Paddy Monaghan was not immediately as intimidating as bare-knuckle
boxers like Lenny McLean or Roy Shaw. But if anyone dared to
underestimate this man, as many foolish opponents did, the full force of
the hardest man in Ireland, a fine and ferocious fighting machine, would
be unleashed. His unbroken record of 114 bare-knuckle fight wins is not
only testimony to his exceptional strategic skill and fearsome punching
ability, but also to his sheer determination and passion. Paddy Monaghan
simply has something inside him that will not allow defeat. Life has
been far from easy although the Monaghans were originally a wealthy
family, by the time Paddy was born it had all been wasted away through
fraud and gambling. A wiry youngster, Paddy left school with a
reputation for fighting, but with no qualifications. Many years later,
Paddy single-handedly taught himself how to read and write, beginning
with books designed for children. Paddy, a staunch Muhammad Ali fan,
displayed he same tenacity when he launched a one-man campaign to
protest the stripping of Ali's boxing license in 1967. Paddy's actions
came to the attention of the great man himself. and the next time Ali
came to the UK, he went to meet Paddy at his council house in Abingdon.
Two men who were socially worlds apart came together in a friendship
based on mutual respect and admiration. Paddy Monaghan has an
extraordinary story to tell. This remarkable autobiography gives a
unique insight into Paddy's world of violence, a world he only ever
entered in order to provide for his beloved wife and children. With
Foreword by Muhammad Ali."
