Streetfighters

In every town and city in the UK are hardmen who have earned notoriety with their fists. Doormen, unlicensed boxers, bareknuckle fighters, brawlers and enforcers, they are throwbacks to a time when disputes were settled man to man in blood. Some of these men are lionised by their communities, others vilified – but all have a story to tell.

Julian Davies travelled the country to interview two dozen of the hardest underground fighters in Britain and lift the lid on their brutal world of violence, honour and respect. Most had never spoken publicly before. In their own words they describe gang fights, brutal reprisals, mass pub brawls, injuries and even deaths.

They include Henry Francis, the ferocious bareknuckle champ; Malcolm Price, the legend of the Welsh Valleys; eight stone doorman Andre Martin, a multiple martial arts expert; big Decca Simpkin, a boxer turned brawler; and the giant Brian Cockerell, who taxes drug dealers for a living.

Darkly humourous and brutally honest, Streetfighters is the hardest-hitting book ever written about the toughest men around.

Reviews:

‘The inside story of the most feared hardmen in Britain.’ SUNDAY SPORT

‘A truly fascinating and amusing read.’ PENTHOUSE

About the author:

Julian Davies is the author of Streetfighters and Hookers (Milo Books, 2008). He lives in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales.