Bradford boxing nut John Burton, pictured, was today preparing himself for jail after refusing to hand over beloved sporting treasures in a divorce battle.

He declared that the gloves were well and truly off in the fight to retain two unique oil portraits of his heroes, Mike Tyson and Mohammed Ali.

As already revealed in the Telegraph & Argus, Mr Burton had already turned down a string of personal pleas - and a possible payout of £20,000 - from Iron Mike himself for the signed Tyson portrait.

The big-spending heavyweight twice met him before his last fight in Britain but despite hours of negotiations at Tyson's hotel suite, the 59-year-old refused to give up the painting which was originally bought by his wife for £75.

Now, with his 12-year marriage to Ethel Pauline Burton set to end, Mr Burton told how a Court has ordered him to give up the paintings as part of a divorce settlement.

But Mr Burton, who was due to appear for a hearing at Bradford County Court today, said: "Iron Mike Tyson couldn't get his hands on this painting and so there is no way anyone else is going to."

He revealed he had even taken the artworks down from their pride-of-place spots at his Bradford Moor home where they had been constantly monitored by a specially-installed CCTV system.

"I have moved them to different undisclosed locations within the city," he said.

"If the court continues to rule that I have to give them up, then they will not surface again. The court papers warn that by doing this I could be sent to prison but I am well prepared to do that."

He added: "I am making a stand for these paintings - they mean so much to me."

Mr Burton said his bank account had been frozen and he could ultimately lose his house - where he has installed his own special boxing theme bar - through the proceedings.

Over decades of fanatically following the noble art, John has built up a catalogue of photographs featuring him alongside idols such as Mohammed Ali, Nigel Benn, Chris Eubanks and John Conteh.

And he has also spent hours under the tattooist's needle in order to recreate his beloved paintings on his right and left arms.

"Locally I am known as Mr Boxing," he said. "This sport is my whole life. Without boxing I would not want to live. They may as well put me in the ground there and then."

Two years ago the T&A told how Mr Burton had managed to visit Tyson at London's Grosvenor House Hotel, where he gave him a painting of the notorious Kray gang and asked him to sign the oil portrait of the young undisputed champion.

After obliging, Tyson asked to buy the canvas, but he politely turned down the self-proclaimed 'Baddest Man on the Planet'.

A week later, after Tyson arrived in Manchester, he met Mr Burton again but failed again to wrestle the artwork from his grasp.

At the time Mr Burton said: "I'm keeping it for sentimental reasons. It's the hardest decision I've ever had to make."