problem is a Police German Shepherd will not let go unless and until the handler gets him off. some people may react during this period due to the pain and act In desperation
Interesting comments regarding Gary's ability - had the privilege of training with him in the early 90's, at that stage i had 15 years experience in traditional and applied martial arts under my belt, and could easily spot b/s, and trust me when i say this man was very much the real deal - what doesn't come through in any of the online video's is how freakishly strong he was - not only forged through his martial arts practice, but being of maori descent had a naturally large & strong musculature, and he had been a butcher at some point, so lugging sides of beef around then chopping them up, his grip strength was immense. Several have described him as a thug, nothing could be further from the truth, he never started trouble, was polite and respectful to those that treated him accordingly, but if he was attacked, the thing that made him so different to most is he had absolutely no filter when it came to dishing out retribution, nothing was off limits, and he didn't stop until the job was done, no matter how much punishment he had taken - the only way to stop him was to knock him out or kill him. The only person anywhere near close has also been mentioned, Gary's good friend & training partner, Steve Morris, has similar skills & mentality, but I'd still give Gary the edge due to his size & strength. Can't comment about the Paul Sykes scenario, but thought I'd chuck my fourpennyworth in regarding the big man, RIP Digger, was a pleasure spending time with you.
I remember he worked at the le bank pub on the Wirral , he had size 15 feet so always wore flip flops 🩴, I remember a good friend of his called Richard Herbert who was also a fantastic martial artist 👍👍👍👍
@66lesjo goid question, well I'm 5 11, he was certainly a bit taller, so 6 foot plus, but it was his natural width & depth that shaped him, a good 18 - 20 stone, and strong as a bloody ox, but fast as well
Couldn't agree more.A loser and a bully just about sums Paul S up. Fuckin' hard bastard though before his health went down hill.The screws in Armley jail were petrified of him.😅
I used to go to Bkackpool regularly in the 80's as a young man. We were warned that there was new doormen on the door and not to fk about. Genuine change in the big pubs any trouble was quashed immediately so you coukd actually have a good night out. That must have been Spiers crew.
Having lived all my life in Blackpool and worked on the some of the main doors from 1986 onwards i can honestly say ive never heard these stories at all, i heard Sykes had been about briefly and ive never heard of this Gary character. Not saying these stories arnt true but they are news to me.
@ my old man knew Gary Spiers,he was active mostly in North Wales as far as I know,bit before my time. I’ll ask him about what happened in Blackpool. He also grew up with Delroy Showers,who was friends with Sykes, so I can get both sides. I think Gary would have flattened Sykes myself,but I’ll find out if it actually happened.
Paul Sykes is in that same category as Lenny McLean in that once they were dead there was all these stories coming out about how everyone and their momma beat them up in the street.
I knew Lenny. He was the softest speaking man you would ever meet and a gentle demeanour. He was a doorman at Camden Palace and at hippodrome in the 90s No one fucked with him and he never bullied anyone! He did kill a man by punching him outside the hippodrome and the man hit his head on the kerb and died. I think Len went away for manslaughter. Lenny really was the real deal and could do the business if he had to!
@mattysykes2121 Recently read Lenny's book, he claimed he slapped the man who was naked in a room then he ended up passing out and dying somewhere in an alleyway after getting into a struggle with cops. He never mentions any of his losses other than the loss to Roy Shaw but the book is more of an interview than an autobiography anrd interviewer didn't really ask too much.
@@kevthegoat8774 I don't remember that? But it was definitely in the papers that a bloke hit his head on the kerb after Len decked him? I have never heard a story about a naked bloke? Maybe I'll read the book
@@mattysykes2121 I remember reading an article stating the guy was running around in the club naked and scaring people and that's when Lenny claimed he took him in a room and gave him just a slap. Lenny does mention some club/prison fights as well as the story of biting the man's neck. He changes some names but I wish he went more into his unlicensed boxing career as there's no mention of fights with Cliff Field, Johnny Waldron or Kevin Paddock. He doesn't actually mention how he first started working on the doors too, he mentioned doing some minding for people but not the bouncing part.
i dont think theres many people around that time that would take on spires and survive i dont think sykes would have stopped spiers demolshing him as spiers was fast with brutal efficency end a fight with lethal moves
Has anyone from the Manchester area got any stories about Steve Powell? I trained in JKD with him for a few years, he had a great little gym near Afflex Palace and had many different styles of martial arts under his belt. He is still teaching today and was a kind and decent man when I knew him. Occasionally he would tell us some rum stories from his days on the doors and Id love to hear more. Another fella I had the pleasure to know personally in the last few years of his life was John Lawson who was a notorious figure for many years in Glasgow, Soho, Birkenhead and I believe Warrington before he repented of it all and became a brilliant Christian evangelist in prisons and thoroughly decent fella. He made a big impact on my life and I miss him very much. He wrote a book "If a wicked man" and appeared on the likes of the Shaun Attwood show. If anyone has any experience of either man from their street fighting days, good or bad, Id really appreciate hearing what you have to say pals. Great channel. Thanks Enquirer.
These stories are FKN EPIC!! much respect to your channel brother. I'm from nanaimo Canada on the west coast.. Done some prison time ..about 8 years and been in the streets my whole life. The town I grew up in was and IS a very rough place.. ALOT of fighting.. i been fighting since I was in grade 3.. And we got some.seriously tough fkn dudes.. Bikers..alota.bikers.. big HA chapter basically controls the town...but alotta just rough blue collar workin guys and other array of criminals and heavy hitters. Anyways LOVE hearing about the UK gangland and.street fighting culture and legends. Mannn that Gary spiers is a scary cnt isn't he?? Amazing.how fast he moves for a heavy set looking fella. Anyways really enjoying your videos. Excellent channel. Much respect 🙏🏻
Thankyou mate il visit Canada one day I'm interested in the gangland over there was reading some on the mafia n biker gangs. Glad you enjoy content much appreciated 🙏
Well researched mate!! Sykes had history of an Iron bar and the timeline you suggest make sense. If this was now there’d be some CCTV footage but unfortunately we’ll never truly know. Great video!!
Gary was a friend of my dad’s. He did a grading I attended. I’ve heard some stories about him. Being slashed by a Stanley blade protecting a woman. He took out a rugby team. Banging 2 peoples heads together in an altercation. A picture of him as a mercenary in the Borneo jungle.
Really decent put together content 👌 no matter what your personal opinion on the outcome of the tear up, it certainly makes for interesting viewing. Cheers Pal 🙏
I knew Gary and you would not mess with him and I believe that most of if not all the stories are true ........ he was a legend in he North West ........ A fantastic martial artist ....... Rest in peace big man .............
He wasn't Peter crouch but was definitely not small ........ He filled a doorway ........ A really nice guy .........hard as nails ........the North West was a hot bed of hard people and fighting and he had the utmost respect from the people there .........
Garry is drastically underrated cos he wasn't in the limelight unless you were in the martial arts community people watch him as a old man elbowing the heavybag and think he was being serious and judge him by that Garry would of probably beat Paul he was skilled in many different arts and had a head like a brick and was very violent and skilled which is deadly combo but Paul always stood a punches chance with anyone but once it was in grappling range he was like a fish out of water and would just bite but against a skilled grappler wouldn't make much difference
@@TrueFilter gary spiers fought gangs on his own loads of guys who worked with him witness him doing gangs in on his own some off the guys who worked with him are world champion fighters research gary spiers properly research gary spires before making silly comments
@@TrueFilter Erm no! Sykes fought in boxing under BOXING rules. I'm not doubting his boxing credentials or how easy it would be for him to chin a regular dude. But Gary was huge and used to taking on drunks who brawled or had boxing experience!
I first encountered Paul Sykes in Strangeways in 1983, and he was the scariest person I had ever seen, then and now. Sorry, but I find this story and many others on Sykes hard to believe. In fact, where is the evidence that it was Sykes who attacked Gary Spiers? There isn’t any. The only doorman in Blackpool I know who had run-ins with Sykes was Stevie St. Clair, and it was a case of everyone rushing him when he came in drunk. Maybe someone needs to contact him to see what he says and knows.
I'll bet no money went missing out of Cath's purse until that bully got out of jail. Imagine having that evil, nasty bully as your Dad. Those poor children having to put up with him. There should be a Government funded scheme to get the families away from people like him. I've heard that a couple of his kids are in jail for murder. What a surprise. Imagine the lives those kids could have had, .... If he had never got out of jail.
He fought like a coward, yet had more balls than you could ever wish to have. have you even ever stepped in a ring? He was getting pissed days before and rightfully so paid the price. People stay down, take the knee or turn their back. Its boxing lad
He was up against a man with phenomenal stamina. I think Sykes was used to battering people in a few seconds and so started to struggle as the match went on.
Nice to see Terry O’Neill, I went to a summer school at Lancaster University in the early 80’s, it was a Train with the champions Shotokan Karate course, Terry, Andy Sherry, Frank Brennan, Bob Poynton , Billy Higgins, couple of others I can’t remember, Terry was a total gentleman. He was a beast of a man, but great guy.
Frank Brennan i heard once that the Japanese karate team were trained to beat Frank only, such was the threat he posed ..that particular group you mentioned are considered Britain's best shotokan Karate generation we've ever had
@ Frank Brennan was great, he was like a gymnast with awesome Karate skills, or a highly skilled Karate practitioner with awesome gymnastic skills, he had it all.
Also there were some teenage students there , and they were unbelievable too, I think they were from Red Triangle in Liverpool, they obviously never got bullied at school, and hopefully their training wouldn’t make them school bullies, those kids were like lightning.
Spiers was black belt in kodokan judo also...So doesnt matter if long distance or short distance,he was deadly in every position and ofc he knew techniques what can finish your life very quick forever.So is like boxer/streetfighter Sykes vs total deadly machine Spiers
Fantastic work, really enjoyable 👍 Only my opinion, but I don’t doubt there was an incident that played out pretty much as you describe involving Gary Spiers. The only question surrounds the identity of the man wielding the iron bar - it absolutely could’ve been Sykes but also could’ve been someone else. I guess we’ll never know but agree that it’s plausible. Keep up the good work 👍
Interesting one I’d have to favour spires but Paul would of had a punchers chance when I think about it I don’t think there’s many if any that would of done spires in his prime maybe someone like Terry o Neil but I personally think Gary was more violent than Terry an that would give spires the edge on the street over other top martial fighters I think he was the gamest aswell as skilled
The one person I can think of who may have had a chance against Spiers is Steve Morris. Terry O'Neill could probably give you an opinion, as he knew both of them very well.
Believe me Paul Sykes was an animal in a street fight. He had the speed, strength and ferocity of a caged animal. Theres no way spiers would have stood a chance against an ex pro athlete like sykes. Dont forget spiers was an overweight diabetic who loved to talk the talk but very rarely walked the walk.
Sykes was terrifying. A genuine high level heavyweight. 99.9% of the population wouldn't have lasted 10 seconds against him. I always say its like having a swimming race against a champion swimmer. You're going to lose. Fighting guys like Sykes and Spiers is a no go. It's like shooting fish to them.
You get the Sykes hero worshipers making excuses next he was drunk or he was past his best or it was a draw how can a fight be a draw if they both ran of they bottled it Garry won end of how people go on people make Sykes out to be this unbeatble force cos he was a boxer boxing is effectively but on the streets there is many different ways to win not just punching Garry Spiers was trained in different styles of martial arts plus he was a grappler and he think nothing of using any technique to get the job done biting headbutting eye gouging all the good stuff if you go into a fight in the streets there's no Queensbury rules when your life is on the line specifically when someone is trying to kill you
Ey up ben it's the blind guy I got my sight back a few months ago and ended up getting a bit drunk and got my self put in hull jail but I'm back out and are catching up on your vids they are all quality as usual
Spiers is quite unique, though many hardmen have been involved with boxing and martial arts few have had the cross over appeal that Spiers did, he was a fantastic martial artist and is still respected in those circles
Richard Dunn was the polar opposite of Paul Sykes. A true gentleman. He knocked out Cliff Fields the man who beat Lenny McLean in two rounds. He'd have made short work of Sykes.
