BUTLER TWP - Is he just another punching bag for Brian Minto?

Matt Greer might fit that description on paper. Only this punching bag has never been knocked down.

"I'm here to fight," Greer said Thursday. "I'm here to put on a good show for the people in Butler and I'm here to win.

"I can't control what people think. If Brian knocks the dog crap out of me, I guess everyone will be proven right. But I'm out to prove everybody wrong."

Greer (12-4, 11 knockouts) of St. Louis will take on Minto (32-2, 21 KO) in the eight-round main event of a pro-am fight program tonight at the Butler Days Inn.

The card consists of eight amateur bouts and three pro fights. The first bell rings at 7:30 p.m.

"I'm in good shape," Minto said. "I'll weigh in between 212 and 215. I'm not carrying any extra weight around with me."

Greer admits that he is. Weighing more than 240 pounds, he said he needs to take 30 pounds off before "I can be considered a serious fighter."

So why take this fight?

"Because I'm a nobody," he said. "When you're a nobody, you take a fight like this when it's offered to you.

"A win over Brian Minto changes my life. Simple as that."

Greer hired a full-time trainer, Kevin Bozada of St. Louis, two months ago. Bozada has trained Golden Gloves champions in the St. Louis area.

While Greer packs a good punch and a strong chin, he hasn't beaten anybody with more than nine wins. His four losses have come against opponents with a combined one defeat in the pro ranks.

Most recently, Greer lost by third-round TKO to Kevin Johnson (20-0-1), though Johnson never got him off his feet.

"I saw that Johnson fight," Minto said. "(Greer) seems to be a straight ahead, basic guy. I'm not going to do anything foolish with him.

"Anybody over 200 pounds stands a puncher's chance when he steps into the ring with you."

Greer said he plans to use his jab effectively, but also plans to come straight at Minto.

"I don't move around very well," he said. "I'm sure we're gonna bump into each other a few times."

On the undercard, Paul Zalus of Kittannihg, looking to make his pro debut at heavyweight, has had two opponents pull out on him. Matchmaker Pat Nelson signed Ryan Thompson (9-7) of Cleveland to oppose Zalus and the fight has been approved by the boxing commission.

"Now it's up to Paul whether he wants to step into the ring against a guy with 16 pro fights," Nelson said. "But Thompson had no amateur fights. I think it'd be a competitive match."

Female flyweight Candice Berner was pulled off the amateur card because her scheduled opponent was recently hospitalized with a staph infection.

Amateur middleweight Jimmy Cress (11-4) of Butler will take on Morgan Fitch (16-8) of Charleroi. Fitch is trained by Tommy Yankello, Minto's longtime trainer.

A few hundred tickets are available and will be on sale at the Days Inn beginning at 6 p.m.