Brad Ginn elected to Alabama Boxing Hall of Fame

MADISON – As a young boxer coming out of Huntsville, Brad Ginn once won a unanimous decision and defeated Deontay Wilder prior to Wilder winning the world heavyweight championship and became the most feared fighter in the world. The hard-fought battle in March 2006 should be the highlight of any boxer’s career, but for Ginn, the real accomplishment came on July 11 of this year when he was enshrined into the Alabama Boxing Hall of Fame.

“Certainly one of the greatest honors of my life,” said Ginn. “It’s the journey. To be recognized for my life journey easily proves the sport of boxing can impact your life.”

A self-declared natural athlete, Ginn was a soccer goalie in his youth and also played baseball, tennis and football and attended Huntsville High School, but feeling social awkwardness caused him to shy away from school and eventually led to him dropping out of his education, though he proudly earned his GED in 1992. He soon became the youngest real estate broker in Alabama and would later start his own business in 2005 and for the last three years has seen that business triple in size as Beacon Management Services.

“The years of boxing have helped me through this journey as the sport has helped me health wise, but discipline within the sport has transcended into my personal life as I’m a better family man, husband and businessman,” said Ginn. “All of this I attribute back to boxing giving me purpose in life.”

First learning some martial arts techniques, Ginn migrated to amateur boxing in 2003 where he posted a 19-4 record winning both Alabama and Regional Golden Gloves honors. His last bout in his first trek into boxing was the match against Wilder. At that time he chose to leave the sport and concentrate on business and family and remained away from the sport until 2021 when he decided he needed the sport back into his life. So, after 15 years away from the ring, Ginn laced up his gloves again with the blessing from his wife, Cherie, and his daughter, Jewel, and stepdaughter, Kaina. It was a bold move, but one he had to make nor has regretted.

“When I left boxing I opened a business and gravitated to bad food where I ballooned to over 240-pounds,” said Ginn. “But I soon wanted to see a better me, so I began to work out and realized boxing gave me purpose, so four years ago I began to compete again and currently weigh 215-pounds.”

In the short time since his step back into the ring, Ginn is 20-0. His last bout was in July in a big event in San Diego where he knocked out his opponent in the first 15 seconds of the fight. He’s currently in heavy work out mode as he preps for the New Jersey Masters Championship set to be held in Atlantic City.

“I still move well for a bigger-sized guy, though in some bouts I’m small than those I’m up against,” said Ginn. “I’m known to pressure my opponents and love to be a counter fighter. Strangely enough I fight as a southpaw though I’m right-handed. My best punch is my right hook as I’ve put several opponents to sleep with that punch. Over the years, my left is formidable and I feel I have good body mechanics in boxing due in part to my life in sports.”

The 6-foot-3 Ginn has won the “Trifecta,” which is the three marquee Masters Tournaments in Las Vegas, Houston and Atlantic City, three years in-a-row and is recognized as the best Masters Class heavyweight boxer in America and has been tabbed Alabama’s Masters Boxer of the Year three consecutive years. He has trained under Curt McCune of Birmingham and Snoop Martin at Rocket City Boxing Club in Huntsville and also at Ginn Boxing Gym of Huntsville.

“Most people under estimate me as I’m smaller than most others in our division,” added Ginn. “You can’t size up power. I’m unsuspecting.”

Ginn has had four boxer breed of dogs, all named Rocky. He also wears American Flag trunks similar to those that were famously worn in the movie Rocky 3. He loves the Masters Division as he feels it’s like a brotherhood, there’s very little trash talk between the fighters, which Ginn feels has caused for a tight bond that has seemed to have formed and is much different than the younger boxers of today.

“I’m strong mentality on winning and that gives me confidence as I continue my journey in life,” he added.