@vordman I don't doubt that Dunn would have done Sykes or Fields even out the ring. He didn't actually knock Fields out though he beat him on stoppage due to cuts.
I knew Paul very well back in the day and talked over many subjects late into the night at Spartans sauna and bath house in Huddersfield.He was rough and tough but not a lot people know of his love for Lepidoptersim , the collecting of rare moths and butterfly’s.A hard case with a love for Red admirals, cabbage whites and brown winged polly clotts
Sykes would not have been allowed into a country like Singapore and would unlikely have had the funds, think how expensive it was to fly even to Spain back then..
I met both of these guys, I was working the doors in Blackpool in the 80s, I was young, fit fast & accurate, & I hit like a Train apparently, being 5'8 wasn't a problem, I had met Paul Sykes long before, he was the Scariest person I had ever met, even though I'm from a certain family, who were well into the criminal underbelly, Everybody knew us, & we knew everyone, he always put me on edge, which wasn't something I was used too, but he was that "Ticking Time Bomb, it Wasn't IF he was going to go off, it was Always When. Micksy's mum lived around the corner, (everybody did, the locals called it The Village, that's why they built the police station there), she was a pistol, a tiny little Irish woman that took No shit from anyone, Micksy was a handy guy but his brother Alfy was the one to watch, he could get in a fight in an empty house & enjoy it, & Pat Mehan was Micksy's Hammer,, he was as big as a Big house, & much harder to Knockdown, a nicer bloke you could Never meet unless you owed them money, he was all business, Micksy Never threw the Krays out of Blackpool, he was the reason they came here, it was the 60+ Coppers waiting for them at Central Station who did that, they were made to feel Very unwelcome, they didn't even let them off the train. Gary Spiers was most definitely here, I was working Roumours, & he came up looking like a bag of washing, so I told him "NO, fukc off, tidy yourself up, & then I might let you in", as he was about to answer my boss came over & told me who he was, I had know idea, & he comes in when he pleases, GS was really nice about it, he gave me his card & said "Come down & have a go, on the house, or something like that, I was big into Wu Shu working with Master Matt Chamberlain, he was a True Gisntkiller, but I never managed to get them, definitely one of my regrets, I'm a believer in the more arts you know, the more you can pick & choose the moves that suit you, I read about him years later in the GQ mag, one of the Top 5 best fighters on the planet, I had the good fortune to meet 2 of the others & see another one perform, Royce Gracy, Master Sken & a Budest monk whos name evades me. Paul Sykes was in the North West in 85, he caused a fight in a pub in Lytham St Annes, they never pressed charges because the guy he was with paid for all the damage, it's less than 10 miles down the road & one of my brothers was supposed to meet up with him but he never showed, that Wasn't anything unusual, he tended to stay if the ale was flowing. I wasn't surprised to hear he raped guys in jail, he had that thing about him.
Hi Ben hope ur keeping well pal I honestly have to give u credit ur research just keeps getting better as is ur uploads I enjoyed this video and the back story to it, to be honest I would respect spiers wayyy more than sykes sykes himself portrayed himself as a hard man,a hard man in my book is a man of a similar caliber to the likes of Matt legg I've no respect for a man who uses a knife or any kind of weapon,I know there's no rule book on street or prison fights I've experienced both,but nah sykes doesn't get my vote,however u certainly get my vote ben as always best wishes regards Jay 👍
The fight game in the early years was a total different game! In a boxing match it would be 15 rounds of sheer brutality. I'd best describe it as kill or be killed.
He apparently injured a Police dog if true the dog must of been green, then at the end that bloke said that he killed a Police dog. Cant believe anything
I think its a totally made up story .waznt paul sykes .Sykes sober would have been a very dangerous man against speirs. Pro boxers against doormen is a different leagues .
@@allangreenley9901 do you think the opposition doesn't have power? Did you listen to the video? Began with judo, self defence. Lol. Not saying a boxer cant knock out a MMA fighter if he lands, but it would be very difficult
@@Marajuana1 depends who the boxer is some boxers are great street fighters other less so same with martial arts fighters you can get gym tigers who carnt do it on the street
Good podcast you did your homework. I hope that bully sykes did get a crack for betraying his class and doing that to a union man, disgusting. As for nobody frightening im that guy from leeds terry Mitchell didnt do a bad job and apparently when he was put temporarily in a real mental case prison he kept his mouth well shut. As for him running off that sounds about right after what he did in the ring when he fought john l Gardner.
If you knew the door scene in 80's Liverpool you'd know that Spiers was legendary. In a different league than all the Lenny Mccleans etc he was world class. . Sykes would have been a hell of a fight but I doubt it happened.
My Aikido teacher was from an applied karate background and brought that mindset to aiki. What we practiced wasn't pretty or flowing. It was brutal and direct He had been a hired heavy in his youth as well. Shame he turned in to a big auld racist bawbag.. Cheers, KjM
Good Interesting video this. There’s some big hitters named in this one. Two of them I remember from My days of buying Combat Magazine in the Mid 1980s. They were both featured in it regularly, Alfie Lewis & Gary Spiers. Two street fighting, Martial Arts Legends. Why was I buying ‘’Combat’’ Magazine………alongside a Pal, we trained under George Wellington, Yorkshire Kick-Boxing Association In Wakefield at Unity House several nights a week. At 17 years old I saw the odd time, a very pissed up Paul Sykes in Wakey near the bus station. A deeply unpleasant Man, bullying, demanding & getting free drinks, taxi fares etc. it’s probably where my hatred of bully’s comes from when I got older 😂 One of the nights we trained was a Friday night. The sights you’d see around Wakey those days when we left Unity House late on. It was just off the main drinking Street. There was another name who appeared in Combat Magazine, enquirer, Kevin Pell, another fighting Legend, still going strong with his own teaching organisation. I didn’t know him at the time of the Magazine but he’s a Mate of mine now. I’d put him up there with the other three names mentioned. The most friendly, gentle and at the same time most lethal dangerous Man I’ve ever met. Top Man is Kev. It’s not too hard to imagine Sykes in Blackpool to be honest. People from our area did tend to frequent the place and seemed to be drawn to it lol. I used to go with my pals from football (Leeds) every Easter & August Bank Holiday weekends, from mid 80’s onwards for years and years, loved it.
