CENTER TWP — Calling it “the goofiest thing I’ve ever done in boxing,” Brian Minto recently returned from a whirlwind trip to Russia.

The Butler heavyweight (41-11) lost by second-round TKO to Edmund Gerber (26-2) of Germany last weekend. He took the fight on only two weeks notice.

“I know I shouldn’t have done that,” Minto, 41, admitted. “But it was one of those deals where the guy scheduled to fight (Gerber) dropped out and they needed an opponent.

“They called me, they way over-paid me ... I couldn’t turn down the money. And I felt like I could beat the guy.”

What he wasn’t factoring in were the eventual travel plans.

Minto had to wait for his traveling visa before he could fly to Russia. His plane landed in Moscow, then he took another flight to Grozny, site of the fight.

“I got into Grozny the night before the weigh-in,” Minto said. “My body clock was all messed up and I got no sleep. I’m weighing in the next morning ... I didn’t even know what day it was.

“I was still woozy when I stepped into the ring for the actual fight.”

Minto, 41, weighed in at 204 pounds. Gerber, 27, was 6-3, 250.

“I didn’t realize he was as big as he was,” Minto admitted. “I thought he’d take a round or two to feel me out and I could get myself together. But he came straight at me right away.

“Those guys know the deal. They know the jet lag. They took full advantage of it. I don’t want to make excuses, though. I got caught a couple of times.”

Minto was knocked down twice in Round 2 by thunderous rights from Gerber. The referee immediately stopped the fight after the second knockdown.

Minto was back home less than two days after the fight and believes he suffered a cracked rib.

“I’m getting it checked out. Besides that, I’m OK,” he said. “I gave away too much size in that fight. I could have weighed in as a cruiserweight.”

Minto plans to retire later this year. He is tentatively scheduled to fight 25-year-old Otto Wallin (14-0, 10 KOs) April 15 in Stockholm, Sweden.

He is unsure whether he will take that fight.

“There’s been no discussion of money yet, there’s no contract,” Minto said. “That kid has fought nobody. I know I can go over there and beat him, but by rule, I have to wait 28 days before I can resume boxing activities. That would be a pretty quick turnaround.”

Wallin has fought only 48 rounds of professional boxing in his three-year career. Minto has 52 career pro bouts under his belt.

“He’s very inexperienced, which helps me, but I just don’t know if I can be ready,” Minto said. “I got in three sparring sessions before this last fight and it wasn’t enough.

“Never say never, but I probably won’t be taking that fight.’

Either way, Minto plans to end his career with a cruiserweight fight in late August at Kelly Automotive Park.

“We’re working on that now,” he said. “I have to jump through a lot of hoops to get it done, but we’re making it happen.

“It’s important to me to finish out with another fight in Butler. That’s the way I want to end it.”

While Minto admitted that pro boxing is a “bad business,” he holds no regrets.

“I’ve been able to see the world through this sport and I carved out a pretty decent career,” he said. “When you get down a little bit, supporters jump off the ship and I understand that.

“My whole career, I did it my way. People have been wanting me to retire ... I’m retiring on my terms.”