John Davison - Little Man, Big Heart

John Davison was 25 years old and going nowhere. Supporting his wife and daughter in a tough suburb of Newcastle with no job, he spent his days trying to make ends meet. When he was spotted sparring in an old boxing gym by a club coach, John was persuaded to take up amateur boxing despite his age and lack of experience. His life would never be the same again. Davison soon became a champion amateur boxer, reaching the ABA finals in amutter of months and becoming an established international star. His all-action attacking style of boxing as well as his sledgehammer right hook made him a truly feared opponent and saw him captain his country on eight occasions. But the dream turned sour when politics denied Davison his rightful place in the Great Britian squad for the 1988 Olympic Games, and he retired from the sport. Davison's fame had not, however, gone unnoticed in his hometown, not least by the underworld figure Viv Graham and local professional boxing manager Tommy Conroy. Conroy convinced Davison to come out of retirement and make the step up to join the professional ranks, bankrolled by Viv Graham, with whom Davison forged a close bond. Davison's professional career was nothing short of a revelation. He won the WBC International Featherweight title in only his eleventh bout, and successfully defended it twice. Having established himself as one of the top featherweight boxers in the world, he struggled to fight others of a similar calibre as he was feared to be too dangerous. He persevered nonetheless, and his bravery, skill and commitment in the ring saw him lift a second WBC International Title, this time enduring a shattered jaw, before he captured the Bristish Featherweight Title in 1992, just one month shy of his 35th birthday. The victory offered him the chance that had been denied to him for so long: to fight for the right to be called Champion of the World. He was scheduled to fight the Colombian ruben 'The Hurricane' Palacio for the the WBO Featherweight Totle in 1993. What followed, however, would destroy the careers of both men and shake the world of boxing to its very foundations.. Johnny's story is an inspiring, and this autobiography pulls no punches in its account of the remarkanle and controversial life of a man for whom age and circumstance were no obstacle to following his dreams.

John Davison entered boxing at a late age, but went on to win a variety of titles, including the British Featherweight Title in 1992. He now works as a personal trainer in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.