Alfie Lewis now that’s a blast from the past met him early 90s on the martial arts circuit absolute legend and as you said always in the combat magazine
Thanks for this post. Any so called hard man taking out rage on any animal is just a knobhead.
so harming a dog is bad forget harming people
problem is a Police German Shepherd will not let go unless and until the handler gets him off. some people may react during this period due to the pain and act In desperation
love the fact your digging into blackpools underworld .. need more of these
Plenty of sh*t in the sea at Blackpool. Not sh*t-infested, but the locals don't go paddling.
@@yacsem haha, best comment.
Why when i go to skegness the water is brown for like 30 metres? You have to go miles out until it clears and goes back to blue. Its foul.
👍💯💩💩💩
😂😂😂😂made me chuckle
Thanks for uploading this. By far the best documentary channel on the U.K. Underground , martial arts and doorman industry.
Thankyou mate much appreciated
Interesting comments regarding Gary's ability - had the privilege of training with him in the early 90's, at that stage i had 15 years experience in traditional and applied martial arts under my belt, and could easily spot b/s, and trust me when i say this man was very much the real deal - what doesn't come through in any of the online video's is how freakishly strong he was - not only forged through his martial arts practice, but being of maori descent had a naturally large & strong musculature, and he had been a butcher at some point, so lugging sides of beef around then chopping them up, his grip strength was immense. Several have described him as a thug, nothing could be further from the truth, he never started trouble, was polite and respectful to those that treated him accordingly, but if he was attacked, the thing that made him so different to most is he had absolutely no filter when it came to dishing out retribution, nothing was off limits, and he didn't stop until the job was done, no matter how much punishment he had taken - the only way to stop him was to knock him out or kill him. The only person anywhere near close has also been mentioned, Gary's good friend & training partner, Steve Morris, has similar skills & mentality, but I'd still give Gary the edge due to his size & strength. Can't comment about the Paul Sykes scenario, but thought I'd chuck my fourpennyworth in regarding the big man, RIP Digger, was a pleasure spending time with you.
Great comment and insight thankyou 👍
@@enquirer2.0Should do a vid on Steve Morris - interesting character.
Edit: my bad. You did a video on Steve about 7 months back. Good job as well.
I remember he worked at the le bank pub on the Wirral , he had size 15 feet so always wore flip flops 🩴, I remember a good friend of his called Richard Herbert who was also a fantastic martial artist 👍👍👍👍
A really interesting comment, could you tell me how tall was Gary please.
@66lesjo goid question, well I'm 5 11, he was certainly a bit taller, so 6 foot plus, but it was his natural width & depth that shaped him, a good 18 - 20 stone, and strong as a bloody ox, but fast as well
Sykes was a loser bully, the worst kind as they prey on everyday people
Couldn't agree more.A loser and a bully just about sums Paul S up.
Fuckin' hard bastard though before his health went down hill.The screws in Armley jail were petrified of him.😅
and bummed helpless lads horrible bastard same as his kids vile vile murderer bullys
Gary was the opposite ..........
Gary was he opposite......
How do you know knob 😂😂
Gary was genuinely a really nice fella, i went to a few of his classes when i was a kid.
I used to go to Bkackpool regularly in the 80's as a young man.
We were warned that there was new doormen on the door and not to fk about.
Genuine change in the big pubs any trouble was quashed immediately so you coukd actually have a good night out.
That must have been Spiers crew.
How did you put the TH-cam phrase search link in your comment?
and steve sinclair
What he did to that dog :( Cnut.
Having lived all my life in Blackpool and worked on the some of the main doors from 1986 onwards i can honestly say ive never heard these stories at all, i heard Sykes had been about briefly and ive never heard of this Gary character. Not saying these stories arnt true but they are news to me.
He trained Alfie Lewis,the Devil Stephen French….he is a legend mate,for that time.
@watttylerthesecond7056 not saying he was a nobody just never heard of him or these stories.
@ my old man knew Gary Spiers,he was active mostly in North Wales as far as I know,bit before my time. I’ll ask him about what happened in Blackpool. He also grew up with Delroy Showers,who was friends with Sykes, so I can get both sides. I think Gary would have flattened Sykes myself,but I’ll find out if it actually happened.
Paul Sykes is in that same category as Lenny McLean in that once they were dead there was all these stories coming out about how everyone and their momma beat them up in the street.
I knew Lenny. He was the softest speaking man you would ever meet and a gentle demeanour.
He was a doorman at Camden Palace and at hippodrome in the 90s
No one fucked with him and he never bullied anyone!
He did kill a man by punching him outside the hippodrome and the man hit his head on the kerb and died.
I think Len went away for manslaughter.
Lenny really was the real deal and could do the business if he had to!
@mattysykes2121 Recently read Lenny's book, he claimed he slapped the man who was naked in a room then he ended up passing out and dying somewhere in an alleyway after getting into a struggle with cops. He never mentions any of his losses other than the loss to Roy Shaw but the book is more of an interview than an autobiography anrd interviewer didn't really ask too much.
@@kevthegoat8774 I don't remember that? But it was definitely in the papers that a bloke hit his head on the kerb after Len decked him? I have never heard a story about a naked bloke?
