Boxing champion Errol Christie has revealed he is battling lung cancer in what he says is the toughest fight of his life . The 51-year-old former European middleweight champion has started chemotherapy , walking to a hospital near his south London home for each session to keep fit . The determined former boxer , who has never smoked , vowed that he would conquer cancer . Boxing champion Errol Christie ( left ) has revealed he is battling lung cancer in what he says is the toughest fight of his life . He told the Sunday People : ' I am just starting my treatment . I 've had my first round of chemo and it has really been tough but I am going to beat this . ' Christie 's son Louie , 26 , said that his father had been unwell for a while but was only recently diagnosed with lung cancer . Louie , who is also a boxer , said : 'It is a real shock because my dad has always been fit and has never smoked or drunk – it seems so unfair . 'Being who he is , he didn ’ t want to make a fuss when he felt unwell . He thought it would clear up . 'It was a real shock when he got the results back . We were both stunned . But he is ­remaining positive and has vowed to beat it . He is determined to get well . I ’ m very proud of how he is coping . ' Christie , pictured during his memorable bout with Mark Kaylor ( right ) in 1985 , has started chemotherapy . Explosive : Christie ( right ) and Kaylor got up close and personal while promoting their clash in 1985 . Christie was training amateur boxers , including X Factor host Dermot O'Leary , at Gym Box in London until last week but has been forced to put that on hold to focus on fighting his illness . Christie 's son was due to make his boxing debut as a featherweight next month but this has now been put on hold because of his father 's diagnosis . During his boxing career , the former champion fought 41 bouts , taking 32 wins including 26 by knockout . He suffered eight defeats , most memorably to Mark Kaylor in 1985 . The infamous match was preceded by an ugly scuffle at the pre-fight conference , and when the boxing finally got underway Christie lost in nine rounds in a match where both men were floored . Although he boxed on into the early 90s , he was never the same fighter again and hung up his gloves in 1993 . Christie 's greatest success came in 1982 when he defeated Mow Gruciano in what was then East Germany to take the European middleweight belt . The father-of-one was involved in a scuffle with fellow former boxer Lloyd Honeyghan last October during a Boxing Writer 's Club dinner at the Savoy Hotel in London . Frank Bruno had to step in to separate the pair after they squared up , but no punches were thrown . Christie said at the time : 'There was a bit of an incident with Lloyd . I do n't know what planet he was on but it 's different from the rest of us . No punches were thrown . He was just mouthing off , acting the big shot . '
Errol Christie has revealed that he has been diagnosed with lung cancer . Former European middleweight champion , next month , has started chemotherapy . The boxer , who has never smoked , vowed that he would conquer cancer .