The future’s bright, the future’s Ginge!

Ginge laps it up in Sierra Leone during fight week

THE global YouTube fight arena is driven by superstars such as KSI and Jake Paul, fairly average boxers who have amassed fortunes and hundreds of thousands of followers.

But one unlikely Birmingham scrapper is rapidly catching them up – “Ginge from Shard End”, a roly poly rocky whose rise is both bizarre and baffling.

Born plain Liam Smyth, the name is a fitting description of what Ginge brings to the table. He’s ginger and from Birmingham’s Shard End district.

He’s also a 34-year-old grandfather, dad to four, and a café owner until fight fame loomed.

His is a truly surreal boxing story. As one established professional manager told me: “You couldn’t make it up.”

After a video of Ginge slinging punches on a pub car park went viral, he decided to chance his arm in the unlicenced game.

He has lost one of 10 bouts and in April travelled, all expenses paid, to Sierra Leone where he outpointed the west African country’s military champ Tommy Lee.

Ginge is paraded through the streets of Freetown

He was afforded superstar status over there. Fans lined the streets of capital Freetown as an open-top vehicle paraded Ginge through the streets and a civic reception was staged in his honour.

“It was like living a dream, sometimes I had to pinch myself,” he said.

Ginge’s profile is about to get bigger with the launch of his own promotional outfit, Peaky Promotions, which stages its first fight card at Digbeth’s Roller Jam on Sunday, September 1. The bill will raise cash for a local amateur boxing gym.

A YouTube channel dedicated to Ginge’s exploits will soon be up-and-running.

And a return with Sierra Leone rival Tommy Lee is scheduled for Birmingham in December.

The man is modest when discussing his ability. “I’m a heavyweight, I’m a southpaw, I can box,” he said. “I won’t say I’m spectacular, but I have that will to win. I push it all the way.

“I wouldn’t go pro unless someone like Eddie Hearn said they could get me some good money. I’m wouldn’t go pro for the sake of going pro.”

That’s understandable. Ginge enjoys a celebrity status that would be hard to achieve in the professional ranks: he admits a British title would be beyond him. And everyone, but everyone, knows him in Shard End.

Many in the licenced game are critical of what Ginge brings to the table. He doesn’t care.

“The reality is boxing purists only pay to see Canelo, they don’t go to amateur shows, they don’t support grassroots boxing,” he said. “I support local amateur clubs.”

Tickets for Peaky Promotions’ Sunday boxing bill

Ginge aims to box for another three years, but admits it will be hard to match that magical six rounder at Lumley Beach, Freetown. Tommy Lee was dropped in the fourth as the Brummie took a split decision.

“I went to my opponent’s village and they all came out banging pots and pans,” he recalled.

“It was the best experience of my life,” he said. “They treated us like kings, I was on all the news outlets, there was a parade, I met the sports minister.

“We fought on the 63rd anniversary of country’s independence and all the important people were there.”

That trip has established the boxer as a sporting star in Sierra Leone. He now aims to take his own country by storm.

For Ginge, the future’s bright, the future’s not quite orange but close to it.