Surprise title shot for Sykes

Gary Sykes has landed a shock date with WBO super-featherweight champion Adrian Broner next month.

Former British champion handed Broner challenge

Gary Sykes has landed a shock date with WBO super-featherweight champion Adrian Broner next month. The former British champion has been cherry-picked for the second defence of the American rising star's reign on the undercard of Amir Khan's rematch with Lamont Petersen on May 19. Broner has gained 19 of his 23 wins by stoppage while Sykes, who has twice been beaten by Gary Buckland, will enter the ring a massive underdog. However, the 28-year-old from Dewsbury will be aiming to make the most of his Las Vegas debut. "I never thought I'd get a call for something like this," he told Sky Sports. "I can't believe it - I'm dumbfounded - but I'm just going to go in there full of confidence. "He's top of the tree, it's not a Mickey Mouse title it's a genuine world title. So if I've got to beat the best, that's just icing on the cake. "The more I train, the confident I feel, and I've never gone into the ring feeling I'm going to lose. "This is my World Cup final. Boxing in Las Vegas is unreal."