Errol Christie

Errol Christie

Errol Christie, 2007
Statistics
Real name Errol Christie
Nickname(s) Thames Barrier Warrior
Rated at Middleweight
Born 29 June 1963
Leicester, England
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights 41
Wins 32
Wins by KO 26
Losses 8
Draws 1
No contests 0

Errol Christie (born 29 June 1963) is a former professional English boxer and currently a boxing trainer. He was the captain of the English boxing team from 1980 to 1983 and European champion in 1983.

Christie, born in Leicester and raised in Radford, Coventry, was a regular fixture on ITV Fight Night in the 1980s. He earned the right to wear the Kronk Gym golden shorts after impressing its promoter Emanuel Steward. Christie won the overwhelming majority of his amateur and professional bouts up to 1985 when he was defeated by Mark Kaylor. After that his career declined until he retired in 1993 after a fight with Trevor Ambrose. He has since become a trainer to City executives engaged in the current craze for white collar boxing. One of his regular students is TV presenter Dermot O'Leary.

In March 2010, Christie published his biography No Place To Hide, about racism in both the boxing game and 1970s/1980s Britain in collaboration with former BBC TV producer, Tony McMahon. The book has now been longlisted for the William Hill sports writer prize for 2010.[1] Both Christie and McMahon are registered with the Blake Friedmann literary agency.[2]

Amateur boxing career

At the age of eight, Errol Christie started boxing at the Standard Triumph gym in Coventry managed by Tom McGarry. Out of eighty fights in his early career, Christie lost only two and gained a reputation for early knockouts. He was Warwickshire champion in 1976, schoolboy champion in 1977, NABC champion in 1979 and senior ABA (Amateur Boxing Association of England) champion in 1981.

In the senior ABA semi-finals, he beat Joey Frost which led to Christie being appointed England boxing captain. In the finals, he defeated Cameron Lithgow to take the trophy.

In 1982, he became European champion after defeating Ossubek Kilimov in the semi-finals and Moe Gruciano in the finals at Schwerin in what was then East Germany. Christie was listed in the Guinness World Records, then known as The Guinness Book of Records, for notching up the most amateur title wins.

Christie and boxer Lloyd Honeyghan

Professional boxing career

A series of seemingly effortless wins followed Christie's decision to go professional in 1981 with new manager Burt McCarthy. He triumphed against Terry Matthews, Jimmy Ellis, Harlen Holden, Sam Leonard, Lino Cajinas, Vince Gajny, Robert Thomas, Fred Reed, Doug James, Joel Bonnetaz, Dexter Bowman, Stacy McSwain and Stan White. But in September 1984 – Jose Seys delivered a surprise knockout which shook the young man's confidence. Seven more wins followed however before a disastrous bout with Mark Kaylor in November 1985.

Christie with veteran boxer Henry Cooper (sitting on Christie's left-hand side).

White collar boxing

Christie now teaches white collar boxers at Gym Box in Holborn, London. In 2005, The Guardian and other newspapers reported an incident where one of Errol's white collar boxing students, film distributor Simon Franks, hit Hollywood actor George Clooney at the premiere of his film Good Night, and Good Luck.[3][4][5] An argument between the two men was alleged to have got out of control. Christie was quoted in The Guardian asking whether his student, Franks, had used his left hook.[5]

Royal Court Theatre: "Sucker Punch"

In 2010, Christie was taken on as the fight consultant to the play Sucker Punch written by Roy Williams (playwright) and directed by Sacha Wares, performed at the Royal Court Theatre in Chelsea, London.[6]

References

  1. ↑ = Sports Journalists' Association "From Agassi to Nazi, via "gonzo": prize’s mixed bag". 1 October 2010. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  2. ↑ "Book Clients: Errol Christie". Blake Friedmann. Retrieved 8 December 2007.
  3. ↑ Clench, James (5 November 2005). "Clooney is a box office hit". The Sun (London). Retrieved 8 December 2007.
  4. ↑ Marriner, Cosima. "Clooney brawl – the facts". George Clooney. Archived from the original on 1 May 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2007.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Marriner, Cosima (29 December 2005). "Clooney 'brawl' – the facts". London: Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 8 December 2007.
  6. ↑ = Time Out "Sucker Punch". 23 June 2010. Retrieved 2 October 2010.

External links