BYKER TO BROADWAY The Fighting Life and Times of Seaman Tommy Watson

Softcover. PRESENTATION COPY. The story of Seaman Tommy Watson, the Geordie boxing hero whose hammering fists took him from the grimy streets of Newcastle to the glittering concrete canyons of New York City, from back-lane scraps in Byker to a world championship fight in that Manhattan Mecca for all prize-fighters, Madison Square Garden. One of 9 children, young Tommy sold newspapers in the streets and served in the Royal Navy before making his name as a boxer. Watson shocked Liverpool fans when taking the British featherweight title off their beloved Nel Tarleton to earn a trip to New York, where he whipped Fidel LaBarba and came within an ace of ripping the world crown from the sleek head of Cuban Bon-Bon Kid Chocolate. Back home he cut a second notch on the Lonsdale Belt, beating Scot Johnny McMillan in Glasgow, before losing the Belt and the title back to Tarleton in the Liverpool ring. Moving into the lightweight division, Seaman was within one fight of a crack at champion Kid Berg when he was stopped with cut eyes by George Daly. He retired to his pub, and to this day is still called the greatest fighter to come out of the North East. Illus., Epilogue, Professional Boxing Record, Bibliog. and Index. 311pp. trade size softcover. F. with no creasing to covers. From the library of the legendary Scotland Yard detective, the late Leonard 'Nipper' Read, who was Chair then President of the British Boxing Board of Control. PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED AND SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR to 'Nipper' Read.