[4+2]cycloaddition of electron‐rich 5‐benzyloxy‐2‐pyridone (1) with phenylvinyl sulfone furnished, after functional group transformation, 2 in a syn/anti ratio of 3/7. Deprotonation with LDA provided the thermodynamic stable 2a. The α‐sulfonyl carbanion can be alkylated to 4. During reductive desulfonylation complete epimerisation to 5 occured. Synthesis of 5b was also accomplished by conjugate addition