FORMER lord of the ring Henry Wharton has admitted to being floored by...his life.

The York boxer, whose only ring reverses were in assaults on world championship belts, finally succumbed to pressure to have a book written about his illustrious boxing career.

Several overtures had been made to the one-time undefeated British, Commonwealth and European super-middleweight champion, but he had always resisted saying “no-one would be really interested”.

But after reading through the first draft of the biography written by author Jim Kirkwood, Wharton was absolutely thrilled by the end result.

“I always thought when people asked about writing my story that, ‘nah, nobody would be interested and it would be a bit creepy reading about myself’,” said Wharton, who also sampled a glorious amateur career before he joined the professional ranks in 1989.

“But when Jim (Kirkwood) approached me about a year ago, I had just got the gym up and running and wondered whether maybe it was perhaps the right time to get a version out of my story.

“I have to say he has done a really great job. I’m so pleased.”

Wharton, who now runs his own boxing club at his Henry’s Gym in the upper floor of the former Regent Cinema in Acomb, was even more delighted by the fact that the book provides insights into his life that he had never imagined before.

“He has talked to so many others in my life - my family, my friends, my various trainers and other boxers - that, in a way, I am seeing parts of my life that I never knew about. I have read their versions of how things were and it’s absolutely unbelievable.

“There is stuff that I never realised people were doing and thinking. It’s packed with things like that and the whole experience has been a real eye-opener.

“There are things in the book that I didn’t know. It was just like seeing my life through other’s people view.”

Wharton was hoping that the book entitled ‘Henry’s Dream: The Life Story of Henry Wharton - Former British, European and Commonwealth Champion’ would also serve as an inspiration to the crop of would-be boxers he has assembled at his gym in York Road.

“They know I was a boxer, but to them I’m their trainer,” he said.

“The book might go some way to explaining how I got to where I was and the qualities needed.

“It’s my life story and it’s a boxer’s life story where you know you will lose, but then, after that, you have to come back and find another way to win.

“That builds character and shows you can overcome adversity if you have the right spirit to do it.

“If that can help to inspire others then the book will have done some good.”

Together with the author, Wharton will be doing several signing sessions in York, Hull and Leeds.

The York sessions will be at his gym in Acomb on Friday, September 19 and Saturday, September 20 with the Friday event starting at 7pm.

“I wanted the sessions in York to be here in my gym because this is steeped in boxing just as my life has been,” he said.

• ‘Henry’s Dream - The Life Story of Henry Wharton - Former British, European and Commonwealth Champion’ - is published by Dalcumly Press and is priced at £14.99.