There are some things in life that simply make sense. West Ham playing in claret and blue. A Friday night under the lights. Nuno Espirito Santo looking mildly irritated. And now, apparently, James Collins punching somebody in the face.
Yes, Ginge is going boxing. The former West Ham cult hero has been confirmed for a Misfits Boxing bout at Stratford's Copper Box Arena on Saturday, 10 October where he will take on Charlie ‘Big Stacks’ Robert.Collins has stepped in at relatively short notice after ex-Apprentice contestant Tom Skinner withdrew, meaning that the former Hammers defender is swapping his football boots for boxing gloves and, presumably, wondering why nobody thought of this sooner.
The Welshman spent two spells with West Ham, making 188 competitive appearances for the club and built a reputation as precisely the sort of centre-half supporters love: big, brave, committed and not especially interested in asking the opposition striker how his day was going.
There was never much subtlety about Ginge. You put the ball into the mixer, James Collins went into the mixer. Someone had to win the header? Ginge. Someone had to put his head where other people wouldn't put their feet? Ginge.
Someone had to chase a 50-50 ball which was actually about 60-40 in favour of the possibility of hospital treatment? You already know the answer. So perhaps Misfits Boxing isn't such a strange career move after all.
The 43-year-old former Welsh international retired from professional football in 2020 after spells with West Ham (x2) plus Cardiff City, Aston Villa and Ipswich Town, while he won 51 caps and was part of the Wales team that famously reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016.
But his reputation for being a hard man isn't merely based on supporters' memories of him launching himself into tackles. Collins recently recalled an incident involving former Hammers team-mates Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan, during which he attempted to intervene in a drunken altercation involving the pair.
It didn't go entirely to plan. Collins admitted that he swung at Carroll, missed, and was subsequently hit by the considerably larger striker. "I’ve been hit a couple of times but I've never been hit so hard in all my life," he recalled. So that's the preparation sorted, then.
The opponent awaiting Collins is 'Big Stacks', a 33-year-old content creator who rather boldly describes himself as "the UK's Hardest Man". He has already tasted victory in Misfits, having stopped Jordan McCann earlier this month. Collins, meanwhile, enters the contest with a boxing record of 0-0.
On paper, that makes this a slightly unusual way for Ginge to spend a Saturday night. But there's a nice bit of symmetry about the whole thing.
The Copper Box is only a short distance from the London Olympic Stadium, meaning that Collins will be returning to the Olympic Park – an area that became home for him during the latter part of his West Ham career – although this time there won't be a referee blowing his whistle every time he decides to rearrange somebody's ribcage.
And Collins is hoping Hammers fans turn up in their numbers to support his cause. "I would love it West Ham heavy in there on the night,” he said after the fight was announced. "I would love your support."
Given Collins' standing among supporters, he probably won't have to ask twice. There is also something wonderfully appropriate about a former West Ham centre-half making his boxing debut on a card featuring the likes of Joey Essex and Dapper Laughs.
While the atmosphere may not quite match the final game at the Boleyn in 2015, for which JC was an unused sub, it should certainly be an evening. So, good luck Ginge. Keep your guard up, keep your chin down.
And whatever you do, don't let Big Stacks anywhere near your six-yard box.
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