Maybe I'll read the book
@@mattysykes2121 I remember reading an article stating the guy was running around in the club naked and scaring people and that's when Lenny claimed he took him in a room and gave him just a slap. Lenny does mention some club/prison fights as well as the story of biting the man's neck. He changes some names but I wish he went more into his unlicensed boxing career as there's no mention of fights with Cliff Field, Johnny Waldron or Kevin Paddock. He doesn't actually mention how he first started working on the doors too, he mentioned doing some minding for people but not the bouncing part.
Paul Sykes was a hard man and they come out of the woodwork when he died most liars
Great content and well researched as always Ben, everybody has an opinion and thats why we follow and the views are awesome mate, respect 🙏
Who cares about a bully who raped other inmates….total waste man ..he should never be portrayed as some sort of hero or hard man ..he was a gay rapist
No, he was a heterosexual man, who analy raped young men in prison to satisfy his desires. A beast.
Word ! Absolute nonce
He shit himself when a 17 year old Lee Duffy shouted out come on rape me y nonce
@craigmartin2310 He (Sykes) was just a bully
Is there any documented facts about your statement, ive never heard those things said about him before?
"Two sausage like fingers had pierced into his eyeballs" thats classic lad 😂😂
And they weren't chipollatas 🌭🌭
Many people fight very well in spite of "traditional martial arts".
Quality work as usual mate..... keep on smashing it out the park and watch your channel grow
What a sook!
..thankyou for the upload massive respect 👌...am 48 born in 1977 i still find uploads like this educating yeps great vid 😎👌🤟✌
Thankyou for watching glad you enjoyed! I was born around that time also
i dont think theres many people around that time that would take on spires and survive i dont think sykes would have stopped spiers demolshing him as spiers was fast with brutal efficency
end a fight with lethal moves
Spiers was an overweight diabetic. If sykes had hit him with an iron bar believe me he would have done spiers some serious damage.
Lethal moves against who tho,in the streets anyone can beat anyone and thats that,Getting beat you learn and become a better fighter for it
Has anyone from the Manchester area got any stories about Steve Powell? I trained in JKD with him for a few years, he had a great little gym near Afflex Palace and had many different styles of martial arts under his belt. He is still teaching today and was a kind and decent man when I knew him.
Occasionally he would tell us some rum stories from his days on the doors and Id love to hear more.
Another fella I had the pleasure to know personally in the last few years of his life was John Lawson who was a notorious figure for many years in Glasgow, Soho, Birkenhead and I believe Warrington before he repented of it all and became a brilliant Christian evangelist in prisons and thoroughly decent fella. He made a big impact on my life and I miss him very much. He wrote a book "If a wicked man" and appeared on the likes of the Shaun Attwood show.
If anyone has any experience of either man from their street fighting days, good or bad, Id really appreciate hearing what you have to say pals.
Great channel. Thanks Enquirer.
These stories are FKN EPIC!! much respect to your channel brother. I'm from nanaimo Canada on the west coast..
Done some prison time ..about 8 years and been in the streets my whole life.
The town I grew up in was and IS a very rough place.. ALOT of fighting.. i been fighting since I was in grade 3..
And we got some.seriously tough fkn dudes..
Bikers..alota.bikers.. big HA chapter basically controls the town...but alotta just rough blue collar workin guys and other array of criminals and heavy hitters.
Anyways LOVE hearing about the UK gangland and.street fighting culture and legends.
Mannn that Gary spiers is a scary cnt isn't he??
Amazing.how fast he moves for a heavy set looking fella.
Anyways really enjoying your videos. Excellent channel.
Much respect 🙏🏻
Thankyou mate il visit Canada one day I'm interested in the gangland over there was reading some on the mafia n biker gangs. Glad you enjoy content much appreciated 🙏
Loving this one Ben top content as per
Photo at 3:40 is Spiers , Steve Morris and Gōgen Yamaguchi in Japan , when Spiers and Morris were training in Goju Ryu karate .
Well researched mate!! Sykes had history of an Iron bar and the timeline you suggest make sense. If this was now there’d be some CCTV footage but unfortunately we’ll never truly know. Great video!!
Thankyou mate
Gary was a friend of my dad’s. He did a grading I attended. I’ve heard some stories about him. Being slashed by a Stanley blade protecting a woman. He took out a rugby team. Banging 2 peoples heads together in an altercation. A picture of him as a mercenary in the Borneo jungle.
@@NinjaRamos2607 some people watch too many action movies.
Taking out a rugby team 😂 not a chance
Really decent put together content 👌 no matter what your personal opinion on the outcome of the tear up, it certainly makes for interesting viewing. Cheers Pal 🙏
They keep quiet Sykes used to beat up young prisoners then rape them,so could be a vicous cowardly molester.
Another banger 🔥 👌
I knew Gary and you would not mess with him and I believe that most of if not all the stories are true ........ he was a legend in he North West ........ A fantastic martial artist ....... Rest in peace big man .............
Was he towering in stature? Looks small and dumpy
He wasn't Peter crouch but was definitely not small ........ He filled a doorway ........ A really nice guy .........hard as nails ........the North West was a hot bed of hard people and fighting and he had the utmost respect from the people there .........
What happened to him?
@@mci6830heartattack brought on by pancreatise
@@davidmckay2386interesting character/ life.
Love your content mate keep it coming
Thankyou mate
Garry is drastically underrated cos he wasn't in the limelight unless you were in the martial arts community people watch him as a old man elbowing the heavybag and think he was being serious and judge him by that Garry would of probably beat Paul he was skilled in many different arts and had a head like a brick and was very violent and skilled which is deadly combo but Paul always stood a punches chance with anyone but once it was in grappling range he was like a fish out of water and would just bite but against a skilled grappler wouldn't make much difference
People who train other martial arts know exactly what a boxer is going to do.
Sykes competed and proven fighter. Spears made dodgy videos and punched drunk kids.
@@TrueFilter gary spiers fought gangs on his own loads of guys who worked with him witness him doing gangs in on his own some off the guys who worked with him are world champion fighters research gary spiers properly research gary spires before making silly comments
@@TrueFilter Erm no! Sykes fought in boxing under BOXING rules. I'm not doubting his boxing credentials or how easy it would be for him to chin a regular dude. But Gary was huge and used to taking on drunks who brawled or had boxing experience!
