1
of
1
The Fighter
The Legendary Life of an Australian Champion
Brief Description
The Fighter is the compelling life story of Australian Muay Thai legend John Wayne Parr - a fighter's odyssey full of twists, turns, world titles, personal challenges, and triumphs. Hailed as a legend in the fighting world, ten-time Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion John Wayne...
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK
Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock
Sorry, we're currently out of stock of The Fighter. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.
Latest News
A Seven Sharp Visit and a Huge Thank You!
It's been a busy last week at Rawiri Place before our big move, with a...
What I Read (and Played) in Bali
I always read more when I travel. There’s the flight over, the hotel breakfast where...
A Puzzle for Every Season: Why I Love Seasonal Puzzles
From spooky Halloween puzzles to floral spring scenes and Christmas favourites we bring out every...
The Book Briefing - September 16th
This week there are so many exciting new book announcements out and about with covers,...
Every crime/thriller Novel Lizzy has read this year (so far!)
Lizzy is sharing her crime and thriller reads for 2026 so far and giving you...
See moreThe Fighter is the compelling life story of Australian Muay Thai legend 'John' Wayne Parr - a fighter's odyssey full of twists, turns, world titles, personal challenges and triumphs.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
The Fighter is the compelling life story of Australian Muay Thai legend John Wayne Parr - a fighter's odyssey full of twists, turns, world titles, personal challenges, and triumphs.
Hailed as a legend in the fighting world, ten-time Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion John Wayne Parr knew ever since The Karate Kid came out that he wanted to learn a martial art.
From then, Wayne trained in diverse styles including taekwondo and kickboxing as his family moved around Australia. He eventually settled on Muay Thai, seduced by its paradox of violence balanced against the romance of tradition and culture.
Muay Thai took Wayne around the world in a career that spanned almost 150 fights. And there were triumphs beyond his multiple wins too, like meeting his wife and starting a family. But amid the thrills of achieving championship status, Wayne also faced challenges brought on by taking his body to the very edge, as well as a series of personal struggles.
This is the story of a man who knows what it is to test himself, physically and mentally, and the life lessons he learnt along the way, all told with Wayne's characteristic sense of humour.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780733651908
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 27 November 2024
Country: Australia
Imprint: Hachette Australia
Contributors:
- Read by Nick Farnell
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 153.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 300g
Pages: 352
About the Author
'John' Wayne Parr (Author)
'John' Wayne Parr, also known as 'The Gunslinger', is a living legend. After cutting his teeth in the burgeoning Queensland Muay Thai scene, he moved to Thailand where he became the training and sparring partner of Sangtiennoi 'The Deadly Kisser' Rungroj. Wayne built a reputation fighting and defeating some of the greatest boxers of his generation, earning the accolade of 'Best Farang Fighter' in 1997. He won the IMF world title at the King's Birthday Tournament in 2000 and the S1 world title at Rajadamnern Stadium in 2004. In the course of 150 fights and 349 stitches, Wayne has won a total of ten world titles at middleweight, including the prestigious WMC World Title and an Australian middleweight boxing title. He has also competed in the K-1 Max, finally retiring from competition at ONE Championship on 26 March 2022. Wayne remains active in the fight game as a coach, running his fight gym, Boonchu, on the Gold Coast with his wife, Angie, herself a retired world champion. Their eldest child, Jasmine, has competed as a kickboxer and won an Australian flyweight boxing title. Their two younger children, Jesse James and Jemma, are also active in the gym. Jarrod Boyle (Author)Jarrod Boyle studied film at the University of Melbourne and at the Victorian College of the Arts. In 2008, he won the Victorian super heavyweight kickboxing championship and then trained at what was at that time the strongest gym in the world, Golden Glory in Breda, the Netherlands. He trained alongside greats such as Ramon Dekkers, Stefan Leko, Errol Zimmerman, Gokhan Saki and Alistair Overeem. After being interviewed by International Kickboxer Magazine, Jarrod joined the editorial staff and wrote for Blitz, IK and Fight! Magazine for more than a decade. Jarrod has since retired from fighting but continues to write, having been published in The Age, Island Magazine and The Review of Australian Fiction. The Fighter: The Legendary Life of an Australian Champion is his first work of non-fiction.More from Biography & Memoir
View all-
Dogs, Boys and Other Things I've Cried About
