CWMBRAN middleweight Gary Lockett is finally to get his chance of winning a world title - and is confident of taking it.

The KO king, known as 'The Rocket', has been told by promoter Frank Warren's agency Sports Network that he will get his chance at the WBU crown in January against Manchester's former title holder Anthony Farnell at a venue to be decided.

The current champion remains Manchester-based Portuguese fighter Eugenio Montero, but the 30-year-old has been suspended by the British Boxing Board of Control and is expected to be stripped of his title by the World Boxing Union after testing positive for the banned steroid nandrelone and an amphetamine after stopping Farnell in ten rounds in June.

Lockett, winner of 23 of his 24 fights, 17 by KO, will have a warm-up fight in December, but can't wait to step in against 26-year-old Farnell, winner of 33 of his 37 fights, twenty by KO, and take his chance to emulate Gwent's current WBO world super-middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe . "It's fantastic news," said Lockett. "It's the fight I have been after for the past three years but for various reasons it never materialised. Now it's going to happen and I can't wait.

"I have never been one to go slagging off opponents but Farnell has been mouthing off and saying he will knock me cold within six rounds.

"I'm glad he's talking like that because if he fights the way he talks he'll get chinned just the way he did against Montero.

"If I fight like I know I can and did last time (stopping Nottingham's Michael Monaghan in two rounds at Newport Centre in September) Farnell won't be a problem."

Lockett, 28 later this month, has lost once, beaten on a split points decision by Belarussian Yuri Tsarenko in defence of his WBO Intercontinental light-middleweight title in 2002, a defeat avenged with a points win a year later.