@Hill-56
I make you right there.
Did you get your wages Paul , did you get your wages
I and I had a few swims in the old Mediterranean
I first encountered Paul Sykes in Strangeways in 1983, and he was the scariest person I had ever seen, then and now. Sorry, but I find this story and many others on Sykes hard to believe. In fact, where is the evidence that it was Sykes who attacked Gary Spiers? There isn’t any. The only doorman in Blackpool I know who had run-ins with Sykes was Stevie St. Clair, and it was a case of everyone rushing him when he came in drunk. Maybe someone needs to contact him to see what he says and knows.
@@joeowenstalkingsense4439 I'll buy that for a dollar lad 👏👏
Spiers gave him a proper hiding, and not a 16-year-old hiding.
Cath's purse 😂
I'll bet no money went missing out of Cath's purse until that bully got out of jail. Imagine having that evil, nasty bully as your Dad. Those poor children having to put up with him. There should be a Government funded scheme to get the families away from people like him. I've heard that a couple of his kids are in jail for murder.
What a surprise. Imagine the lives those kids could have had, .... If he had never got out of jail.
Knobhead 😂😂
@TheGAZGUN maybe they should have learned from dad's mistakes
What a great documentary..brilliant narrative 10/10
If he wasn't this geezer would have been more than capable!!
Great content once again mate 🏆
Thankyou Pat Hope Yr well mate
I've never clicked on a channel so quickly. Thank you for your video enquirer..
Thankyou mate very kind
I was really surprised that Sykes fought like a coward in his championship opportunity, as soon as it wasn't going his way he jacked
He was on the piss in Wakey few days bore the john l gardner fight
He fought like a coward, yet had more balls than you could ever wish to have. have you even ever stepped in a ring? He was getting pissed days before and rightfully so paid the price. People stay down, take the knee or turn their back. Its boxing lad
He was up against a man with phenomenal stamina. I think Sykes was used to battering people in a few seconds and so started to struggle as the match went on.
If Sykes had more discipline he could done much better. But he was an alcoholic and lived on a prison diet most his life. His ending was grim!
Paul only had about 8 pro bouts before he fought for the british title which was not enough.
There was a lad called singhy or swampy sometimes who ran Blackpool in 80 and 90s but I can never find any videos about him
Nice to see Terry O’Neill, I went to a summer school at Lancaster University in the early 80’s, it was a Train with the champions Shotokan Karate course, Terry, Andy Sherry, Frank Brennan, Bob Poynton , Billy Higgins, couple of others I can’t remember, Terry was a total gentleman. He was a beast of a man, but great guy.
Frank Brennan i heard once that the Japanese karate team were trained to beat Frank only, such was the threat he posed ..that particular group you mentioned are considered Britain's best shotokan Karate generation we've ever had
@ Frank Brennan was great, he was like a gymnast with awesome Karate skills, or a highly skilled Karate practitioner with awesome gymnastic skills, he had it all.
He was only young when I went to the summer school, but he was awesome.
Also there were some teenage students there , and they were unbelievable too, I think they were from Red Triangle in Liverpool, they obviously never got bullied at school, and hopefully their training wouldn’t make them school bullies, those kids were like lightning.
Conference Pears in Tesco are really good. Posted 09/11/2024 @00:30
Spiers was black belt in kodokan judo also...So doesnt matter if long distance or short distance,he was deadly in every position and ofc he knew techniques what can finish your life very quick forever.So is like boxer/streetfighter Sykes vs total deadly machine Spiers
What techniques was they mate? Ancient ones you only learn in the oriental mountains from a blind monk in a hidden monastery.
Young kids nowadays have black belts in martial arts.
@@johnbrooke9948 Young kids doesnt have experiences like he had
Fantastic work, really enjoyable 👍
Only my opinion, but I don’t doubt there was an incident that played out pretty much as you describe involving Gary Spiers. The only question surrounds the identity of the man wielding the iron bar - it absolutely could’ve been Sykes but also could’ve been someone else. I guess we’ll never know but agree that it’s plausible.
Keep up the good work 👍
Thankyou mate yes it's up for debate but definitely plausible
Interesting one I’d have to favour spires but Paul would of had a punchers chance when I think about it I don’t think there’s many if any that would of done spires in his prime maybe someone like Terry o Neil but I personally think Gary was more violent than Terry an that would give spires the edge on the street over other top martial fighters I think he was the gamest aswell as skilled
I tend to agree good comment
The one person I can think of who may have had a chance against Spiers is Steve Morris. Terry O'Neill could probably give you an opinion, as he knew both of them very well.
Believe me Paul Sykes was an animal in a street fight. He had the speed, strength and ferocity of a caged animal. Theres no way spiers would have stood a chance against an ex pro athlete like sykes. Dont forget spiers was an overweight diabetic who loved to talk the talk but very rarely walked the walk.
Sykes was terrifying. A genuine high level heavyweight. 99.9% of the population wouldn't have lasted 10 seconds against him.
I always say its like having a swimming race against a champion swimmer. You're going to lose. Fighting guys like Sykes and Spiers is a no go. It's like shooting fish to them.
He was hard but come on mate there's over 6 or 7 million people on earth 🌎
Sorry back then now there's over 8 billion 😉
@@leenettywilson528 When taking in percentage it matters not on the numbers involved.
Was he even ranked in the Top 20 here , as a boxer ? A good top 5 light heavy would have sparked him in two rounds .
@@JohnMarkss yeah Ur right there pal,🙏😉
Sykes never said his pumps had been on Blackpool soil in that period he was out of prison 🤔
Not gonna grass himself up tho is he?
Nobody boasts about going to Blackpool!
Sykes pumps regularly lined up behind terriffied naked YP's, sick b@stard.
