When the Gloves Came Off: The Powerful, Personal Story of Britain's Playboy Boxer

Billy Walker was a British sporting hero—a supremely courageous fighter with film star looks, who became a household name after millions of TV viewers saw him knock out a giant American in less than a minute. Adored by men and women alike, Billy was the biggest box-office attraction in British boxing history, whose record for the number of successive Wembley sell-outs has never been beaten. He had a sumptuous home in Belgravia, filled with champagne and fine wines. He drove top-of-the-range sports cars. And, as one of the most famous faces in the land, he revelled in all the Swinging Sixties had to offer, including the company of beautiful women. When his boxing days were over, after fighting Henry Cooper for the British title, Billy continued to live the way he had fought—fast and furious, with no punches pulled. Now married for the fourth time, the famous smile is back. Billy's story of his exceptional, exhilarating life is an enthralling read, appealing to those too young to know his name, as much as the thousands who thrilled to his battling style. Disarmingly candid, the cheerful Cockney bares his soul, revealing the triumphs and tragedies—in and out of the ring—that he always kept hidden behind the cheery smile. It is a riveting, uplifting story of an East End kid with an unquenchable lust for fun, who never wanted to fight, but whose bravery and engaging personality made him the richest, most popular, fighter of his generation—a story of the gentlest and friendliest of giants, who has lived a charmed life most men only dream about.