With an impressive knockout on pay-per-view now under his belt, Brian Minto is working on securing his future.

The 30-year-old professional heavyweight boxer and Butler resident returns to the ring Nov. 23 as the main event in an 8-round fight against Gary Winman of Pittsburgh at The Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort in Chester, W.Va.

Winman is 25-16 with 17 knockouts. Minto is 21-1 with 12 KOs, his lone loss being a controversial split decision to Tony Tubbs Dec. 30 of 2004 — the last time he fought at Mountaineer.

"That's gone now," Minto said. "I have to put it out of my mind. I don't want to fight Tony Tubbs again. There's no real money in going after him.

"I'm looking to make decent money now. I'm beyond fighting on club shows. I know I can make people some money and I want my share of it."

Despite his desire to get another match before the end of the year, Minto nearly declined the chance to return to Mountaineer.

"The money wasn't right at first," he said. "Then they made it right."

Sports agent/attorney David Slutsker of Miami, Fla., has joined the Minto camp. He's had former pro heavyweights Razor Ruddock and Floyd Patterson as clients and is currently handling a case for women's tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams.

Slutsker contacted Minto to offer his services.

"He's a great negotiator and that's what I need on my side," Minto said. "He'll get me what I'm worth."

Trainer Tom Yankello is happy Minto took the Winman fight.

"I want him to stay as active as possible," Yankello said. "That's when he's at his best.

"Brian was only about 50 percent of what he is now when he lost that decision to Tubbs — and I still think he won that fight. If they fought again, Brian would take him out in four or five rounds."

Yankello had predicted Minto would knock out Vince Maddalone during their pay-per-view fight earlier this month in St. Petersburg, Fla. Minto wound up bloodying Maddalone early before winning by TKO in the seventh round.

Winman is a journeyman fighter who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 225 pounds. He is taller and heavier than Minto — as most heavyweights are.

"The Tubbs loss is going to help us in the long run," Yankello said. "Brian is fooling people now because they don't think he's as good as he is.

"I've seen Winman fight a lot on under-cards of (Paul) Spadafora fights. He comes to fight and he's aggressive. He'll stand in front of you and throw punches. This will be two people trying to take each other's head off.

"But Gary's defense isn't in the same league as Brian's Neither are his boxing skills," Yankello added.

Yankello isn't worried about his fighter losing another close decision at Mountaineer, either.

"Brian's bringing his own judges with him this time — K and O," he said.

"I'm gonna take him out," Minto said. "And I hope a thousand people from Butler come down to see it."

Dino Duva of Duva Boxing, Inc., which has Minto's contract, said he's working on a TV fight on either HBO or Showtime for Minto by March of 2006.

Minto has expressed interest in fighting either Samuel Peter (24-1 with 21 KOs), or Shannon Briggs (43-4-1, 37 KOs) after the Winman bout.

Peter is also under contract with Duva Boxing and is coming off a lost decision to Wladimir Klitschko.

"He wants a big fight and he's not afraid to take on anyone right now," Duva said of Minto. "I believe Brian's become a world-class fighter. He showed everybody that the way he handled Maddalone.

"I think we can make it happen. Either one of those guys … That's a fight those networks would want."

It's a fight Minto wants — though he says a lot of people around town remain skeptical his in-ring success will continue.

"People can be such naysayers," Minto said. "You can't do this, you can't do that, you're too small … Just watch me. The only way to shut people up is to keep winning."