Wild Thing: The True Story of Britain's Rightful Guv'nor

by Lew Yates, Bernard O'Mahoney

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 But when his licence was revoked following an assault on a referee, he turned to unlicensed boxing.By day, Yates pounded punchbags and the streets in an effort to reach the peak of physical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.

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 28, 2007

Reviews

[Mart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmm

It was a alright read. I have read all the other books that cover this era when every fighter was claiming to be the rightful king of the unlicensed ring. I would say that it was refreshing that the wild thing wasn't a criminal that had bullied and robbed everyone in London before claiming to be the hardest man in the country! Fairplay

[Jason Rowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read and some interesting slants on the claims of some of his contemporaries at the time.

Anyone that’s read the books of other guys of Lew’s era should read this, makes you question an awful lot of the facts as previously presented if nothing else. Flows well and pretty well written.

[Kevin Quigley · Rating 4 out of 5]

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