Ryan Covert and Billy Greenwalt used to do their fighting in the streets.

They discovered the ring via different means and will confront each other in a four-round heavyweight bout on the undercard of the Brian Minto-John Poole 10-round main event July 2 at Pullman Park.

Much of the fight card will be televised live by ESPN2.

Butler's Covert is making his pro debut after going 39-16 in 55 amateur bouts. His last fight was last July at the Big Butler Fair.

Covert is now the executive chef at Oakview Golf Club in Slippery Rock.

"I wouldn't have that job today if not for the wonderful sport of boxing,"Covert said. "Once I got into the sport, it taught me how to dedicate myself toward achieving something positive."

Covert learned boxing at the Butler Cubs Hall. He entered the amateur boxing program there "as a kid with no goals, no desire and headed nowhere."

"The whole Cubs atmosphere turned my life around," he said.

Covert is so appreciative of boxing that he is donating his share of the July 2 purse to breast cancer research at Butler Memorial Hospital.

"Oakview is behind that cause and I want to do my part,"Covert said.

He wants to do his part for the city of Butler as well — by putting on a show worth remembering on July 2.

"I'm going to go in there and let it all hang out,"Covert said. "This may be my only pro fight ... It probably will be. If it's a fight people around here are talking about the next day, I'll be happy.

"I'm not worried about the national TVthing. I don't care what people in San Francisco or wherever think of me. Butler is my whole world. I've had a million opportunities to leave and haven't. I love this community right here. Butler is an amazing town with amazing people in it. This is a test of manhood for me in front of them."

While Covert works as a chef, Greenwalt installs carpet when he's not training or fighting. He has no amateur fights and is 1-3 as a professional.

AYoungstown (Ohio) resident, Greenwalt is 35 and didn't have his first pro bout until Aug. 23 of last year, when he was knocked out by Butler's Jim Emrick in the first round.

Since then, Greenwalt lost a majority decision to Mel Bankhead, then knocked Bankhead out in the first round of their rematch three months later. Greenwalt was knocked out in the first round by Brenden Hinkle on April 27.

"I was always in street fights growing up,"Greenwalt said. "A buddy of mine introduced me to boxing and I figured I'd give it a try.

"Amateur backgrounds mean nothing to me. I'm still getting a feel for this sport. Once I've got it, I'm going to be putting people to sleep."

Fighting Covert in the latter's hometown is no problem for Greenwalt.

"I don't know the guy. It doesn't matter who he is,"Greenwalt said. "I'll step into the ring against anybody anywhere. I'm 1-3 and I had a guy who was 17-1 back out of our scheduled fight because he found out I wasn't gonna lay down for him. Records don't matter. It's how you are that day.

"My first fight, the dude caught me with an uppercut. The referee stopped it because my lip was hanging. My last fight, my grandmother died that same day, I had a bad sinus infection ... I wasn't right. But I'm fine now and I've learned to keep my hands up."

Greenwalt weighs only 200 pounds and said he's used to giving up 30 to 40 pounds to opponents.

"It's hard to take out guys in those situations,"he admitted. "I may be better-suited for cruiserweight and Im thinking about going there. But my family life was messed up when I was a kid. I went to five schools between Youngstown and New Castle. I'm used to being an underdog."

Covert isn't curious about how tough Greenwalt may be. He wants to discover the level of his own toughness.

The fact this will be his first boxing match without headgear doesn't concern him, either.

"You can get your bell rung wearing headgear, too,"Covert said. "You're gonna get hit in a fight. It's the mental side that gets you through it.

"If you have quit in your heart, you quit. Guys like Aaron Pryor, Alexis Arguello, they've put on memorable fights in the ring because of their heart. I like to think I have that same kind of toughness. What am I made of? I'm going to find out."

Despite not fighting for the past year, Covert has stayed in shape. He works 10 hours per day, then goes home and runs, lifts, shadow boxes.

Covert is grateful to Minto for offering him a chance to be on the card.

"I haven't fought in a year. It's awesome he even thought of me," he said. "I grew up here watching guys go on to great football or baseball careers. They're local heroes to me. The fact I have a chance to maybe be a local hero for someone else is mind-boggling to me.

"I can't ask for anything more. Success for this community is all that I want. I'm proud of my hometown. I want it to be proud of me."

Notes:Tickets remain on sale at the Pullman Park box office from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday or by calling Minto at 724-504-6708. ... Rayco Saunders (15-10-2) of Pittsburgh has replaced Dallas Vargas as Tommy Karpency's opponent in the 8-round co-feature.