18.10.08 – Exclusive Interview by James Slater – Heavyweight crowd-pleaser Brian “The Beast” Minto, 31-2(20) is back in action on November 1st. Taking on the usually durable Marcus McGee, 21-16(10), the 33-year-old from Butler, Pennsylvania, who has won his last three bouts inside a round, will be looking to do something similar against his 37-year-old opponent.
Kindly taking time out to speak with this writer earlier today after a training session, Brian had the following things to say..
James Slater: Firstly, Brian, how’s training been going for the Marcus McGee fight?
Brian Minto: It’s been going great. I sparred eight rounds today and I feel strong.
J.S: Pat Nelson tells me you are looking to get another sell-out crowd in Pennsylvania, just like last time?
B.M: Yeah, we’re looking at a big crowd. There was around four thousand at the last fight. Hopefully it will be the same this time, at the Morrow Arena in the university in Slippery Rock.
J.S: What do you know about McGee?
B.M: He’s pretty much a defensive fighter, he stays long. He looks athletic, he’s not a big puncher but he’s quick. He’s a good counter-puncher.
J.S: You’ve stopped your last three opponents in a round, are you looking to make it four with McGee?
B.M: Well, if it comes it comes, you know? I’m not going to go looking for it, I’m not gonna be forcing it. Just as long as I get the win. But at the same time, it would be great if I got McGee out inside a round, it would be a big statement. Jameel McCline and Danny Williams fought him and they couldn’t stop him, even though Williams floored him a couple of times he couldn’t stop him. Odlanier Solis stopped him early, but I was at that fight and it didn’t look like McGee had trained a day.
J.S: Is it the big names you really want, Brian?
B.M: I want any big names, yeah. Anyone in the top-five of any organisation I would love to fight. And why wouldn’t they want to fight me? I’m not too big at 5’11, ” and they’d maybe see me as an easy win, so why not fight me. The thing is, it doesn’t happen over night in boxing, and the business side of it has to make sense – you just have to wait for your opportunity. I would love to fight guys like Devin Vargas and Chris Arreola, but the money would have to be right. I’d probably only be offered something like $20,000 for a fight like that and that doesn’t make any sense at all. But if the money was right, I’d jump right on a fight like that.
J.S: What would you say to the fans who ask why you don’t drop down to cruiserweight? They say that at 5’11” and approx 215 pounds you could make cruiser. Could you?
B.M: It would be a struggle. My body fat right now is around 8 or 9-percent. I could lose the weight but it would be a real struggle. But I don’t want to. There’s no money in that division and my whole carer has been at heavyweight. You don’t have to be a real big guy, look at Evander Holyfield. I think Holyfield only weighed 208-pounds when he won the heavyweight title against Buster Douglas. The thing is, these guys [today] don’t fight the big guys like the Klitschkos the right way. You have to bob and weave, not just plod in with no jab and no head movement. You’ve got to be like “Smokin'” Joe Frazier or Mike Tyson and get inside and counter, not just let them lay on you. Styles make fights and it’s been proven that size doesn’t matter. But Samuel Peter just looked like an amateur against Vitali Klitschko.
J.S: You’d love a fight with either Klitschko?
B.M: Of course. I think Vitali is the better fighter of the two, but Wladimir has got better. Vitali has that great right hand.
J.S: Do you feel you’ve improved since your points loss to Luan Krasniqi?
B.M: I’m working on things all the time. I’m working on my mistakes and correcting them. But I felt I won 8 of the 12 rounds against him [Krasniqi]. You can’t just lay on the ropes like he did, I definitely outworked him. He knocked me down in the 12th round but I got straight back up and finished the fight.
J.S: Would you like a rematch with him?
B.M: Oh yeah, I’d love to fight that guy again. He’s kind of a head-case fighter, really. I’ve seen him quit in a fight and he threw his arms in the air against Tony Thompson. He definitely has weaknesses. I’m not afraid to fight anybody, that’s what I want people to understand.
J.S: At age 33, do you feel you are at your peak?
B.M: No, not even close. I only had 18 amateur fights. I’ve never been stopped and I’ve never taken much punishment. Guys with like 100 or more amateur fights, when you combine it with all their sparring, have taken way more than me. My starting late as a pro was really a blessing for me. I feel like I’m 23, not 33.
J.S: I know you like to stay active. After McGee, when do you plan to fight again, how early next year?
B.M: Actually, if things go well on November 1st we plan on coming right back on December 30th. I’m never out of the gym and I do like to stay active, yeah. I promote myself now and I’m making pretty good money. It used to frustrate me when the big names were avoiding me, but not any more. You have to be patient, I know I’m getting better all the time and that phone could ring tomorrow. You know, I’m not hard to contact and I’m just waiting for that big opportunity. But like I say, it has to make sense business-wise. If it makes dollars it makes sense.
J.S: Well, best of luck for November 1st. Thanks for talking to me.
B.M: Thank you.