IBF champion Bute comes calling for Brinkley

BY MIKE HOUSER

Nevada Appeal Sports Writer

Let's Get It On Promotions chief executive officer Terry Lane had a little extra bounce in his step following a phone call from Canada on Friday.

"I never thought as a promoter I would be in position to get such a call," said Lane, whose fighter, Yerington super middleweight Jesse Brinkley will face Reno's Joey Gilbert in a 12-round title bout Feb. 14 at the Reno Events Center. "I guess everything is falling into place magically."

It was the kind of phone call that every fighter rated in the top 15 of one or more of boxing's four major sanctioning bodies waits for: The world champion, in this case IBF super middleweight king Lucian Bute (23-0 with 18 knockouts) of Montreal, had one of his representatives call Lane to offer Brinkley a shot at his title.

Brinkley, the WBC-affiliated United States National Boxing Championship (USNBC) beltholder, is currently ranked No. 13 by the IBF.

"That Jesse is in a place to get a call like this says a lot about what we (Terry and his brother, Let's Get It On president Tommy Lane) are doing as promoters and what Jesse is doing as a fighter," Lane said. "You couldn't write this in a Hollywood script."

Actually, Hollywood scripts usually end up on a happy note and in this case Bute's people weren't aware that Brinkley, 32-5 (22), was already scheduled to fight. Still, Lane said, this bodes well for the future should Brinkley beat his arch-rival Gilbert.

"We talked about (Brinkley victim Jason) Naugler, one of Bute's countrymen," Lane said. "(Interbox spokesman Ian Edery) said it's an interesting fight. He said, 'Keep your eye on our guy, we'll keep an eye on your guy. Maybe our paths will cross down the road.'"

Bute, who recently survived a scare from top-ranked Librado Andrade on Oct. 24, is currently looking to make a voluntary title defense. The winner of that matchup would then have a mandatory defense against the winner of an HBO-televised IBF eliminator between Andrade and Robert Stieglitz on March 22.

When reached on his cell phone at his training camp in Providence, R.I., the 32-year-old Brinkley proved as easy to figure out as a Rubik's Cube.

"All he (Bute) can do is look, but don't touch. That's it," Brinkley said cryptically before deciding to touch on his favorite topic " Gilbert. "I'm doing great. I'm hanging out, taking it day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. I'm preparing for a 36-minute workout at the highest intensity you can get (with Gilbert).

"I'm going to challenge myself and him in that workout. I'm going to challenge myself to do things that I've never put my body through, I'm going to challenge him do things he's never put his body through. I'm excited for that. I'm going to give it my all. I'm going to push, push, push. When I leave that ring, I want no regrets."

Asked what he thought specifically about Bute's interest in him, the glib Brinkley grew even more vague.

"I don't want that champion, I'm going to stay away from him," Brinkley said, emphasizing the word "that." "If they offer me a certain amount of money to fight a slick southpaw (Bute), I'll go up there to the plate and swing at a few pitches.

"He's not the guy I want to fight. I'll say no to Bute to fight another guy. There's one guy standing in my way (of the 'other guy'), crushing all my hopes and dreams."

Three guesses, and the first two don't count.

"I'm not taking my eye off my prize " it's Gilbert," Brinkley said.

But what about the champion he wants to fight?

"Joey Spina ruined everything," Brinkley said of his 2006 loss to the "KO Kid," refusing to name his would-be opponent. "In order to go to the next guy I want, I have to get through the next guy."

Yes, it's an obscure way of saying Gilbert is the one standing in the way of "the other guy."

"He's going to be a handful," Brinkley said of Gilbert, 17-1 (13) with 1 no-contest. "I'm going to put him on his ass, but he'll be a handful. I'm going to hand him his first good loss after (Peter Manfredo Jr. accomplished the feat) on (the NBC reality boxing show) 'The Contender.' That's reality."

Brinkley opened as a minus-1.80 favorite (a $180 beat wins $100) over Gilbert at the Cal-Neva sports book in Reno, but the line has moved to 2-to-1. Gilbert is now a plus 1.75 underdog (a $100 bet wins $175).

"The bookies know who's going to win " bottom line," Brinkley said. "In this sport you have a puncher's chance. Someone who bets $20,000, $30,000 on Gilbert " if he hits me just right " is someone who wins some money."

Brinkley entered training camp a week ago weighing 178 pounds and said he'll be coming into the Gilbert fight at 167 pounds, one pound over the catch-weight off 166 pounds.

"He wanted 166 pounds. It's a 168-pound belt," Brinkley said. "He wants me. It's your lucky day. You just hit the lottery."

Brinkley is hoping to beat Gilbert first before hitting his own unnamed lottery.

Tickets for Brinkley-Gilbert are $253.25, $153.25, $78.25 and $43.25. A $5 discount on the $43.25 tickets is available for all students, military, police and firefighting personnel with valid identification. They are available at the Reno Events Center or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com.

- Contact Mike Houser at mhouser@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1214