Retired boxer Minto joining HOF
This is the fourth in a series of 10 articles profiling the 2017 inductees into the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame.CENTER TWP — All Brian Minto wanted was a little extra Christmas money.He wound up with a pro boxing career that landed him on national television and in a world championship fight.Now the 1994 Butler graduate is landing in the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame. He will be inducted as part of the organization's 52nd annual banquet April 29 at the Butler Days Inn.“It feels good. Now is the right time,” Minto said. “I turned down an offer to be inducted around 2005 or 2006. I wasn't ready yet.“Now that I'm retired, I'm ready now.”Minto's last fight was in September of last year at Kelly Automotive Park, when he scored a technical knockout of Andras Csomor, Minto retired at age 41 with a pro record of 42-11 with 27 knockouts.“Most of those fights were at heavyweight ... I never should have fought at heavyweight, looking back on it,” Minto said. “But I did OK for being as small a heavyweight as I was.”Minto's lone world title shot was at cruiserweight. He was stopped after nine rounds by WBO champion Marco Huck in Germany in 2010. That was one of Minto's first cruiserweight bouts.“I didn't do too badly for not starting out as a pro until age 28,” Minto said. “I always messed around with boxing when I was a kid, always over at the Cubs Hall.“I was out of shape and had nothing really going for me when I went back in the (boxing) gym to work out again. Someone asked me if I wanted to make a little extra Christmas money ... That's why I took my first pro fight.”Minto was a linebacker for the Butler High School football team and was two-time Defensive Player of the Year for the Golden Tornado as their leading tackler.He went on to play football at Slippery Rock University for two years before leaving school.“I couldn't financially stay in school at the time,” Minto said. “I quit school, got a job, then I got married, had kids ... I had to work. I never went back to school.“Things got a little tough there for a while, but it all worked out. I give my wife Heidi a lot of credit for that. Not many women would stand by a husband who was trying something new at age 28 with no idea how it would work out.“I was away from home a lot, for long stretches. She supported me all the way,” Minto added.Minto had pro bouts in New Zealand, England, Germany and Russia. He held a number of championship belts in his career, including the WBA Federcentro heavyweight title, WBC Continental Americas cruiserweight crown and WBO Oriental heavyweight title.Minto said the two most memorable fights of his career were defeating former German heavyweight champion Axel Schulz in Germany in 2006 and knocking out Vinny Maddalone in 2005.“The Schulz fight, there were 15,000 people in the arena, all whistling at me, heckling me,” Minto said. “Then I took him out in six rounds.“I remember having breakfast with my wife the day after the Maddalone fight when ESPN's Top 10 plays of the week came on TV and I was at No. 5. That's when I became really driven for more success. I knew I could do this. Life is about believing in yourself.”Minto owns rental properties today and spends time breeding five rottweilers. He hopes to promote a dog show locally some time in July.“I'm pretty content,” he said. “We all have to be disciplined in life and what better sport to help you grow as a person in terms of discipline than boxing?“It definitely helped my life.”Tickets for the April 29 HOF banquet are $35 in advance, $40 at the door. Ticket outlets include Parkers Appliance in Chicora, Bill's Beer Barn, Moses Jewelers and Snack-N-Pack in Butler, Saxonburg Drug and Maddalon Jewelers in Zelienople.