Nice one enquirer,, again 👌👏👏
Thankyou Appreciate the support 🙏
Remember meeting gary in terry oneils dojo in mid 80s nice guy if u never upset him terry was on parr with gary 2 tornados
You get the Sykes hero worshipers making excuses next he was drunk or he was past his best or it was a draw how can a fight be a draw if they both ran of they bottled it Garry won end of how people go on people make Sykes out to be this unbeatble force cos he was a boxer boxing is effectively but on the streets there is many different ways to win not just punching Garry Spiers was trained in different styles of martial arts plus he was a grappler and he think nothing of using any technique to get the job done biting headbutting eye gouging all the good stuff if you go into a fight in the streets there's no Queensbury rules when your life is on the line specifically when someone is trying to kill you
Ey up ben it's the blind guy I got my sight back a few months ago and ended up getting a bit drunk and got my self put in hull jail but I'm back out and are catching up on your vids they are all quality as usual
Great episode :-)
Thank you mate
Gary was one of the hardest man in thr country, Sykes would not stand a chance with him, seen him in action
How many so called hardest men in the country did Gary actually fight?
Spiers knocked all the glue fumes out of him…
Very interesting thnx 4 sharing,
My money on the Kiwi all day long. A Maori tank like Spiers would have wrecked Sykes in any circumstances.
@@c.glivingstone9832 if Gary had got in the boxing ring with sykes i would have given Gary half a round, if that.
There is an interesting bonus story at the end of the vid regarding Sykes and Mixie Walsh
Another banger 🔥
Great stuff as always dude.keep up the great work fella,best wishes to you and yours man
People were safe in clubs run by Gary and Terry O’Neil but if the bullies were out they were literally asleep
He was battered by many people, a few rugby league players flattened him over the years, especially when Trinty were on the piss.
Who Spiers or sykes?
@@markhamer7220 would not be spiers....
@@mwb65wlm77why not? If professional boxers can get knocked out why cant a karate guy? 😂
@@ExecutionerHopkins trust me he wasnt JUST a karate guy..do some research
@@markhamer7220 Sykes, Trinity are wakefields rugby league side
Spiers is quite unique, though many hardmen have been involved with boxing and martial arts few have had the cross over appeal that Spiers did, he was a fantastic martial artist and is still respected in those circles
I didn't know this but Richard Dunn actually worked as a bouncer in the 80's too
Richard Dunn was the polar opposite of Paul Sykes. A true gentleman. He knocked out Cliff Fields the man who beat Lenny McLean in two rounds. He'd have made short work of Sykes.
@vordman I don't doubt that Dunn would have done Sykes or Fields even out the ring. He didn't actually knock Fields out though he beat him on stoppage due to cuts.
@@kevthegoat8774 Okay, fair enough. Didn't know that. Thanks for the info.
Pissing on bus shelters and sleeping rough and rummaging thru bins how the mighty had fallen from grace
Absolutely no need for the "assaaaarrrhhhh" sound effect on the broken leg part haaha, so random for this channel 😂😂
👍👍👍👍👍 always worth a watch.
I knew Paul very well back in the day and talked over many subjects late into the night at Spartans sauna and bath house in Huddersfield.He was rough and tough but not a lot people know of his love for Lepidoptersim , the collecting of rare moths and butterfly’s.A hard case with a love for Red admirals, cabbage whites and brown winged polly clotts
How can it be true when Spiers own account of the attack described a man who was small in stature, Sykes was a 6ft 3 heavy weight boxer.
Sykes would not have been allowed into a country like Singapore and would unlikely have had the funds, think how expensive it was to fly even to Spain back then..
I met both of these guys, I was working the doors in Blackpool in the 80s, I was young, fit fast & accurate, & I hit like a Train apparently, being 5'8 wasn't a problem, I had met Paul Sykes long before, he was the Scariest person I had ever met, even though I'm from a certain family, who were well into the criminal underbelly, Everybody knew us, & we knew everyone, he always put me on edge, which wasn't something I was used too, but he was that "Ticking Time Bomb, it Wasn't IF he was going to go off, it was Always When.
Micksy's mum lived around the corner, (everybody did, the locals called it The Village, that's why they built the police station there), she was a pistol, a tiny little Irish woman that took No shit from anyone, Micksy was a handy guy but his brother Alfy was the one to watch, he could get in a fight in an empty house & enjoy it, & Pat Mehan was Micksy's Hammer,, he was as big as a Big house, & much harder to Knockdown, a nicer bloke you could Never meet unless you owed them money, he was all business, Micksy Never threw the Krays out of Blackpool, he was the reason they came here, it was the 60+ Coppers waiting for them at Central Station who did that, they were made to feel Very unwelcome, they didn't even let them off the train.
Gary Spiers was most definitely here, I was working Roumours, & he came up looking like a bag of washing, so I told him "NO, fukc off, tidy yourself up, & then I might let you in", as he was about to answer my boss came over & told me who he was, I had know idea, & he comes in when he pleases, GS was really nice about it, he gave me his card & said "Come down & have a go, on the house, or something like that, I was big into Wu Shu working with Master Matt Chamberlain, he was a True Gisntkiller, but I never managed to get them, definitely one of my regrets, I'm a believer in the more arts you know, the more you can pick & choose the moves that suit you, I read about him years later in the GQ mag, one of the Top 5 best fighters on the planet, I had the good fortune to meet 2 of the others & see another one perform, Royce Gracy, Master Sken & a Budest monk whos name evades me.
Paul Sykes was in the North West in 85, he caused a fight in a pub in Lytham St Annes, they never pressed charges because the guy he was with paid for all the damage, it's less than 10 miles down the road & one of my brothers was supposed to meet up with him but he never showed, that Wasn't anything unusual, he tended to stay if the ale was flowing.
I wasn't surprised to hear he raped guys in jail, he had that thing about him.
Apparently those pumps had their own travel series
Another one to beat him ...did he ever win a fight?...so much bollocks spoken about sykes its embarrassing
There was a Maori comedian who worked in Blackpool around that time, he must have been a mate of Spiers.
