The comeback trail begins tonight in the ballroom of the Hilton Garden Inn Southpointe in Cecil, Washington County.

		THE FIGHT What: Paul Spadafora (36-0-1) vs. Ruben Galvan (20-4-2) When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Hilton Garden Inn Southpointe At stake: Spadafora's debut at 140-pound junior welterweight Undercard: McKeesport's Dan Harvison (7-0) and Indiana's Scott Kelly (1-0) TV: none Tickets: Only a few $20 general-admission seats remain. They are available at the door.

A boxer has to start somewhere, right?

Paul Spadafora enters a ring late tonight in a fight of firsts -- his first in almost a year, his first at the 140-pound junior welterweight, his first since abdicating his four-year hold on the International Boxing Federation lightweight title. It remains to be seen what is ahead for a McKees Rocks boxer with questions swirling about his trainers, his ability in a crowded division and an October court date on charges stemming from his girlfriend's shooting.

Ruben Galvan could be a ballroom tuneup for bigger-venue, nationally televised fights to come. Or the former lightweight from Hammond, Ind., could be an omen. It depends on which members who you ask.

"The real killer is the legal problems," said Max Kellerman, a former ESPN boxing analyst now working for Fox Sports Net. "They have really dampened a lot of the momentum he built. But he's a personality ... despite his legal problems."

As pointed out by New York Daily News columnist and former Showtime ringside reporter Timothy Smith plus syndicated radio-show host and fight writer Pedro Fernandez, professional pugilitsts often find themselves surrounded by almost as many lawyers as trainers.

"This is boxing. People come back from worse things than this," Smith said. "He has some talent. He's a former world champion. He's not at the point of no return.

"But he's fighting in a ballroom? That's horrific, considering where he's been. The last time I saw him [against Dorin], he put on a good show."

A date with Floyd Mayweather might seem more appropriate to fight fans than an non-televised ballroom bout with Galvan, after Spadafora last made his mark in that punch-filled draw May 17 with Dorin on HBO.

Galvan isn't exactly a name nationally, but he is a cautious first step back between the ropes.

"There's no reason for Spadafora to rush in and jeopardize himself right away," Kellerman said. "See where he is. Evaluate how he feels. And move on from there."

Added Fernandez, a former Kronk Gym disciple who also was critical of Spadafora leaving proprietor Emanuel Steward after only a few weeks to return to a trainer he fired twice before, Jesse Reid: "Galvan isn't much of a puncher, but I wouldn't call him a stone-cold hobo, either. The guys he lost to, he lost standing up. He did lose to [90-plus fight veteran Jorge] Paez. That doesn't say too much. Paez is, like, 65 years old."

Since that 10-round decision to Paez last March in Phoenix, Galvan has fought three times. He lost the first of those, yet avenged that defeat seven weeks ago in a 10-round decision over Ryan Maraldo.

Forty-nine weeks ago was the last time Spadafora fought. And that was in a different division. Ascending to junior welterweight is a bigger step up in class than 5 pounds.

Not only is Mayweather moving to the same class, but it already contains such notable boxers as Kostya Tszyu, Arturo Gatti, Sharmba Mitchell, Ricky Hatton and Vivian Harris.

Here is where the opinions take divergent paths.

Fernandez: "[Promoter] Mike Acri can't get him but a few fights. He ain't strong enough to fight at 140. Somebody like Kostya Tszyu, who's big and strong at 140, will walk right through him. At lightweight, he had barely enough to keep guys away. He didn't fight the murderer's row when he had that title."

Smith: "I'd like to see him fight Kostya Tszyu. That would be a great fight. I'd like to see him fight Dorin again, too. Or Gatti. But it's going to take him some fights to get back up to the level of HBO."

Again Fernandez: "Right now, boxing should be secondary in his life. He should be getting his priorities in line. Some people say boxing is therapy. I don't think getting hit in the head is any kind of therapy. I think he's got one big fight [left], and that's it. They should be careful and go for that one big fight."

Kellerman: "Spadadfora is the kind of guy where, throw his name in the mix with anyone, and people are going to want to see that fight."

About 1,500 people apparently want to see him fight Galvan tonight.

Including Spadafora, who told Acri he plans to re-evaluate his trainer situation in the weeks after the bout.

"I love fighting, you know," he said yesterday. "I haven't been in there in a year, but I definitely can't wait to get in there and do my thing. I'm a fighter. That's all I am, bro.

"If I ain't ready now, I better run fast."