Who was Prince Naseem Hamed’s trainer Brendan Ingle, and which other fighters did he train?

WITH the release of Giant, the Prince Naseem Hamed biopic, we are introduced to the role in which Brendan Ingle played in his illustrious career.

The title removes any ambiguity about the fact that this will be an upflifting boxing film.

Pierce Brosnan as Brendan Ingle in a film still from “Giant.”

Focusing on multiple featherweight world champion, Prince Naseem Hamed, it captures a detailed portrait of him as a man as well as a successful athlete.

However, as it reaches its conclusion, it becomes abundantly clear that the real hero emerges as Prince Naseem Hamed’s coach Brendan Ingle.

Helped by Pierce Brosnan’s stellar performance, Ingle emerges as a mentor and father figure to the tougher kids of South Yorkshire.

He attempts to try and channel their violent tendencies into structured boxing.

The film depicts a real-life tale of resilience and tenacity whilst showcasing one man’s journey of selfless dedication to uplift and inspire the next generation of boxers.

Who was Brendan Ingle?

Having moved to South Yorkshire from Ireland aged 18, he was a man driven by a hunger to pursue a career in boxing.

His fighting career saw him enter the professional middleweight division.

At the peak of his competitive career, he was ranked 8th in the UK.

While living in Wincobank, Ingle was approached by the local vicar who asked him to carry out some community work as a result of youths in the area “running wild”.

Subsequently, he organised a weekly dance at St Thomas’ church hall, which led to the creation of his famous gym.

Speaking in 1999, he stated that: “After the Sunday dance people would turn out on to the street and start fighting down Newman Road.

“So after 11pm we’d lock the doors, I’d fetch the gloves out, which thinking about it now was crazy. I would referee. Nobody ever got hurt.”

This led to Ingle becoming a boxing trainer, through which he got to train many successful champions, most notably Prince Naseem Hamed.