Minto

Brian Minto is on the verge of signing a multi-fight contract with Sauerland Events, based in Germany.

The contract would steer the Butler professional boxer toward a possible world title fight against either David Haye or Marco Huck.

"Those are the guys we want to get into the ring with and they're under contract with Sauerland promotions," Minto promoter Pat Nelson said.

Nelson said he's done business with Sauerland "for a number of years and it's been a good, honest relationship." One of Nelson's middleweights, IBF 13th-ranked Billy Lyle, recently fought on a Sauerland card in Germany.

A Minto deal with the company could be finalized within a week.

"We're about 75 percent there," Nelson said. "I think it's going to work out."

Minto (34-3, 21 KOs) decided to drop to cruiserweight following his fourth-round technical knockout loss to Chris Arreola Dec. 5 in Atlantic City. Minto still holds the NABO heavyweight title.

"I can still teeter back and forth between divisions," he said of heavyweight and cruiserweight. "But I'll watch who I fight. Continually taking on guys 40 pounds heavier than me has been rough."

Haye (23-1, 21 KOs) won the WBA heavyweight title from Nikolay Valuev in November. Huck (27-1, 20 KOs) is the WBO cruiserweight champion.

Huck is scheduled in the main event of a March 13 card in Berlin, Germany. His opponent has not been named.

"We'd love for that opponent to be Brian Minto," Nelson said. "I don't know how likely that scenario is. They probably want a slightly easier opponent than Brian for that fight.

"A cruiserweight champion may not be so anxious to face a guy dropping down from heavyweight whose only three losses are to guys averaging 6-foot-4, 260 pounds — at least not yet."

Minto said he weighs approximately 205 pounds now and could easily get down to the cruiserweight limit of 200 within three weeks.

"I haven't lost any of my strength or stamina," he said of losing weight. "Cruiserweight is better suited for me, but some of those guys hit pretty hard, too."

If a deal is struck with Sauerland, Minto may appear on the under-card of that March 13 show in Germany. If not, he would appear on an April 17 fight card in Denmark.

While many of Minto's upcoming fights would be overseas, Nelson said his fight career on American soil wouldn't necessarily be over.

"Sauerland wants to get into the American market more. They're already putting a show together in Palm Springs, California," Nelson said. "That's one of the reasons they're trying to sign more American fighters."

Minto had been scheduled to fight Damon Reed in a cruiserweight bout March 6 at Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort in Chester, W.Va., but the card was canceled when MGR Gaming did not secure a promoter license for the event.

Minto has been on vacation with his family in Florida.

"I'm still in shape, working out and ready to go," he said. "I'm not sure where all those negotiations are at right now, but I'm anxious to find out.

"I've been juggling a lot of things at once in my career, promoting fights, putting shows together ... I'd love to concentrate on just doing the fighting."