Brian Minto finally has the challenge he's been waiting for. Now he has to meet it.

Minto (24-1, 14 knockouts) will face Danny Batchelder (24-1-1, 11 KOs)in the 12-round main event on ESPN2's "Friday Night at the Fights" this Friday at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City, N.J.

The fight will be the main event and is scheduled for 12 rounds. It is the first scheduled 12-round bout of Minto's pro career and also is for the vacant WBOAsian-Pacific heavyweight title.

Batchelder, 29, from Phoenix, will be making his first appearance in the heavyweight division. He was ranked ninth by boxing's major sanctioning bodies as a super middleweight.

Batchelder's most recent fights have been as a cruiserweight.

"This is the biggest challenge I've had in the ring so far, no doubt,"said Minto, 31. "I know what's waiting for me on the other side of it."

Should the Butler native win Friday, he will likely face James Toney (69-4-3, 43 KOs), seventh-ranked among heavyweights, on a HBOAfter Dark fight card in August.

"If I lose, I doubt they're still gonna want me,"Minto said of the Toney fight.

Tommy Yankello, Minto's trainer, said a win Friday by his fighter could result in the Toney fight being off as well.

"Brian is very underrated on the national scene,"Yankello said. "He's much better than people think. Toney's interested in him because (Minto) has never beaten a top-10 fighter and he's not very big.

"Once he sees Brian in the ring Friday, he's going to see he's much better than he thought. Seriously, I won't be surprised at all if Toney backs out."

But first thing's first. Batchelder's only loss was in March 2003, when he was stopped by technical knockout in the eighth round by Oscar Bravo (17-2).

Since then, Batchelder has won all four of his fights, two by unanimous decision, two by split decision. His most recent bout was a 10-round unanimous decision over Charles Davis (17-8-1) Feb. 23.

Batchelder's last knockout was a third-round KOof Roosevelt Walker (22-12-1) in April 2002.

"I've watched films of him and he's a tough kid with good skills,"Minto said. "He's real aggressive and he throws a lot of punches."

Originally from Saratoga, N.Y., Batchelder is good friends with former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and was part of Tyson's entourage during his glory days.

Yankello said Batchelder throws a lot of punches from his years as a middleweight.

"Most guys in that range of weight class are active when they're in the ring,"Yankello said. "Batchelder is quick, but he won't be any quicker than Brian.

"Brian's used to fighting heavyweights and he's hurt other heavyweights. His punches will hurt Batchelder a lot more than Batchelder's punches are going to hurt him.

"I'm anticipating one of Minto's more memorable performances. He was OKin his last fight. He knows he has to be better in this one,"Yankello added.

Minto is coming off an eight-round unanimous decision over Billy Zumbrun April 28.

Minto weighed 220 pounds for that bout. He's down around 210 for this one.

"Fighting at 220 was an experiment on Brian's part,"Yankello said. "I didn't want him to do it. He felt like he could get more power if he got bigger, so he hit the weights hard.

"His frame will only hold so much (weight). You can't force something that's not there. He's learned that. Brian is going to be a small heavyweight. He's got to be slicker and quicker. He'll win with speed, skill, agility and defense."

Minto has been sparring with undefeated heavyweight Calvin Brock and a physically lighter fighter in Danny Harvison.

"Danny's been getting me adjusted to the quickness I'm going to be facing,"Minto said. "Whether this fight benefits me or winds up being a roadblock ... I guess that's up to me."

Yankello anticipates the fight being beneficial to Minto.

"I see it as being very similar to the second (Vince)Maddalone fight," he said. "Brian will take control and take him out in the seventh or eighth round.

ESPN2's "Friday Night at the Fights" begins at 8 p.m.