CENTER TWP— He's ended four straight fights in the first round, is ranked among the top 15 by two world boxing organizations and is staying home to fight a guy with 16 losses.

And Brian Minto is taking nothing for granted.

He can't afford to.

"Every fight can be your last,"the Butler heavyweight said. "You never know what's going to happen in the ring."

Minto (31-2, 20 KOs), ranked No. 11 by the World Boxing Association and 15th by the World Boxing Association, puts his WBA Fedecentro heavyweight belt on the line Nov. 1 against Marcus McGee (21-16, 5 KOs) at Morrow Field House on the campus of Slippery Rock University.

The six-bout card begins at 8 p.m.

While McGee hasn't generated many knockouts, he hasn't been put on the canvas much, either. In fact, McGee has gone the distance against world title challengers Jameel McCline and Michael Grant, along with former WBOheavyweight champion Danny Williams.

Minto has been training with strength and conditioning coach Steve Hilderbrand three days a week at the Butler Athletic Club and has been traveling to Ambridge three days a week to work with longtime trainer Tom Yankello at the World Class Boxing Gym.

McGee is 6-feet-4 and weighs 240 pounds. Minto stands 5-11 and weighs 212.

"This is one of the biggest opponents I've faced,"Minto admitted. "But when I get my shot at the title — and I still believe that will come — I have to be ready to take down somebody much bigger than I am."

To help in that preparation, Minto has been sparring with Nick Firtha (15-4) of Akron, Ohio. Firtha stands 6-5 and weighs 245.

"For me, it's going to be about staying low and being relaxed in there,"Minto said. "I'm going to have to keep pressing the guy.

"You can't just walk right in against a guy like McGee. That's what he wants. I have to use my jab to get inside. You can't walk through the door without knocking. It's the science of the game."

Minto watched Vitali Klitschko win the WBC heavyweight title from Samuel Peter recently by keeping Peter at bay with the jab. Peter eventually was beaten so badly that "he quit after eight rounds,"Minto said.

To build strength and stamina, Minto has been flipping tires weighing 350 and 425 pounds, then swinging a sledgehammer into them. He does this workout in three-minute intervals, similar to a boxing match.

"I'm always prepared to go 10 or 12 rounds,"Minto insisted. "You have to be that way. A guy can steal a fight from you if you're not."

Minto said patience will be the key to victory — and also the key to gaining a world title fight.

"People keep asking me, 'How many rounds are you gonna give the guy?'"Minto said. "It's not like that. I don't try for the knockout, sometimes it just happens.

"It'd be like a baseball hitter trying to hit a home run. That never works. The home runs just come. ... So do the knockouts.

"But I know this. I feel like if I hit a guy on his chin, no matter who he is, his night is over. That's the power I've developed,"Minto added.

Two other fights signed for the Nov. 1 show include welterweights Kristian Geraci (3-3-1) of Pittsburgh vs. Tom, Joseph (3-1-1) of Youngstown, Ohio, along with heavyweight Billy Greenawalt (1-4) of Youngstown vs. Joe Busick (1-1) of Pittsburgh. Both are four-round bouts.

Middleweight Dave Cook (3-2) of Butler also be on the card, along with two other bouts.

"The card will be finalized over the next few days,"matchmaker Pat Nelson said.

General admission tickets are $35 and are available at the Monroe Restaurant &Lounge and Sir Speedy in Butler, as well as the Ginger Hill Tavern and SRU athletic department in Slippery Rock.

Ringside seats and tables are available by calling 724-504-6708.