Hi Ben hope ur keeping well pal I honestly have to give u credit ur research just keeps getting better as is ur uploads I enjoyed this video and the back story to it, to be honest I would respect spiers wayyy more than sykes sykes himself portrayed himself as a hard man,a hard man in my book is a man of a similar caliber to the likes of Matt legg I've no respect for a man who uses a knife or any kind of weapon,I know there's no rule book on street or prison fights I've experienced both,but nah sykes doesn't get my vote,however u certainly get my vote ben as always best wishes regards Jay 👍
Thankyou Jay top man
@enquirer2.0 hopefully c ya soon pal 👍
matt legg is a great guy proper
@pauljones8218 totally agree with u
The fight game in the early years was a total different game!
In a boxing match it would be 15 rounds of sheer brutality.
I'd best describe it as kill or be killed.
Another good one mate and the potters doing okay too, can't be a bad week.
Directed by Quentin Inventino 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Very creative well done
what a class shout , very good
Spiers would have annihilated Sykes , very few would have beaten spiers .
Long time subscriber, another great piece of content, ignore the haters, respect from 🇮🇪..
Here have a sook of the week medal
There is some lovely people in this world..
He apparently injured a Police dog if true the dog must of been green, then at the end that bloke said that he killed a Police dog.
Cant believe anything
Did Gary ever do the door at Mr Smiths in Warrington
I think its a totally made up story .waznt paul sykes .Sykes sober would have been a very dangerous man against speirs. Pro boxers against doormen is a different leagues .
Boxers dont stand a chance with MMA fighters. Lol.
@stuartdonald7478 .once the boxer connections hit its game over before the mma fighter can get started
@@allangreenley9901 do you think the opposition doesn't have power? Did you listen to the video? Began with judo, self defence. Lol. Not saying a boxer cant knock out a MMA fighter if he lands, but it would be very difficult
Spiers was more than capable of dealing with criminals,
@@Marajuana1 depends who the boxer is some boxers are great street fighters other less so same with martial arts fighters you can get gym tigers who carnt do it on the street
Good podcast you did your homework. I hope that bully sykes did get a crack for betraying his class and doing that to a union man, disgusting. As for nobody frightening im that guy from leeds terry Mitchell didnt do a bad job and apparently when he was put temporarily in a real mental case prison he kept his mouth well shut. As for him running off that sounds about right after what he did in the ring when he fought john l Gardner.
They all meet their maker in the end.. justice is served
It amazes me there was one woman out there willing to marry a piece of work like Sykes.
Have you seen the documentary. The poor cow was terrified of him.
It’s… SHARKS!
great one this ben gary spiers was a legend
If its any help i was in durham with im in 1984 only meet im in reception had a bad name for been a nince
Did gary ever confirm it was Sykes will never know if not
Paul Sykes wouldn’t have last 30 seconds with Gary.
I remember Sykes’s last years in Wakefield in the early 2000’s…he was a vagrant, sleeping on benches and wandering around talking to himself.
As usual, the comments are full of people who knew these guys, or knew their uncle's sister or some other bullshit.
Dennis Martin though. What a man he is.
cool that' my friend bill was a very good friend of gary ' 100% kiling machine
If you knew the door scene in 80's Liverpool you'd know that Spiers was legendary. In a different league than all the Lenny Mccleans etc he was world class. . Sykes would have been a hell of a fight but I doubt it happened.
No need to put his boot on the other guys mouth.
My Aikido teacher was from an applied karate background and brought that mindset to aiki. What we practiced wasn't pretty or flowing. It was brutal and direct
He had been a hired heavy in his youth as well. Shame he turned in to a big auld racist bawbag..
Cheers, KjM
Lets face it, according to youtube pundits, everyone has done everyone.
I myself 'did' Mike Tyson once, that's why you'll never see him round my way.
Good Interesting video this.
There’s some big hitters named in this one.
Two of them I remember from My days of buying Combat Magazine in the Mid 1980s. They were both featured in it regularly, Alfie Lewis & Gary Spiers. Two street fighting, Martial Arts Legends.
Why was I buying ‘’Combat’’ Magazine………alongside a Pal, we trained under George Wellington, Yorkshire Kick-Boxing Association In Wakefield at Unity House several nights a week. At 17 years old I saw the odd time, a very pissed up Paul Sykes in Wakey near the bus station. A deeply unpleasant Man, bullying, demanding & getting free drinks, taxi fares etc.
it’s probably where my hatred of bully’s comes from when I got older 😂
One of the nights we trained was a Friday night. The sights you’d see around Wakey those days when we left Unity House late on. It was just off the main drinking Street.
There was another name who appeared in Combat Magazine, enquirer, Kevin Pell, another fighting Legend, still going strong with his own teaching organisation. I didn’t know him at the time of the Magazine but he’s a Mate of mine now. I’d put him up there with the other three names mentioned. The most friendly, gentle and at the same time most lethal dangerous Man I’ve ever met. Top Man is Kev.
It’s not too hard to imagine Sykes in Blackpool to be honest. People from our area did tend to frequent the place and seemed to be drawn to it lol. I used to go with my pals from football (Leeds) every Easter & August Bank Holiday weekends, from mid 80’s onwards for years and years, loved it.
The name Kevin Pell rings a bell . I might be wrong but I think he ran security for a while at the notorious Bagley's nightclub in London
Alfie lewis eunice hudthsrt ?( however spelt !) Went austria 94 fighting for uk with them 2 . Well known in that scene alfie
@@bobmathews9072His Company trains various Countries, Special Forces, including ours.
Alfie Lewis now that’s a blast from the past met him early 90s on the martial arts circuit absolute legend and as you said always in the combat magazine
Martial artist every day off week over boxer as target legs and boxer can't move aspecialy if have Thai boxing back ground
Not fit or strong enough to keep a boxer off. Only those from grappling could do that to any boxer. Iv done them both
Gary spiers worked at my local nightclub when l was young,he was a bit of big lump
I wonder if Sykes is any relation to myself!?
It did happen , and spiers took an axe upto Blackpool to sort it out , on a bus I believe .