Three robbers who tried to mug a 67-year-old pensioner, got the shock of their lives when they realized, too late, that the man was an ex-Army boxing champ.

George Bayliss, from Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk county in England, said he had just withdrawn his pension at the town's post office when the three held him up to demand his cash.

The retiree, who boxed for England in the 1960s, said he punched the leader of the group with a left hook to the chin. Realizing that he will not give up his money without a fight, the trio fled immediately.

Bayliss, the Army's middleweight champion from 1958 to 1960, told the Sun, "They picked on the wrong pensioner.The guy I hit got what he deserved. My only regret is that I didn't hit him harder. I hope they think twice before picking on someone my age again."

Suffolk Police spokeswoman Lisa Miller adds, "We would never encourage the public to retaliate in these circumstances in case they get hurt. But Bayliss's actions may have stopped a more serious crime."