At 6 ft 2, James Collins was a real physical presence at the back for West Ham United. He had two stints at the Hammers in his career. Collins was part of the West Ham side that got to the FA Cup final in 2006.
Adam Brooks of Misfits Boxing posted on X: "I’m proud to announce that my good friend and West Ham legend, James Collins ( GINGE ) will be fighting Big Stacks on Misfits Boxing on October 10th at The Copperbox arena - live on DAZNboxing."
The Copperbox arena is just a stone's throw away from the London Stadium. Hammers fans will know the venue well, as they have previously been there to watch boxer and West Ham fan Sammy McNess fight.
Collins' opponent goes by Big Stacks, but his real name is Charlie Robert. He is 33, so he is 10 years younger than Collins. Stacks claims to be the "UK's Hardest Man," and he will be coming up against arguably the hardest ex-West Ham player. This will be on the undercard of Joey Essex vs. Dapper Laughs.
Stacks was defeated by Armz Korleone in a bizarre body shots-only Misfits fight. However, he then went on to beat rapper Jordan McCann.
Many former Hammers have tried their hand at different sports
Rio Ferdinand also tried to become a professional boxer, but failed to get a license. Wayne Bridge also defeated Spencer Mathews in a boxing match. Bridge was then meant to fight KSI, but withdrew after comments made by the YouTube and Dagenham & Redbridge owner.
Julian Dicks and Jimmy Bullard both became professional golfers. Bullard now also appears on the Golf Life YouTube channel alongside former Soccer AM presenter Tubes. Teddy Sheringham also played professional poker.
The Hammers have an affiliation with boxing, as there is a West Ham Amateur Boxing Club. This was used as the venue for an interview with new signing Edvin Austbo on West Ham's official YouTube channel.
There are also famous professional boxers who are West Ham fans including Kevin Mitchell, Lennox Lewis, and Frank Bruno.
Since retiring, Collins has worked in the media and co-presents Iron Cast alongside Chris Scull. Credit must go to him for taking on this boxing challenge, as the training and discipline involved in the sport are immense. Collins remains very popular amongst West Ham fans, so there is sure to be many supporting him on the night.
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