Peter has been labeled by many as the next big heavyweight prospect, and Sykes believes he can derail Peter, and cast his name amongst the wide heavyweight picture. Sykes is 23-1-1 with 6 KOs, and is more of a Chris Byrd type of heavyweight; a crafty boxer. He will have to be crafty when he meets the hard-hitting Peter on the 2nd. In his last fight, Sykes defeated Friday Ahunanya to claim the NABA heavyweight title. I got a chance to talk with Sykes recently about his big shot on the 2nd, and here's what he had to say.

 
BRC: Peter is known for his power, how do you plan to counter that?
 
SYKES: My plan is to just utilize my jab over time, and throw combinations. I want to show him that I'm just as strong as him, and probably stronger. I’m not going to be running from him, or backing down from him. I plan to dictate the fight, dominate, and push him back. I don't want to let him get his momentum and push me back. That is where he gets his momentum and power, when you start falling back. But, I'm going to be stepping into him.

 
BRC: What got you started in boxing?
 
SYKES: A whole bunch of stuff; my neighborhood, crime, getting into fights. It was a way to get away from that stuff.
 

BRC: How would you describe yourself as a boxer, and is there anyone that you would compare yourself to?
 
SYKES: I don't really compare myself to anybody, but maybe like a Riddick Bowe. I'm the opposite of what my opponent brings. If he wants to slug, I'm going to be a boxer, if he wants to box me, then I'm going to slug him. I adapt to all situations. In this fight, I know I will definitely have to be a good boxer, and counter puncher.

 
BRC: Samuel Peter has recently been calling out about every big name heavyweight, do you feel he's looking beyond you in this fight?
 
SYKES: I don't think he's looking past me, I think he's looking for a big money payday before he gets exposed. Because he doesn't bring anything different to the table than any other fighter. He ain't doing anything special, anything more than anyone else is doing. He's not setting up any punches, he's a one dimensional fighter. Eventually when he gets exposed, he won't be able to get that big money fight, so that's why he's calling guys out. After he gets exposed, the other up and coming fighters are going to give him a hard time, and he won't be able to get those fights. When I pull the covers off him, his career will be heading right down the drain. He won't win two fights back to back after I beat him; that I guarantee.

 
BRC: You had one loss in your career against Owen Beck, can a loss be a good thing for a fighter?
 
SYKES: I haven't lost since, and that's positive enough. If you ask anybody who was at that fight, they would tell you that I gave that fight away. I lost my focus, I got cut from a head butt, and that was really the first time I lost my focus. It wasn't like he really beat me up or anything, I wasn't active enough, and he won. He wasn't hitting me with anything, I had my defense going, I just wasn't active enough.

 
BRC: What fighters did you admire while growing up?
 
SYKES: I admired guys like Riddick Bowe, people who came from the same element as me, guys who went through the same grind and struggle as me, and made it out of there. Mike Tyson, and Riddick Bowe, people like that.

 
BRC: How did you feel when Tyson lost a few weeks ago?
 
SYKES: Mike is Mike you know. It didn't affect me, because it is what it is. He got his shot, and I'm going to get mine. So, I don't feel sorry for him. But, when he was coming up, and he was doing his thing, I was loving it. The way he's doing things now is the way he chooses to do it. I still like Mike, and I'm not looking down on him or anything like that. Same thing with Riddick Bowe. I think he should stop Boxing, but when he was doing his thing, he was unstoppable.

 
BRC: What would a win over Peter mean to you and your career?
 
SYKES: It would mean a lot to me. It would show me that I'm progressing, and that I'm getting better as a fighter. My confidence would go up with it. This fight won't make me feel that I could run with the big boys, because I feel already that I could run with the big boys. This fight is a stepping-stone that will propel me to a fight with the big boys, but it won't make me feel that I can now fight with the big names, because I feel I already can. I don't think nothing of Peter, I have nothing to worry about except his power, and that's nothing. Every heavyweight has power, that's nothing.

 
BRC: How does it feel getting to fight on the main event of a big Showtime card?
 
SYKES: It's really big, we'll be the main event, and there are no other big fights that weekend. Not to mention, all of Brooklyn will be watching. So, I definitely got to show and prove my existence. If I want to stay comfortable back home, I got to come to fight. This fight is huge, it's the biggest fight of my career, and it's the biggest fight of his career. At the same time there's no pressure on me, all the pressure is on him. They figure that after me he'll be in line for a title shot, so the pressure's on him.

He's supposed to beat me, and everyone thinks he's gonna beat me. But, I think it's going to be the biggest upset in the heavyweight division this year. I don't think nothing of him, and I'm not scared of him. I've fought better guys, who can actually box, and set up punches. I've fought guys that I have had to outsmart, and guys who have tried to outsmart me. He don't do that, all he does is come to punch and that's it. I'm going to show them that you can't win a fight like that, you got to think in there, use strategy, it's like chess. I don't think nothing about him, Boxing's an art, and he don't respect that. I'm a slick crafty boxer, my knockout ratio is suspect, but it's all good. I didn't have no big amateur background like he did, I'm on the job learning. But, my determination makes up for that.

 
BRC: If you could change one thing about Boxing, inside or outside of the ring, what would it be?
 
SYKES: I think Boxing needs to get refs that have boxed before. A lot of times they get these old refs, who don't understand the struggles and pains that a fighter goes through. They don't understand how fighters train and get ready for a fight so diligently for so long. They need to understand what a fighter goes through, so they won't take a fight away from him because of politics or because the other guy is popular, or because so and so has a big fight lined up in the future.
 
I would like to thank Barbara Torres for making this interview possible.

6-28-2005

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