The Peter Buckley Story

By Peter Buckley with Chris Akers

King of the Journeymen is the gripping autobiography of Peter Buckley, a pro boxer who fought 300 times and was a 'stepping stone' for world champions such as Naseem Hamed and Duke McKenzie.

As a boy, Buckley shone as an amateur boxer, but outside the ring he was heading for trouble. He was suspended numerous times from school and sent to prison at age 15 for assault and robbery. Whilst inside, his father died. His life felt hopeless and seemed to be going nowhere. But after his release he turned to professional boxing and things started to improve. Labelled a journeyman, he fought often and lost often, whilst earning more money than he'd thought possible. Buckley never refused a fight, often accepting bouts at a few hours' notice or after a night out.

King of the Journeymen is an inspirational tale of a man tenaciously fighting for a better life. Although he lost more fights than he won, Buckley persevered with his career and attained widespread respect from boxers and fans alike.

King of the Journeymen is the brutally honest and forthright story of 300-fight veteran Peter Buckley, a man who despite setbacks and ridicule won the respect and admiration of the boxing world. Read and you will discover:

How Peter was always a fighter – even before he entered a boxing gym

The vital influence of his family when he was growing up, and the support they gave him during the hard times

How Peter's promising amateur career was cut short when he was jailed for the first time

What he did to survive in prison as a teenager and his encounters with both inmates and guards

How a chance meeting with a boxer in a pub set him on the path to a professional career

His fights with future world champions such as Naseem Hamed, Duke McKenzie and Acelino Freitas

How a Hollywood film of his life was nearly made

The buzz surrounding his landmark 300th fight, with media coverage in the UK and abroad, and how he felt in the build-up

Peter Buckley has collaborated with Chris Akers to tell his story. Chris has written for websites such as FightPost, Ultimate Boxing Results and East Side Boxing. As well as reporting on domestic and European title fights, he has interviewed boxers such as Mikkel Kessler, Wayne Elcock, Nathan Cleverly and Maureen Shea. He recently contributed to the Birmingham anthology of the Dostoyevsky Wannabe 'Cities' series. This is his first book.

Hardback: 288 pages Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd (21 June 2021)

ISBN-10: 1785317857 ISBN-13: 978-1785317859 RRP: £19.99