Background
Errol Christie was born in Leicester and raised in Radford, Coventry, one of seven brothers.
Errol Christie was born in Leicester and raised in Radford, Coventry, one of seven brothers.
After turning professional he was a regular fixture on Independent Television Fight Night in the 1980s. After retiring from boxing he became a trainer in white collar boxing. Boxing career
At the age of 8, he 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 appointed England boxing captain from 1980 to 1983. He moved to London in 1981 to further his boxing career.
He earned the right to wear the Kronk Gym golden shorts after impressing its promoter Emanuel Steward while sparring there. In September 1984 Jose Seys delivered a surprise knockout which shook Christie"s confidence.
Christie was out of the ring for over two years, returning in March 1993 to face Trevor Ambrose, losing after being stopped in the second round of what proved to be his final fight.
Post-boxing career
Since 1999 Christie has taught white collar boxers, initially at the Real Fight Club, and from 2003 at Gymbox 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. 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.
His students have included television presenter Dermot O"Leary, former football player Gianluca Vialli, musician Seal, and journalist Tony McMahon. He also works with children is schools and community centres.
In 2010, Christie was taken on as the fight consultant to the play Sucker Punch written by Roy Williams and directed by Sacha Wares, performed at the Royal Court Theatre in Chelsea, London. In March 2010, Christie published his biography Number Place To Hide, about racism in both the boxing game and 1970s/1980s Britain in collaboration with McMahon.
The book was longlisted for the William Hill sports writer prize for 2010.
In March 2015 Christie was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer.
Christie had tried his hand at stand up comedy towards the end of his boxing career and after retiring from boxing in 1993 he worked as a market trader for six years.