Butler boxer Brian Minto, left, and opponent Pierre Karam of Australia strike a pose at Thursday's weigh-in for tonight's title bout at Ghost Riders. Karam was above the cruiserweight limit, but the fight will go on.

CENTER TWP — Brian Minto weighed in at a career-low 198 pounds Thursday for his WBC Continental Americas cruiserweight title fight tonight at Ghost Riders.

His opponent wasn't so lucky.

Pierre Karam of Australia weighed in at 205½ pounds — 5½ pounds over the cruiserweight limit — at 5 p.m. The state commission gave him another two hours to reach the limit.

"I thought I'd be smack on 200," Karam said after the initial weigh-in. "My originally scheduled fight wasn't for another two weeks, so I had been gradually cutting the pounds.

"I'll go back to the hotel, get in the sauna. ... I should be able to drop the weight."

Karam weighed in again at 7, this time at 203½. The main event will go on as scheduled, however.

Because he will be fighting above the weight limit, it's believed Karam won't be eligible to win the WBC title. Minto will win the championship if he wins the fight. The title might remain vacant otherwise.

"He had to go through this to try to cut weight at the last minute and we'll see how that affects him," Minto said. "I'm here to win that title, and if I can use this to my advantage, I will."

Minto said he's not bothered by the sudden change in opponents this week.

"This guy may fight a different style. He'll try to be slick in the ring, but I've been preparing for this," he said. "You can see my stomach muscles, the shape I'm in.

"I'm ready to fight."