Nathan Joseph will not waste a second in the ring tomorrow night.

Cruiserweight Joseph is after an early finish against Brian Gascoigne at Barnsley Metrodome - so he can start preparing for his next fight.

West Bowling's Joseph is due to go again a week on Monday at the Bradford Hilton. So he does not intend to hang around in south Yorkshire.

Joseph said: "The last thing I want is a gruelling six-rounder with another fight to come the week after. I'm hoping to finish him off in one or two rounds and I'm quite confident.

"Monday morning I'll be back in the gym ready for the next one."

The 23-year-old has won three straight since dropping his debut bout to Danny Thornton, which he avenged at Elland Road just over a fortnight ago.

He is yet to open his knock-out account - but fancies his chances against midlander Gascoigne, 32, who has been stopped early in four of his five defeats.

Joseph, who will be backed by a coach-load of fans, said: "I intend to run at him from the first bell. I've been told he is not a very confident person and if I can get to him early hopefully I'll finish him off.

"I've been sparring this week with Mark Hobson who has fought Gascoigne and told me all about him. He is supposed to be 'chinny' so I'm going in to knock him out."

Trainer Chris Aston said: "Nathan's done some hard work in the gym and he's going to be ready. He needs to impose himself early on Gascoigne and then he has got the power to finish him off.

"Nathan will have too much for him provided he doesn't let Gascoigne settle. I can see him knocking him out."

Gascoigne, floored in three rounds by Hobson in Bradford in December 1999, was also out-pointed over six by former Bradford pro Huggy Osman a year later. The Kirkby in Ashfield fighter has won three in ten attempts.

Joseph was due to fight Chesterfield-based African Greg Scott-Briggs. But he has had to return to his native Swaziland because of a family illness so opponents were switched.

Scott-Briggs will now face him on the Yorkshire Executive Sporting Club dinner show next week which also features Bradford light-middle Danny Parkinson (5-1) against Gateshead's Danny Moir.