CENTER TWP — Brian Minto is getting ready to get back in the ring — and not a moment too soon.

The Butler heavyweight plans to fight Ray Lunsford (19-7-2) of Benton, Ark., as part of a pro boxing card July 27 at Mountaineer Racetrack and Gaming Resort in Chester, W.Va.

Minto (27-2, 16 KOs) has not fought since dropping a 12-round unanimous decision to Luan Krasniqi March 17 in Germany.

"I've been going a little crazy here," Minto said of the recent inactivity. "I don't have many hobbies."

The Lunsford fight will not be official until Minto receives his contract, the money is right and he signs it. The bout is expected to be scheduled for eight or 10 rounds.

"It looks like it's gonna happen, though,"he said. "I want to get back in there, get a win and get back on track.

"I don't know much about (Lunsford). I do know he'll be leaving the ring on a gurney if he's not in my league. I'm not going to play around. I've got bigger fish to fry than to waste my time on him."

Minto may be in line for a pay-per-view fight sometime this fall, but such discussions are in the preliminary stages right now.

Lunsford, 38, won his last fight by disqualification May 18 over Danny Wofford. He was soundly defeated in his two most recent bouts before that, however.

David Gadieux (15-1) scored a first-round TKOover Lunsford in a scheduled eight-round fight April 14. J.D. Chapman (24-0) scored a second-round TKOover Lunsford in a scheduled 10-rounder last September.

Lunsford is 6-6 in his last 12 fights and has won by knockout only seven times, with the last coming over Rodney Phillips in July 2003.

Minto enters this fight ranked 46 out of 1,056 heavyweights worldwide by boxrec.com. Lunsford is ranked 455th.

"One thing I've learned recently is that judges don't always judge on aggression,"Minto said in reference to his loss to Krasniqi. "Some judges look at the cleaner, more effective punches.

"You just can't let it play games with you. You have to fight your fight — and sometimes you have to fight the referees, too."

Minto recently added the services of strength and conditioning coach Steve Hildebrand, a Butler resident and former Grove City High School football strength coach.

"I've known Brian for years,"Hildebrand said. "We used to work together and I played softball and football with him. "I'm doing some first-step quickness and power training with him."

Hildebrand has been working with Minto three days a week. Minto also travels to Ambridge three days per week to work with trainer Tom Yankello.

"He's trying to improve his balance in the ring, his strength and power,"Hildebrand said. "We're working on his hips, abdominals, lower back — that's where a boxer's power comes from.

"Brian wants to stay in the heavyweight division for a long time. To do that, he knows he has to develop true heavyweight power."

Minto chuckled as he said he'd like to have 70 fights in before he retires from the ring.

But he was only half kidding.

"I don't have the amateur fights that so many other guys have," he said. "I'm getting better and learning more every time I'm in the ring or in the gym. I'm still catching up."