BoxRec

Not an English fighter, but I'd love to see James McAvoy play Stanley Ketchel. Maybe when I've my short film and become the next Stanley Kubrick, I'll make it.

Where I work I come into contact with all sorts of people from everywhere in the UK. When I meet someone from Wakefield I always say, 'Sykes country eh?' and if they are older than 50ish they know exactly who you are talking about and tell me little snippets about Paul sykes. Neil Malpass (enigma) on here fought him and beat him. I was told Sykes was a bully and used to hassle people in the pubs for drinks. I believe he went to work for Brain London in Blackpool but I do not know if thats 100% correct info I was given.

I guess if he took boxing seriously he could have been a good fighter I think he got a title shot too early against John L, would be interesting to know how John L thought of him.

BTW I have the full docu on DVD along with the John L fight also

jimmy flint

keithmoonhangover wrote:Not an English fighter, but I'd love to see James McAvoy play Stanley Ketchel. Maybe when I've my short film and become the next Stanley Kubrick, I'll make it.

Good shout.

Darcy Delaney wrote:jimmy flint

I can remember him in that documentary from years ago, 'Fighters'; he seemed a real live wire, he really seemed like someone dangerous, very edgy. Hope he's a bit more settled in himself now.

(Best of luck with the seconds course this week )

Stnicolasabbey wrote:Scott Harrison

Good shout was gonna suggest it myself. He's lead a pretty colourful life shall we say.

Good old Sykes!

"Running a protection racket in Blackpool"..

Brilliant!

mickey1975 wrote:

Dave81 wrote:

mickey1975 wrote: Sykes almost got it on with Lenny Mclean, that would of been tastey

Lenny would have been in trouble. He was nowhere near the standard Sykes boxed at.

We'll never know, i'd bet my life on Lenny if it would of been on the cobbles, but in the ring im not sure.

You would lose. Paul was an animal. Far worse out of the ring than n it.[/quote]

Again, we will never know, but from all accounts Lenny was good in the ring, but unstoppable on the streets, not just because of his sheer power and agression, but also because of how fast he was. Iv researched Mclean and sykes, and my bet would be on lenny all day long.

Dave81 wrote:

mickey1975 wrote:

Dave81 wrote: Sykes almost got it on with Lenny Mclean, that would of been tastey

Lenny would have been in trouble. He was nowhere near the standard Sykes boxed at.

We'll never know, i'd bet my life on Lenny if it would of been on the cobbles, but in the ring im not sure.

You would lose. Paul was an animal. Far worse out of the ring than n it.[/quote]

Again, we will never know, but from all accounts Lenny was good in the ring, but unstoppable on the streets, not just because of his sheer power and agression, but also because of how fast he was. Iv researched Mclean and sykes, and my bet would be on lenny all day long.[/quote]

I'm not an expert about it and read that Mickey Gluckstead was a real handful and would have beaten McLean, also that Lenny had been beaten more than once in fights.

He was knocked out a few times by fighters a lot worse thhan Sykes.

simon fox wrote:

Darcy Delaney wrote:jimmy flint

I can remember him in that documentary from years ago, 'Fighters'; he seemed a real live wire, he really seemed like someone dangerous, very edgy. Hope he's a bit more settled in himself now.

(Best of luck with the seconds course this week )

lol jimmy is still training at the peacock, he's there most days and still has a move about, he still has the moves and i bet he aint to far off fighting weight, proper old school fighter jimmy,

cheers mate i'm there tomorrow i'll let you know how it goes

mercman wrote:

mickey1975 wrote:He was knocked out a few times by fighters a lot worse thhan Sykes.

Cliff Fields is said to have knocked McLean out twice. I believe the ex-pro middlewight, Kevin Paddock, also beat McLean.

And middleweight Shaw. McLean operated at a far different level to Sykes. British title challenger is good enough for me, i have seen a few ex-pros out of the ring and its frightening what they are capable of.

It's only McClean who said he was unbeatable on the cobbles, would have beaten Ali etc

Coco wrote:It's only McClean who said he was unbeatable on the cobbles, would have beaten Ali etc

Self praise is no praise (as my wife tells me every day)

Coco wrote:It's only McClean who said he was unbeatable on the cobbles, would have beaten Ali etc

Didn't McClean get sparked by Roy Shaw on the cobbles or was that in an unlicensed bout?

Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Robinson

DIRT SUGAR wrote:Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Robinson

Fantastic boxers though I'm not sure if they were English, Welsh or Scottish Sugar.

mickey1975 wrote:

simon fox wrote:

mickey1975 wrote:I have heard too many stories about Paul to buy into a lot of the stuff wrote in his book. As i have said before, he was a VERY bad man. He met his wife when she was at school and he must have been in his thirties. There is a word for that where i come from.

There's a word for that where Sykes came from but I bet no one ever called him it.

Somebody will have done. I know a few stories of people chinning him, i think he was on the drink by then though.

I`m originally from Wakefield and lived on the same council estate as Sykes. I saw him take a couple of beatings, but it was always a gang that did him and always when he was hammered on the booze. Usually a pack of lads from Leeds or Sheffield, never Wakefield as they would not take the risk. He used to terrorize doormen all the time.

Sober and in shape, there were not too many that could handle him in a street fight. Scared me to death at times. Booze was his downfall, as he was no real problem when sober (at least as far as Joe Public were concerned)

Joe Calzaghe or Henry Cooper

mercman wrote:

mickey1975 wrote:He was knocked out a few times by fighters a lot worse thhan Sykes.

Cliff Fields is said to have knocked McLean out twice. I believe the ex-pro middlewight, Kevin Paddock, also beat McLean.

johnny waldren beat lenny twice but was not ment to the film snatch is based on that fight

edwin valero would make a great movie :!:

Livingstone Cole wrote:

Rocky101 wrote: Joe Calzaghe or Henry Cooper

Calzaghe? If old episodes of the Archers have you on the edge of your seat then sure, why not?

forcefraser wrote:

mickey1975 wrote:

simon fox wrote:

There's a word for that where Sykes came from but I bet no one ever called him it.

Somebody will have done. I know a few stories of people chinning him, i think he was on the drink by then though.

I`m originally from Wakefield and lived on the same council estate as Sykes. I saw him take a couple of beatings, but it was always a gang that did him and always when he was hammered on the booze. Usually a pack of lads from Leeds or Sheffield, never Wakefield as they would not take the risk. He used to terrorize doormen all the time.

Sober and in shape, there were not too many that could handle him in a street fight. Scared me to death at times. Booze was his downfall, as he was no real problem when sober (at least as far as Joe Public were concerned)

That just about confirms everything i saw with my own eyes. The people claiming victories over him did it when he was drunk. As i said, a seriously handy guy sober. I am too young to remember him in his prime but used to see him about shows when i was a teen. He was still unbelievebly feared then.

Carl Anthony Thompson !!

mickey1975 wrote:

forcefraser wrote:

mickey1975 wrote: Somebody will have done. I know a few stories of people chinning him, i think he was on the drink by then though.

I`m originally from Wakefield and lived on the same council estate as Sykes. I saw him take a couple of beatings, but it was always a gang that did him and always when he was hammered on the booze. Usually a pack of lads from Leeds or Sheffield, never Wakefield as they would not take the risk. He used to terrorize doormen all the time.

Sober and in shape, there were not too many that could handle him in a street fight. Scared me to death at times. Booze was his downfall, as he was no real problem when sober (at least as far as Joe Public were concerned)

That just about confirms everything i saw with my own eyes. The people claiming victories over him did it when he was drunk. As i said, a seriously handy guy sober. I am too young to remember him in his prime but used to see him about shows when i was a teen. He was still unbelievebly feared then.

I was a nasty young man and spent a short spell in Hull Prison, on the YP wing. Sykes was in there at the time, on the other wing. He was feared and there was talk of prison rapes and nasty beatings etc. I don't think that a film should be made of him; I watched that documentary and all he seemed to do was terrorise people and his boss with the yellow Rolls Royce was just as odious. Sykes didn't seem to change or develop and so he's not that interesting; there are similar men in every big town or city in the country. Just because he didn't paste people when he was sober when he was out doesn't mean he was a decent or good man. (He'd not have been drunk when he was taxing and raping his way through jail).