From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee--known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue--comes an utterly winning memoir about a twentysomething woman's search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it. A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Famesick
Chronicling the tumultuous decade between the premiere of Girls to her 2021 shotgun wedding (minus the baby, because she has no uterus), Lena Dunham takes us through her journey with her trademark mix of humor, unsparing honesty, and keen eye for detail. We peek behind the scenes - of her work, her family, her relationships, and her battle to reclaim her body...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$3500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
New ReleaseHome Again
Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoir Home Again.This is more than a rock story. Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it. From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
This Angry Pen of Mine
This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...Hardback$7299Elsewhere:$8999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Pre-orderSwan Song
Beautiful. Beloved. Hunted. The extraordinary life and death of Diana, as told by her brother, Charles – available to pre-order now. ‘When asked, ‘What was it like, growing up with Diana?’, my first thought is always, But I don’t know what it was like not to grow up with her…’ In September 1997, Charles Spencer stood in Westminster Abbey before...Hardback$5499Elsewhere:$6500Unit price /UnavailableOut 23 Sep 2026Pre-order -
Signed Copy
Stakes
Read our interview with author Noelle McCarthy! A darkly funny, sparkling follow-up to the author’s bestselling memoir Grand. You have to invite him in. You have to want the vampire’s badness in the house with you. Growing up in Catholic Ireland, Noelle McCarthy is captivated by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The vampire is a risk-free fantasy, a suave alternative to the fraught realities...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Built for This
Raised among strong women, butcher's benches, and hard ideas about what men are meant to be, Brad Poulter grows up knowing he's different long before he has the words for it. But in late '90s small-town New Zealand, 'different' isn't discussed, it's managed. Joining the Royal New Zealand Navy offers escape, certainty, and belonging. The rules are clear, the uniform...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Even the Good Girls Will Cry
Thanks to a thrown beer bottle and a fan letter to a P.O. box, Melissa Auf der Maur's first band scored an opening slot for the Smashing Pumpkins in her bohemian home town, Montreal. Sensing Melissa's talent, Billy Corgan recommended her to Courtney Love. Whisked from her local scene, Melissa joined Hole just after the deaths of Kurt Cobain and...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
New ReleaseAn Ocean and a Day
An utterly riveting, moving and poignant memoir of grief and loss that will speak to anyone who's ever lost someone they love. An Ocean and a Day is Hannah Richell's personal account of losing her husband, Matt, in a surfing accident on Tamarama beach in 2014. It is the story of the grief journey she travelled over the first two...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
A Place to Stand
A Place to Stand by Clare Ward is a profound memoir that delves into the life of a country doctor living and working in the Hokianga Harbour area in the far north of Aotearoa New Zealand. This region is sparsely populated and poses numerous health challenges. This thoughtful account details Clare’s thirty-year career, highlighting the people she works with and...Hardback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Rule of Lies
Written with all the pace and energy of a John Grisham novel … An incredible true story and a great read! BILL BROWDER, author of Red Notice and Freezing Order An American lawyer’s brilliant, propulsive story of witnessing and playing a part in the transformation of Russia under Yeltsin and Putin. A true tale of fascinating personalities, criminal intrigue, harrowing...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Rory
The New York Times bestseller The #1 Irish Times bestseller The definitive biography of Rory McIlroy, the most important, popular and confounding player of the post-Tiger era. Rory McIlroy contains multitudes. The child of a working-class family from a small town in a war-torn homeland now commutes to work in his own private jet and counts billionaires as confidants. He can overwhelm a golf...Paperback$3699Elsewhere:$4199Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
Biography & Memoir lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
-
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listBiography & Memoir
Memorable Memoirs of Kiwi Women
Looking for an amazing local memoir of one of the many amazing women here in Aotearoa? Here's a great list, featuring some...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![Lucky You're Tough]()
Lizzy's listBiography & Memoir
Memorable Memoirs of Kiwi Men
Looking for an amazing local memoir of one of the many amazing men here in Aotearoa? Here's a great list, featuring some...View the list
