"You can't be a fighter if you are afraid of anyone. You've got to be in it to know what it's like."

Got to love old school mentality and training.

Here is Bartley Gorman hitting the heavy bag bare knuckle at 51 years old.

Bartley Gorman hitting the bag bare knuckle at 51 years old. Gorman was known as "King of the Gypsies". A bare knuckle boxer who fought illegal, unsactioned boxing matches from 1972-92. pic.twitter.com/Id3krIXn58

— Alexandrovich Unleashed (@ImAlexandrovich) October 30, 2024

Who is Bartley Gorman?

Bartley Gorman was a bare-knuckle boxer born in 1944, in England Irish Traveller and became known as "King of the Gypsies".

Gorman had his first bare-knuckle fight at the age of 12. And from 1972-92 he fought in illegal gypsy boxing matches. His "ring" included mineshafts, quarries, horse fairs, campsites, bars, clubs and streets. Hardened by life experience and not someone you'd want to fuck with.

The only thing Gorman knew in his life was fighting.

Many of Gorman's relatives have become pro boxers such as Nathan Gorman, Hughie Fury and Tyson Fury.

Also fun fact, Tom Hardy based the voice of Bane from "Dark Knight" on Bartley Gorman.

Watch this short documentary from 1995 on Bartley Gorman that goes into the life and mindset of a Gypsy bare-knuckle boxer from the man himself.

If you want to know more about Gorman, there is an autobiography called "King of the Gypsies: Memoirs of the Undefeated Bareknuckle Champion of Great Britain and Ireland" that was completed before Gorman's death in 2002.