BY MIKE HOUSER
Nevada Appeal Sports Writer
It's only the beginning of the year, but if all goes well for McDermitt heavyweight Tyler Hinkey, 2009 may be up to three times better for him than 2008 was.
"I had a few fights fall through last year," said the 26-year-old Hinkey, who is 4-0-1 with 3 knockouts. "I have between seven and nine fights on the table for 2009. If I stay injury-free, I'll get seven or eight at least."
Hinkey will end the longest layoff of his young career on Friday, when he meets Benjamin Free (1-0) in a scheduled four-round bout at the Plaza Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas. Hinkey hasn't fought since he stopped Mike Finney in one round on June 13, at the Reno Ballroom.
The popular Hinkey, who had 90 amateur fights, turned pro with a one-round technical knockout of Dan Evensen on July 6, 2007, in Reno. Hinkey, who is promoted by Terry and Tommy Lane of Let's Get It On, had two fights in 2007 and three in 2008 before a broken nose sidelined him just prior to a fight on Aug. 29 in Fallon.
Asked what he knows of Lee, who turned pro with a four-round split decision victory over Eric Bozon Aug. 29, in Las Vegas, Hinkey said simply: "To tell you the truth, I know he has a 1-0 record. That's it. I'm going to get in the ring and do my job. It doesn't matter who he is."
Hinkey, who lives and trains in Las Vegas, is no longer training with Kenny Adams, who has been replaced by Jacob Chavez. Chavez also trains cruiserweight contender B.J. Flores, super middleweight Carlos De Leon Jr., and Tyler's brother, middleweight Derek Hinkey.
"It's good. We get along great," Tyler Hinkey said of his relationship with Chavez, who also boxes and competes as a mixed martial artist. "He gets in the ring with us. I have no complaints. I have great sparring. He's got potential. He's young and he's willing to listen to my input. He's a pretty personable guy."
Another pretty personable guy is Hinkey's 2 1/2-year-old son, Kess, who currently lives in McDermitt with Tyler's mother and father, Val and Dave Hinkey.
"He's growing up too fast," said Hinkey, an American Indian who is of Paiute-Shoshone extraction. "I miss him a lot. My dad had shoulder surgery, so I went back home to spend Christmas with my little boy. It was good, though I didn't get to enjoy all the luxuries of being at home " like my mom's cooking."
The 6-foot-1 Hinkey, who weighed 272 pounds for his pro debut, trained off some excess baggage and has kept it that way. He expects to come in against Lee weighing "between 246-248."
"I'm in the process of making weight. Most heavyweights don't. I do," Hinkey said. "I want to get down to 238, 240, hopefully. If I get tossed around, I'll gain a few pounds. It's been a lot of work, but it's good for my health, too."
Now it's all about what's good for his career. If he can manage to get through the 210-pound Lee without too much of a struggle, he may be added to the undercard of "Civil War," which will feature Yerington's Jesse Brinkley and Reno's Joey Gilbert, a local super-event on Feb. 14.
Derek Hinkey is scheduled to be on the card, which will be held at Reno Events Center.
"I'd love to get on that card," Tyler said, "but if I don't get an opponent, my brother will be on the card, so I'll be there to support him to the fullest."
"CIVIL WAR" NOTEBOOK
He's here, he's there, he's everywhere. Gilbert, 17-1(13) with 1 no-contest, is preparing for his mega-bout with Brinkley, 32-5 (22), by training in Reno, Lake Tahoe, San Diego and Big Bear, Calif.
"Tahoe's my second home anyway," Gilbert said Monday. "I want to be close to my family. All my people are here. I don't have to go far to get home."
Leave it to multi-tasking machine Gilbert to split up four camps with a four-a-day workout approach in preparing for Brinkley. He said he is finding to spend with his family, his equally versatile and busy girlfriend/health-nutritional manager Molly Mentaberry, his business manager Pat Conners (who helps with sponsors and commercials, among other things), not to mention his sister Gina Gilbert-Green, who is a nutritionist and personal trainer.
Gilbert said he is "pooling resources" with MMA lightweight Diego Sanchez, who will meet Joe Stevenson on UFC 95, to be held Feb. 21, in London. And, yes, Gilbert will be there, too.
First up for Gilbert, though, is Yerington bad boy Brinkley, who has made a cottage industry of antagonizing the former three-time national champion for the University of Nevada club boxing team.
"I'm always in great shape, but I'm training like I would for a world title fight," said Gilbert, who will meet Brinkley in a 12-round bout for Brinkley's WBC-affiliated United States National Boxing Championship (USNBC) super middleweight belt at a catch-weight of 166 pounds. "It's the most important fight of my career. I will have no excuses. That's the only thing to come out of my camp."
Tickets for "Civil War" are $253.25, $153.25, $78.25 and $43.25. There is a $5 discount available on the $43.25 tickets for all students and military, police and firefighting personnel with a valid identification.
Tickets are available by visiting Reno Events Center or www.ticketmaster.com.