into it or worry about promoting it," Minto said. "That's a nice change for me. A promoter up there called Pat asking if I'd be willing to go up there and fight. I just want to stay busy."
Minto will head to Los Angeles for the three weeks before the fight to continue training with Freddie Roach.
Minto's last four fights have been in the Butler area: two at Pullman Park, one at the Days Inn and one at Slippery Rock University's Morrow Fieldhouse.
"Because of this delayed appeal, I didn't get to move up in the rankings like I should have," Minto said. "I'm not happy about that, but I'm still the champ and I'm going to stay the champ.
"I watched that tape 100 times. I slowed it down to frame by frame. You can see the head-butt and you can't see me getting hit with any punch. The referee had to sign an affidavit on what he saw. It's a no-brainer as, far as I'm concerned."
