Former British Super-Featherweight champion Gary Sykes (22-3, 5 KO’s) has campaigned at lightweight in the recent Prizefighter tournament, but intends to return to Super-Featherweight next year, he wants to regain his British title, and this time he wants it for keeps.
‘Sykesy’ hails from Dewsbury, Yorkshire and made his pro-debut on the 23rd February 2006, at the town hall in Leeds (which according to reports could be the venue of his next fight, in febuary 2013, at Super-Featherweight), Sykes beat Dave Hinds over six rounds.
Sykes’ career so far has seen plenty of peaks and few troughs, much like his fighting style in the ring, there is never a dull moment, and you never get an easy night against ‘Syksey’ – just ask Anthony Crolla.
Crolla and Sykes first met in 2009 in a British title eliminator, with Crolla being Sykes biggest test so far, Sykes won on points over the 10 rounds, keeping his unbeaten record in the process. The pair were destined to meet again, this time at lightweight in a star-studded Prizefighter tournament which saw Sykes once again beat Crolla (who was joint favourite for the tournament) in the Semi-Final, only for Sykes to be outpointed by Terry Flannigan in the final.
Sykes won the British title, beating Andy Morris in a points decision over 12 rounds on the 5th March 2010. At this point Sykes was still unbeaten and in November 2010 he entered the Prizefighter tournament (at Super-Featherweight) in order to help raise his profile, however this backfired with Sykes being knocked-out by Welshman Gary Buckland just 45 seconds into their semi-final bout. Thankfully the British Title wasn’t on the line and Sykes picked himself up with a successful second defence against mandatory challenger Carl Johanneson exactly a year to the day after he won the title.
his profile, however this backfired with Sykes being knocked-out by Welshman Gary Buckland just 45 seconds into their semi-final bout. Thankfully the British Title wasn’t on the line and Sykes picked himself up with a successful second defence against mandatory challenger Carl Johanneson exactly a year to the day after he won the title.
This set up the chance to get revenge over the man who dealt him his first defeat, Gary Buckland, as well as the chance to win the Lonsdale belt outright. The bout wasn’t nearly as one-sided as their original meeting, and this time went a full 12 rounds, unfortunately it seems Buckland is to Sykes what Sykes is to Crolla, with Buckland edging a close but unanimous decision
Sykes suffered only his second defeat, to the same opponent and was of course so close winning the coveted Lonsdale belt outright that it was a tough pill to swallow, Sykes took six months before returning to the ring. He outpointed old foe Dean Mills over six rounds and was hoping for another shot at the British title, but what he got was much more.
By Steven Goulding (@Gouldin87)