Sykes prepares for return

The Dewsbury star will fight an opponent to be arranged at the Hull Civic Hall on the undercard to Tommy Coyle’s English lightweight title fight against Walsall’s Martin Gethin.

Sykes comfortably defeated Somerset’s Dean Mills at the same venue in March in his last outing and the 28-year-old from Dewsbury Moor will see his next bout as a chance to put him back into the title mix.

Sykes had his dreams of fighting for the WBO super featherweight title in Las Vegas shattered when a proposed fight against world no1 Adrien Broner fell through.

Sykes sparred with Coyle while training to fight Broner and another of his sparring partners and good friends, Josh Warrington, will also be on the Hull bill.

Sykes said: “I was on the verge of having the greatest moment ever but if I can take one positive out of it, I know that I’ve never sparred as well as I did in preparation for Broner.

“I am happy to have a date for my next fight and it is important that if I fight a journeyman, that I don’t become complacent.”

The domestic super featherweight division is bubbling once again and Sykes will have eyes on his British rivals.

A date of October 5 has finally been set for Gary Buckland’s British super featherweight title defence against Manchester’s Stephen Foster-Jnr.

Sykes, who lost the British title to Buckland in Sheffield last September, needs just one more win to secure the Lonsdale belt outright and he added: “I still want to get the title back and make sure the Lonsdale belt stays in Dewsbury.”