'Me Tarzan, you Spike' but Nicki won't be monkeying around in his next fight

The promising Sheffield boxer will have his latest pet for company as he takes to the ring for his next fight.

Every fighter likes his own unique gimmick - but 'Spike' the monkey, whose natural heritage is more a Brazilian rain forest than a boxing ring, is certainly more unusual than most.

'Tarzan' Smedley, who keeps the marmoset in his Woodthorpe bedroom, explained, "I've had a monkey before but it was vicious and I had to get shut of it.

"This one is nice. It's only eight weeks old and about 5" tall. He just hangs off the back of my neck - and I'll have him with me before my fight on Clinton Woods' undercard on September 29 at Sheffield Arena."

Smedley says he won't be monkeying around when he meets Swansea's Damian Owen...