Adam Smith tells the tale of Gary Sykes - one of the few success stories to come out of Dewsbury.
One man striving to escape a tough Dewsbury backdrop
American boxers have often fought their way out of dreadful environments - Mike Tyson survived the grotty and dangerous Bedford-Stuyvesant ghetto in Brooklyn, and Charles Brewer once showed me his cardboard shack of a home amongst the badlands of Philadelphia.
Currently Devon Alexander's the latest successful boxer to emerge from what some have described as 'living hell' in the projects of St Louis - for a long time the epitome of urban decay in the States.
Traditionally, young British boxers have not had to endure real slums; many bad backgrounds yes, but the harsher estates have tended to be across the pond.
Meet Gary Sykes. Born and bred in Dewsbury.
Now nestled amid this old West Yorkshire mill town is a certain estate: the Dewsbury Moor estate. Even our politicians have called it 'the pits of the earth'.
In recent years this has been highlighted as one of our most deprived areas, and has become representative of plenty that is bad about Britain.
There's been the bomber, that man crucified, the veil row, the child who survived after a macabre incident when found hanging from a tree, and most infamously an unsavoury saga that seemed beyond comprehension to almost all of us - the kidnap and family betrayal of poor little Shannon Matthews.
That case brought two months of national embarrassment to the estate. Under the media glare, lags proudly showed off their electronic tags, litter was continually strewn all over the streets, and bailiffs lurked everywhere. We were witness to a picture of the hardest life - with not a rose-tinted pair of glasses in sight.
Trouble
There was despair and chaos during nine-year-old Shannon's 24-day disappearance, but when the whole sorry mess reached some kind of conclusion, there were then efforts to re-generate the worst parts of Dewsbury Moor.
The spirit was strong, as the community tried to stand together and unite. Several worked long hours, and spent time in and out of each other's homes. Residents slowly tried to re-build.
Yet many say that's starting to slip now. Dewsbury Moor needs some good to come out of it. People want to forget about Karen Matthews. Young Shannon was brought up on Moorside Road. Gary Sykes still lives in the next street.
He started boxing at 15. He's just turned 26. Now Gary makes the short trip to Huddersfield to fight for the prestigious Lonsdale belt.
Thankfully, he laced the gloves on.
"God knows what would have happened if I hadn't," Gary told me this week. "Most of my friends have been in prison. I might have been ok, because I never went looking for trouble, but boxing has given me a direction and a purpose. Put me on the right road."
"At the beginning, my Mum wouldn't let me go to the gym, so I didn't tell her for a while! Now she's so proud of me. Even if she has to do all the washing! Every bit of training gear every day!"
Mum Jacqui will be biting her nails at ringside on Friday night. Along with dad Terry and 'tomboy' sister Claire, it sounds like Gary has at least had the benefit of a close family. Even if he had to survive Dewsbury Moor.
Talented
"It's been fine for me, but it has such a bad reputation," Gary continued. "Loads of people on the estate are coming down to my fight, and I'm hoping to give them a great night. We need it. Let's get Dewsbury on the map for the right reasons."
Gary Sykes is a class act. The tall stylist was a decent amateur who won 52 of 62. He beat John Murray a couple of times and won a host of top titles. Once he had a 32-fight unbeaten streak. Now he's unbeaten in 14 as a professional.
Gary's four year career's been built quietly and steadily.
Much like the young man himself - who admits he's nervous ahead of his biggest fight yet against the well-schooled and seasoned Mancunian, Andy Morris.
Sykes does have experience in his corner in the shape of Chris Aston - who guided the talented trio of James Hare, Mark Hobson and Dale Robinson - plus the boxing intelligence of trainer Julian McGowan, a fairly new face on the scene.
Julian has proven to be more than just a coach to Gary. He has guided his charge to an alternative career, which is always a good idea if a fighter ever needs a fall-back.
Julian's a creative director, and has helped Gary to get a job, after he proudly achieved an HND in Graphic Design. Some of the up-coming Mother's Day cards might have been dreamt up by Gary!
But it's his boxing dreams which are now the focus. Gary calls himself '5 Stars'. He has three starry tattoos so far - marking his NABC, Junior ABA and ABA victories. The next two are for 'the British and the world title belts'.
"The last one's a bit far-fetched, I guess," says the unassuming Sykes. "But it's good to aim high."
I bet he wishes some of those pals who ended up inside had had the same discipline and drive.
Accuracy
It would be a wonderful story for the area if Gary can lift the British super-featherweight title on Friday, and he'll have huge local support.
But Sykes faces a tough assignment against our former domestic featherweight champion.
Andy Morris is another good guy who dotes on his young sons Mason and Mikey, and runs his own paving business. Like Gary, Andy's also 26, but there is a more mature feel about him. He's had his setbacks - most notably when he lost his 9-stone belt to John Simpson - but he's rested and re-built well.
I have liked the look of Andy Morris since his ring return, and he could find 9stone 4lbs a more comfortable weight.
It's two former ABA champions, two talented boxers in a pick'em. The bookies can't split the pair. Both are 10/11 on. Sykes will throw bundles of punches and has a great engine, but I go for Morris just to have that extra accuracy, seasoning and experience in an attractive affair - providing his fragile skin doesn't let him down.
Whatever happens, this is a major achievement for Sykes, Dewsbury and more importantly, Dewsbury Moor. Gary's the type who can certainly come again if he does lose this one.
Prime example of that is Prince Arron, who was a really worthy Prizefighter champion last week. I have so much respect for Arron - who I spent time around when he got pitched in way too deep early on in his professional career. Since linking up with the excellent Bob Shannon, he has turned his life around and it's great to see.
Bob will be in Andy Morris' corner in Huddersfield this week, so it could be a double for one of the most popular trainers on the circuit.
Next week we're in Liverpool, and I'll be bringing you the story of one of their most popular - and one of my favourite - characters in the sport... Paul 'Smigga' Smith.
