Gary Sykes confident about the future

GARY Sykes is hoping to find out details about the second defence of his British super featherweight title in the very near future.

The Sykes camp are confident that he will be fighting at Dewsbury Sports Centre, with a possible date of Saturday November 27.

With many of Britain’s top super featherweights tied up in other fights, a new potential opponent has emerged in Jon Kays, from Ashton.

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Sykes and trainer Julian McGowan travelled to the Manchester Velodrone last Saturday to watch Kays defeat Dai Davies with a sixth round stoppage to win the International Masters title and a clash against the Lancastrian is something they are looking at for a voluntary defence.

Anthony Crolla and Andy Morris – both of whom Sykes has beaten – are set to clash for the vacant English super featherweight title at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton, next weekend.

Top-of-the-bill on that show sees Manchester’s Stephen Foster-Jnr meeting Russia’s Leva Kirakosyan for the European super featherweight crown.

With Leeds hitter Carl Johanneson being ordered to face Paul Truscott in a British title eliminator, Sykes would be eligible to make a voluntary defence to his Lonsdale belt before Christmas.

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Sykes said: “It has been quite a long time since I boxed and people can’t wait to see me back.

“When I first won the title, I didn’t think it was such a big deal but now people have seen me on television, I get them coming up to me all the time.

“I think there will be a lot of people there (at the sports centre) and I just can’t imagine what the feeling will be like to fight in Dewsbury – I am sure my supporters will really take the roof off the place.”

It is understood that Dewsbury Sports Centre would have a capacity in the region of 1,000 and with the promoters likely to feature other Yorkshire fighters on the unercard, Sykes is confident he will be fighting in front of a full house.

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Since retaining the British title with an impressive victory over Kevin O’Hara in May, Sykes has received hundreds of messages on Facebook, together with fan mail, wishing him well and asking for autographs and pictures.

The Dewsbury Moor star has also been on hand to help with healthy eating projects at Castle Hall School in Mirfield, while he also took his Lonsdale belt to show pupils at Bywell School.

While Sykes has been ticking over in the gym, it has also given him the chance to watch over 18-year-old Michael Smith, as he prepares for his professional debut.

With cruiserweight Zahid Kahut also under the guidance of trainer Julian McGowan, Sykes is delighted other Dewsbury fighters are emerging.

Sykes added: “We have a nice little camp coming together now. Sometimes the training can be hard when you are on your own and I am sure it will be better now there are more of us.”

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