By Dean Parr

This Friday night, Cardiff's Gary Buckland, 18-1 (6 early), gets the opportunity of a lifetime, with a surprise shot at the vacant EBU European lightweight title coming his way.  Opposing him will be tough, undefeated Mancunian John Murray, 28-0 (16 KOs), and Buckland is relishing the challenge.

“I'm buzzing,” he admitted.  “I've been waiting for a Celtic title defence but when this came up it was absolutely fantastic.  I've been frustrated for the last year or so, waiting for the British title or the Commonwealth, but when the European was mentioned it was just a big shock to the system.”

Buckland is a big underdog going into this bout, and he acknowledges his foe has many strengths.  “I've watched his last five or six fights, and you can't mess with John Murray,” noted Gary.  “I like to watch him box and he's good, comes forward, he's strong and has good boxing ability.  I'm just going to go in and do my best really.”

“I'd like to keep him on the back foot,” he continued.  “Scott Lawton and Lee McAllister fought him off the back foot and Murray was taking them out easily.  The main thing is to take it to him and meet him in the center of the ring.”

The fight will take place in Widnes, much closer to Murray's fanbase than the Welshman's, but this will have no effect on the 'Dynamo'.  “That doesn't bother me whatsoever.  It's been good that I boxed out of my hometown the last three or four times, and I'm just happy to get a shot.”

Indeed, Buckland has been matched tough as of late, and he's convinced this experience will prove to be a bonus on fight night.  “It's not going to be a shock to the system,” said Gary of Friday's bout.

“Craig Docherty was a good fighter.  Henry Castle was at his best when I boxed him, and I've just beaten an undefeated fighter in Sam Rukundo, so it was all good experience for me.”

“Sam was my first southpaw as well so I was happy in one way,” divulged Buckland, expanding on the grueling twelve round victory over Rukundo.  “It would have been nice for me to get the stoppage, but it was nice to get the first southpaw in.”

Gary has no idea what lies ahead for him after this, and while being confident wouldn't choose a victor in the bout.  “I'm not thinking far ahead now.  All I'm thinking is about bringing the European title home and we'll go from there.  Murray's a come forward fighter, and I'm exactly the same, so it will be a great fight.  I can't pick a winner,” he admitted.

Tony Borg, Buckland's trainer is similarly excited to be involved in a fight of this caliber.  “We're very happy about this fight.  We've wanted a shot at the European, British or Commonwealth for a while,” he stated.

“It was quite surprising,” continued Tony on getting the European shot.  “I always thought something was going to happen because basically John Murray and Lee McAllister were going to be boxing for the British, Commonwealth and European titles, and it was all going to be tied up in one fight.  I just had a feeling they might one of them might give up a title, and Gary might get to fight Ryan Brawley for the British, so we expected something of that sort.”

He, like his charge, is acutely aware of Murray's abilities, but thinks his man has an extra bit about him.  Tony said, “He's very strong, he's durable, he takes a good shot, but I think Gary's a level above anyone Murray's fought.  He's beaten Thaxton, but Jon was well past it and coming off losses - not a Thaxton near his prime.  I never rated any of the others he's fought and I think Gary's an exceptional lightweight.”

Travelling to Northern England isn't something that bothers Borg, either.  He declared, “I just think if you want to be the best and say you're the best and you've got to go in his back garden to take it, then you go into his back garden and leave with the belt.”

The former 13-4 pro also thinks the way Gary's been matched through his career will help him step up when it matters on fight night.  “We never really went down the record padding route for Gary, and if you look down his record, there's a lot of good learning fights and even fought welterweights on a couple of occasions,” told Borg.

“Gary's had some good fights.  He won the Welsh title in a good fight at the weight above, he's won a Celtic title and defended it twice, he's won British and Commonwealth eliminators, international bouts, boxed over in Spain - he's had a good learning curve.  He hasn't just been fed opponents.

”I would say this is his toughest fight to date, but it might turn out not to be because I think Gary seems to rise to the occasion.  The bigger the opponent, the better you get out of him.”

Once they heard about the fight, Borg insists hard training started immediately.  “When we get a fight we get stuck in straight away at the deep end," revealed Tony.  “We get Gary down to the right weight, get the sparring right and then we're ready to go.”

Even though it has been seven months since Murray last stepped into the ring, Borg is expecting the best of their opponent on Friday.  “I wouldn't have thought inactivity is a problem,” he stated.  “His inactivity is in the ring, but I would imagine his training and sparring has gone well.”

Tony is massively confident of victory, and even thinks a shock may be on the cards.  “I think Gary could cause an upset stoppage in about the eighth or ninth round,” he asserted.  “If not, he'll win on points.”

For more information on the bill, which will be aired live on Sky Sports 1 and HD1 at 10pm this Friday, visit http://www.matchroom.com