Everybody likes to see sportsmen magnificently dispatching a foe with skill and elegance, clinching victory in exciting fashion. However, sometimes in life you just need to scrap.
That’s exactly what Gary Sykes did on Friday night and the Dewsbury-born super-featherweight took the vacant British title by way of unanimous decision over Andy Morris.
Morris was a late replacement for Ricky Burns and the “Wythenshawe Warrior” did well to last the distance and went toe-to-toe with Sykes throughout the course of the fight, engaging him to the bitter end. However, Sykes' superior fitness levels got him the victory as things started to escalate into a brawl. It was vintage British fighting, two honest boxers going all out for the title, stuff that would make your granddad proud.
It was a proper battle and Sykes will be relieved to have his unbeaten record still intact. Morris had the better start, ducking and weaving around the ring like a demented spinning top. The fluency of his moves however hindered his attacking ability and while he was staying out of Sykes' grasp he was struggling to land his punches cleanly. As the fight wore on Morris began to look tired and Sykes began capitalising on his lack of accuracy.
The two showed tremendous heart to go the full 12 rounds and the unanimous decision went Sykes' way purely on volume of punches landed.
In a rarely seen sporting gesture Morris was magnanimous in defeat, saying: "What can I say, we fought for the British title and Gary won. Fair play.”
"Hopefully we can get it on again. It was a great fight, close I'd say. Fair play to Gary because he's got the decision on the night. I can't grumble and there's nothing I can do about it."
While these two quietly went about their business, diligently and humbly with tremendous graft, lower-down the bill was a man famed for doing just the opposite. Heavyweight contender and professional ego Tyson Fury was back in action. The man who could well go down in history as having a better name than fists took on German Hans-Joerg Blasko.
Fury obliterated Blasko in the first round by technical KO following two knock downs. Fury looked comfortable as he yet again beat substandard opposition, the only challenge of his career has so far come against John McDermott and few people think he actually won that fight. It’s McDermott in a rematch for Fury next and that will be a big test for the 21-year-old, who needs to start moving up the divisions.
There is an embarrassing delusion of grandeur in the British heavyweight division as it stands. The international scene is so flat it is making club fighters think they are contenders.
The cringe-worthy “feud” between Fury and Derek Chisora encompasses how bad things have got. Neither of these two boxers have displayed any level of top-class ability and are more comparable to a pair of Michael Sprott's rather than a couple of Mike Tyson’s. Someone really should tell them before they embarrass us all.
Friday night was a magnificent juxtaposition of two boxers with contrasting ethos. One is hard work, guts and determination, the other glitz, glamour and boasting.
I wonder who will have the more enduring career?
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