'BVB writer, Paul Zanon is currently working with prisoners at HMP Thameside using the power of sports writing to help them develop into wordsmiths. We are delighted to support his efforts by donating a prize to the winner of a competition he ran with the prisoners, which involved writing a biographical piece about Brendan Ingle MBE. The winning entry is below.’
BRENDAN INGLE MBE A tribute to the late, great.
When a boxing career winds down, when the fanbase dwindles and the wins, losses and all the years of gruelling training come to an end, many fighters, big and small, struggle to come to terms with what was, what could have been and ‘What if?’
Some who have traded leather, have unfortunately suffered mental health issues, addictions, including gambling, drugs and alcohol, and were unfortunately unable to overcome this, their biggest fight. Only a select few have been able to flip the script and for many, it’s come down to the guidance of an excellent trainer.
Born 19 June 1940 in Dublin, Ireland, Brendan Ingle MBE was one of 15 children and was born to parents, Sarah and Charles. The pride of the Emerald Isle entered the world of boxing with a little help from a friend of his father’s, then at the age of 18 followed one of his brothers across the water to the ‘Steel City,’ in Sheffield.
In order to supplement his income as a steelworker, Ingle embarked on a career as a professional boxer, campaigning at middleweight, however, by his own admission, he knew that he was never destined for the top, retiring in 1973 with a record of 19 victories and 14 defeats. However, all was not lost. As his career faded, a local vicar from Wincobank approached Ingle and asked him if he would be interested in carrying out some community work and to help run a youth sports club. The vicar saw something in the affable Irishman, believing he had the ability to communicate with troubled and often violent youngsters. That’s where the story of one of boxing’s best ever trainers begun.
Wincobank, Sheffield turned out to be the unlikely setting which would develop fighters into champions. To be precise, Brendan trained 15 British champs, six European, six Commonwealth and four world champions (Johnny Nelson, Naseem Hamed, Junior Witter, and Kell Brook). The gym setting was a far cry from modern, high tec boxing environments which seem to be popping up across the UK at present. Ingle’s fighters relied on sketches on the floor, marked out with tape, to improve their footwork, twinned with drills to improve reflexes for defence, leaving their hands free for offensive activity. Overall, this made for the trademark Ingle elusive fighter.
The fast-talking Irishman’s stable saw some amazing talent walk through his gym doors during his tenure, including one of the best fighters never to win a world title, Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham……albeit, Graham, challenged for world honours on numerous occasions at different weights, but did win British and European straps during his illustrious career. Ingle was once quoted as saying, ‘Herol Graham was the best fighter to come out of our gym.’ On the flipside of the coin, cruiserweight world champion, Johnny Nelson described Ingle as, ‘The best trainer in the world.’
Brendan and Herol 'Bomber' Graham
In an interview with the BBC, Ingle said, ‘Johnny trained seven days a week and he came from one end of Sheffield, catching two busses to get to Wincobank and people used to say to me, ‘He’s rubbish. He’s going to do nothing.’ I said, ‘He will finish world champion.’ Nelson’s career started off as the naysayers had wished, swiftly followed by a similarly matched media onslaught, as the Yorkshire hopeful lost his first three professional outings.
Ingle’s faith of his charge never wavered and within five years had clocked up 21 victories, but had also suffered five losses and a draw. However, it’s worth noting that during those 27 fights, Nelson won the cruiserweight Central Area title, the European strap and the coveted British belt, with enough defences to enter the history books as a winner of the Lonsdale belt, outright. Despite attempts at various versions of the world title, Nelson had to settle for the WBF strap, which basically meant, in the media’s eyes, he wasn’t a true champion. Once again, Ingle’s faith ensured his vision for Nelson would come to fruition. In March 1999, with a very mediocre record of 31 victories, one draw and 12 losses, Nelson stopped teak tough Carl Thompson in five rounds to win the WBO world cruiserweight title. On a side note, Thompson would only lose once more in in his remaining 11 fights and went on to win the British and European cruiserweight straps, in addition to becoming a two time world champion himself. Not to mention he knocked out David Haye in five rounds in 2004. In the meantime, Nelson went on to defend his WBO strap for the next six years against some stalwart opponents such as, Bruce Scott.
Brendan and Johnny Nelson
So, it’s fair to say that Brendan had an eye for talent and it didn’t stop at Nelson and Graham. When a seven-year-old Prince Naseem Hamed walked into his gym, Ingle would become his boxing father right through to 25 years of age. When Hamed was 11, Ingle said on BBC, ‘One day, he will be champion of the world,’ and once again, it was a prophecy that was fulfilled. Within two years of his debut, Hamed was European bantamweight champion and a year later was crowned WBO world featherweight champion. Over the next seven years, Hamed picked up the full compliment of belts at 126lbs and only incurred one loss, against the mighty Marco Antonio Barrera, towards the end of his career.
Brendan and 'Prince' Naseem Hamed
Hamed and Ingle were dubbed by some as the Paddy and the Prince and it’s true to say they were an unstoppable combination. Not only was Hamed world champion, but at his peak, he was the biggest star in British boxing. The sad part is that Hamed’s last three and a half years of his fistic journey were without Ingle, as their relationship took a sour turn in 1998. Speaking to the BBC, Ingle said, ‘When you are 19,20,21 and you are in the papers and on television, I always say to them, ‘Fame and glory is only a twinkle in the eye.’’ At a later date, he added, ‘They haven’t got a problem with you taking a cut of £400, but when it becomes £4,000 or £4 million, the greed sets in.’ Despite the spoils of success which came with training fighters, Ingle remained unchanged, living in a house in close proximity to the gym and not draped in designer labels and jewellery, which is a common feature of the current boxing landscape of hopefuls.
Brendan with Herol 'Bomber' Graham and juniors
Without a doubt, Brendan Ingle saved lives through the medium of boxing and the spiritual home he created at Wincobank. When he received an MBE in 1995 for services to boxing, it came as no surprise to anyone. Then seven years later, in 2002, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Sheffield Hallum university, in recognition of his significant contributions to British boxing and his incredible work with young people in the community.
Ingle sadly passed away on 25 May 2018 at the age of 77, following a brain haemorrhage. Thankfully, the Ingle names lives on in boxing circles, as sons, Dominic and John run the very same gym which their father started and are working on the next cohort of champions, inside and outside of the ring.
Brendan Ingle MBE
With the current landscape of Youtube and influencer competitors fighting over the hill boxers for multimillion dollar purses, one has to wonder what Ingle would have made of it all. The staged contests, the riches on offer and swapping Caesars Palace, Las Vegas for Saudi.
From failure to fulfilment, boxing allowed Ingle to experience the sport from both inside and outside the ring. He may not be with us any longer, but the legend lives on.
