Wild Thing

Wild Thing

The True Story of Britain's Rightful Guv'nor

Summary

Everybody in the unlicensed fight game knows that only one man has the honour of being titled 'Guv'nor' - and that man is Lew 'Wild Thing' Yates. Yates began boxing at the age of six, and as an adult he was ruthless in pursuit of his dream of becoming world heavyweight champion. But when his licence was revoked following an assault on a referee, he turned to unlicensed boxing.

By day, Yates pounded punchbags and the streets in an effort to reach the peak of physical fitness as he prepared for his epic battle with Roy 'Pretty Boy' Shaw. At night, he pounded gangsters and drug dealers foolish enough to take him on in the nightclubs where he worked.

Wild Thing documents how Yates rose to the top of his bloody profession. When it comes to his fighting ability, he doesn't need to boast, brag or exaggerate. With Lew Yates, what you see is what you hope you're never going to get. This is his remarkable story.

Reviews

  • Lew doesn't pull punches as he lifts the lid on the seedy world of brutal bouts
    News of the World

About the authors

Lew Yates

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Bernard O'Mahoney

Bernard O'Mahoney served in the army for three years and saw a tour of duty in Northern Ireland (described in his book Soldier of the Queen). He then travelled extensively and worked in the building and security industries. Renouncing a criminal past, he wrote about his experiences of the dark side of the nightclub world in the bestselling Essex Boys: A Terrifying Expos of the British Drugs Scene and has written numerous true-crime titles.
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