GARY Buckland is sick and tired of waiting for a big opportunity to come his way, so he’s travelling 5000 miles ensure some big fight experience, writes Michael Pearlman.

The 25-year old super featherweight, beaten just twice in 22 professional fights, has become increasingly frustrated after his stunning success in Prizefighter.

The St Joseph’s trained fighter stopped both British champion Gary Sykes and former champion Derry Matthews to upset the bookies and win the £32,000 prize late last year.

However, rather than being a springboard to bigger things, Buckland appears to have his card marked as being too tough a fight, only in action once since with a points win over Oscar Chacin in Manchester in April.

However, rather than waiting around for the big fight, Buckland has instead taken the bull by the horns and yesterday jetted out to Jalisco, Mexico to take on Jose Roberto Gonzalez - on the undercard of the hotly anticipated battle between Saul Alvarez and Ryan Rhodes for the WBC light middleweight title.

Buckland will be faced not only with the challenge of his opponent, but a 15,000 plus partisan crowd, not to mention fighting at an altitude of 5,138ft.

The bill will be broadcast in America not HBO and on delay in the UK on Sunday morning on Sky Sports.

“This is a good opportunity for Gary, some good experience and hopefully when he wins it will lead to the fights we feel Gary has earned,” manager Brian Powell explained.

Buckland was recently made mandatory challenger for Skyes’ British title, the British Boxing Board of Control giving Skyes until November to defend the Lonsdale title.

“The Buckland fight is one I want just to settle the score, I know it’s a fight I can win and should of first time round, but with it being three rounds, I rushed things, got caught and paid the price,” Sykes said.