The Sky Sports cameras travel to Huddersfield tonight as Andy Morris and Gary Sykes contest the vacant British super-featherweight title, live from 10pm.
Morris held the featherweight version before two stoppage defeats at the hands of Greenock’s John Simpson cost him not only his beloved belt, but his surge towards the very top of the game.
26 year old Morris, nicknamed Wythenshawe Warrior was tipped to be one of Britain’s future world champions when picking up the English title in only his eleventh outing in 2005 before adding the Lonsdale strap in the same year.
The Manchester orthodox suffered terrible issues with his weight however and was beaten heavily by Scotsman Simpson on two occasions to derail his career.
Having taken time away from the sport to re-evaluate his interest, Morris returned at super-feather to record three wins in a row. Andy’s comeback opponents haven’t been of the high standard he was once used to but an admirable points decision over promising French fighter Pierre Francois Bonicel stretched his record to a convincing eighteen wins, six inside the distance against two defeats.
It shows how highly Morris is thought of on the British boxing circuit that he is already ranked in the top three domestic fighters at the weight but bookies think his best days are behind him, pricing the former champion up as an even money second favourite.
26 year old opponent Gary Sykes travels from Yorkshire intent on continuing his unbeaten record whilst adding what would be a major scalp to his card.
At 5ft 8inch tall Sykes will enjoy both a height and reach advantage tonight but a closer look through Five Star’s record offers some interesting points to consider.
With a large portion of his opponents falling into the journeyman category, Sykes' last five have a combined record of twenty-seven wins against one-hundred and seventeen defeats with five drawn and I’m not sure the less experienced man deserves his 10/11 favourite tag (Skybet).
It’s been a very long time since value of any sort was offered by the boxing traders but with Skybet opening up at 10/11 each of the two, it shows they just don’t know how this one is going to pan out.
Morris is a very talented fighter and two defeats inflicted by the same man shouldn’t take away from his good early form and I don’t see him going the same way as scouser Derry Mathews. He should have put his weight issues firmly behind him and I think his previous title experience will be the deciding factor here.
The Manchester puncher doesn’t have the biggest knockout ratio but he works off a snappy jab and Morris by unanimous points decision deserves an interest bet at 11/4 (Skybet).
