NEW British champion Gary Sykes reckons he will only improve by going full-time in boxing.

The 26-year-old card company worker, who is managed by Linthwaite-based Chris Aston and trained by Julian McGowan, is not planning to let go of the super-featherweight Lonsdale belt in a hurry.

"I need to polish up in the gym," said Sykes, who defeated Manchester’s Andy Morris on points at Huddersfield Sports Centre on Friday night.

"It was my workrate which carried me through when I would rather it be my skills, but I am going to go full-time and it will be a different me next time."

Sykes won in front of a vociferous home crowd and impressed a nationwide Sky TV audience, taking the title left vacant by Kevin Mitchell’s move to the higher weight division.

"It was a very tough fight," conceded Sykes.

"I thought I was going to take over in the middle rounds, but Andy started boxing me and using some really clever tactics.

"So I just had to grind it out for a really close decision."

Sykes paid tribute to his whole team while Morris promised to be back to take the Lonsdale belt from the Dewsbury fighter’s grasp.

Morris, known as the ‘Wythenshawe Warrior’ and a former British champion himself at featherweight, said: "Fair play to Gary, he got the decision and there’s nothing I can do about it now, but maybe we can get a re-match on.

"It was a close fight and coming out on the wrong end of the decision has certainly not dented my confidence.

"I’ve shown before I can come back stronger, I think the super-featherweight division is wide open for me and I’m pretty sure I can come back and challenge Gary again and take that belt off him."

Huddersfield’s Tyrone Nurse took his winning run to 12 fights with six-round points success over Sheffield’s Adam Kelly.

The 21-year-old showed his resolve by making light of being knocked down at the end of the second round of the light-welterweight contest.

"I felt that I managed to remain composed, despite being ‘dropped’ in my hometown," said Nurse.

"It adds to my experience and I felt that he was struggling to match me as the fight went on."

Middleweight Burt Warren also came away a victory as he beat Leeds fighter Gary McDermid – the contest being stopped after two and a half minutes of the second round.

"I have to be very happy with that," said Warren.

"While I think the referee may have called the fight too soon, I can now take a break and a week or so and then we will start working again and see what comes my way next."

Netherton lightweight Jason Thompson had his third draw in six fights as he met Rawmarsh’s Ray Doyle at the Doncaster Dome – referee Michael Alexander scoring the bout 38-38.