Sykes -V- Burns Off ..... Sykes -V- Morris On!

[Stegsie]

Quick update .....

Gary Sykes now fights Andy Morris in Huddersfield on the 5th march as Ricky Burns has withdrawn from the British super-featherweight title.

[THEBUTCH]

This should make a better fight than the original.

[Rockys gum shield]

Great news in the process of sorting some tickets out now

[bennie]

It looks like unbeaten Gary Sykes now takes on battling Andy Morris for the vacant British super-featherweight title on March 5 in Huddersfield. Scotland’s Ricky Burns, the man originally lined up to face Sykes, is said to be challenging anyone from Roman Martinez to Wladimir Klitshcko for a WBO belt, from Glasgow to Katmandu.
Anyway, Sykes, a tall, workaholic of a fighter from nearby (to Huddersfield) Dewsbury, has done absolutely nothing wrong in his 14-fight career to date and secured his crack with a fine 10-round decision over Anthony Crolla last year, a Manchester stylist like Morris. Technically, Sykes is solid and well able to use his height and reach on the counter, as he showed when he won an ABA featherweight title, but he prefers to get stuck in and work away, which is not dissimilar to the crafted yet aggressive and busy Morris, who has rebuilt slowly from a crushing seven-round loss to Greenock’s John Simpson back in September 2007, a loss which cost him the British title at featherweight. It was an upset because Morris had licked the same man, on points, to lift the belt.
The battered Wythenshawe man took a couple of years out and came back last year a weight up with three low-key wins, including one over another Dewsbury fighter, Youssef Al Hamidi, who also holds a win over “Million Dollar” Crolla, interestingly enough. The Simpson disaster was more a sign of Simpson’s obvious improvement than any massive deterioration in Morris, and Morris was also struggling with nine stone. Still only 26 (the same age as Sykes), he knows how to box and does have a shout in this one.
Neither man is a banger, so we can expect a long, quality, punch-a-second battle. If Morris sticks to his boxing he might just outsmart the home man but the very same home advantage sways the balance towards the less experienced but bigger and fresher-looking Sykes.

[alexpaterson]

I'm glad Burns' is getting a shot at the world title. Morris vs Sykes should be a good one, im going for Sykes ( he has really impressed me so far)

[jrh]

this is going to be a cracker with andy in my opinion winning on points but it will be hard hes a tough lad sykes

[hurlock]

is sykes related to paul sykes???

[mickey1975]

is sykes related to paul sykes???

No

[nigeltsport]

Interview with Andy Morris - he has been training for this chance for quite a while
http://www.brandhatton.com/VideoNews/82 ... ykes_.aspx