FAMED for being a knockout in the ring, Manchester boxing legend Michael Gomez is opening up about his private and professional life in his new autobiography.

Michael Gomez, 39, is a former professional boxer, who has competed against the best in the industry from 1995 to 2009.

He was known as the "The Irish Mexican" and "The Predator" and amassed a number of regional championships during his career, most notably the British super-featherweight title, which he clinched twice. He also held the World Boxing Union super featherweight title from 2004 to 2005.

Filmmakers have documented Gomez’s rise to fame in an upcoming movie and ahead of its release, screenwriters have put out an autobiography, “giving an insight into the life and struggles of Michael Gomez”.

The book has now hit shelves in Waterstones and is also available on Amazon.

Gomez said: “Writing the book was exciting, scary and extremely emotional. It made me remember times in my life I didn’t want to. It’s hard to pinpoint one chapter that stood out as the whole book means so much to me. I held back nothing.”

Gomez was born to an Irish Traveller family in Longford, Ireland.

He had a chaotic start in life, after being born in a car crash, and experienced a turbulent childhood.

He moved to Manchester with his family aged nine.

Gomez’s life was turned around in his teens after a chance meeting with legendary boxing coach Brian Hughes but his life outside the ring threatened to derail his enviable career.

Some of the experiences recounted in the memoir include being charged and later acquitted of murder, spending 48 seconds clinically dead after being stabbed, attempting suicide and his the breakdown of his marriage.

Michael now lives in Flixton with his girlfriend Debi. He spends much of his time in the gym and running and also has a keen interest in his son’s flourishing boxing career.

“I am the happiest I have been in years,” he said. “The future is looking bright.”

Buy “Gomez: The Autobiography” here.