With Irish boxing languishing in profoundly low depths these days, it is important not to lose sight of some of the genuinely great people the sport has produced. Few came greater than the late Brendan Ingle, who was laid to rest yesterday in Sheffield.
Among the hundreds to pay their respects to Ingle was Johnny Nelson, who was trained by Ingle to a world title. Nelson paid an emotional tribute to Ingle on ITV, saying that his only wish is that Ingle is never forgotten.
This guy showed me patience, showed me understanding and he showed me friendship. It sounds disrespectful to my own father but he was a true father figure. I used to get jealous of his kids, when they went home I thought, 'he's your Dad'?
Brendan would talk to you in a way that said, 'If you and everyone would take care of their own doorstep, that's the beginning.
The champions that you know are a drop in the ocean in regards to the people that he helped. We would be walking and someone would walk up to him with their kids and say, 'Bren remember me? 20 years ago you changed my life'.
Nelson became visibly upset when recalling Brendan's final days as he suffered from dementia.
"It sounds disrespectful to my own father but he was like a true father figure. I don't want people to forget him."
An emotional @SkyJohnnyNelson pays tribute to his former trainer; the late Brendan Ingle. pic.twitter.com/5dWlrP9Xt8
— ITV News Calendar (@itvcalendar) June 13, 2018
