Champ & The Chump: A heart-warming, hilarious true story about fighting and family

Based on the acclaimed stage show, "The Champ" is a heart-warming, hilarious true story about fighting and family. It follows the life of Terry Downes, a world champion boxer, US Marine, gangsters' favorite, and later a film star and businessman. James McNicholas, his grandson, is a PE teacher who has spent his life pursuing a career in acting and comedy. After Terry's death, James finds himself in reflective mood, comparing his story of underachievement against that of his grandad. He begins to dig into his own story, confronting the dysfunctional elements of his childhood, describing his often hilarious efforts to make it in the world of showbiz, and attempting to recreate Terry's trials by enlisting in a brutal military boot camp and boxing gym. When James is diagnosed with a frightening and mysterious neurological condition, the two tales of the fighter and the writer suddenly collide, and what began as a nostalgic journey takes on a far more important significance altogether.

Format: Hardback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 05 August 2021
Publisher: Headline Publishing Group

Winner of the Best Sports Entertainment Book at the British Sports Book Awards 2022, "The Champ" is a captivating and humorous tale that delves into the life of Terry Downes, a charismatic cockney known as "The Paddington Express." Born into a family of boxers, Downes embarked on a remarkable journey that saw him become a world champion, a US Marine, a favorite among gangsters, and eventually a film star and businessman.

However, his story is not without its challenges. James McNicholas, a PE teacher who once told Downes that he would be dead by the age of 23, has spent his life pursuing a career in acting and comedy. In reality, he has had stints as a car park caretaker and a river cruise salesperson. After Downes' death, McNicholas finds himself in a reflective mood, comparing his own story of underachievement against that of his world-champion grandad.

What follows is an increasingly colorful journey through post-war Paddington to the blood-soaked canvases of Baltimore and Shoreditch, via Mayfair parties with the Krays. Along the way, McNicholas begins to dig into his own story, confronting the dysfunctional elements of his childhood, describing his often hilarious efforts to make it in the world of showbiz, and attempting to recreate Downes' trials by enlisting in a brutal military boot camp and boxing gym.

When McNicholas is diagnosed with a frightening and mysterious neurological condition, the two tales of the fighter and the writer suddenly collide, and what began as a nostalgic journey takes on a far more important significance altogether.

"The Champ" is a wonderfully funny and heartfelt story of what family and lineage mean. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of determination. Even made, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves sports, comedy, and the human spirit.

Weight: 606g
Dimension: 167 x 241 x 38 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781472280374