TRADING WITH DEMONS
I WAS convinced my kids were going to die if I didn’t do something… so I took a knife to my throat.” The call goes silent yet the tension remains. Former two-time British champion, Gary Sykes is clearly suffering but speaks candidly to Boxing News in an attempt to punch through the stigma of his mental health struggles.
Sykes’ bravery, honesty, and willingness to speak out are inspiring. Following his retirement in 2016, the Dewsbury fighter has attempted to slalom through life’s obstacles yet, at almost every turn, all that awaited was darkness. A familiar, inescapable, darkness.
That darkness is caused by bipolar disorder – more specifically, mania – and the 37-year-old details how it impacted his life more severely after the decision was made to hang up his gloves.
“After I retired from boxing everything started going wrong, to be honest with you,” he said. Sykes is affable and engaging, but the faint scar across his throat is a visible reminder of how serious this conversation would be.
“I lost my job and me and the missus split up; I left her with our nice house. I started drinking
