Born in Croydon, Surrey, England, Trevor and his parents, Eric and Clara, moved to Bromley, Kent, where he grew up. As a natural athlete, Trevor was highly interested in sports. As a youngster, he played football (soccer) and cricket and enjoyed running as well as many other recreational activities. But his greatest passion was boxing. He was a light heavyweight with a 58-1-1 record out of a total of 60 fights. He had also been invited to fight in the U.S.