Born into one of Britain's largest Romany families in 1971, Joe Smith was taught golf by his father, Rymer. After becoming London's Junior Golf Champion he began to realise that his climb up the the golfing ladder was being thwarted by racism and prejudice. Angry and rejected, Joe became a bare-knuckle fighter and began to mix in criminal circles. Later, however, remembering the promises he made his father, he took up golf again and repeatedly made the qualifying stages of the British Open, as well as becoming the Unlicensed London Heavyweight Champion.