Eagle: The Fists of Danny Pyke

Written by John Wagner and AlanGrant from Eagle and illustrated by Mr. Burns, "The Fists of Danny Pyke" is a 'Cinderella kid out of nowhere' boxing story that crackled with energy: a blue-collar boy against repeated impossible odds; a wily coach; pride; honour; soap opera; getting knocked down; sometimes getting up again; humour and pluck offsetting the brutality; the boxer and the blonde (but unlike Billy Conn, did Danny Pyke win both the girl and fight?) -- one of Eagle's finest moments. Ran from issue 79 (September 24, 1983) of Eagle to issue 158 (March 30, 1985), with the final three episodes being illustrated by Jose Gual.