Barry McGuigan in his own right is a boxing legend. He managed a mightily impressive 32 wins in 35 matches, with 28 coming by Knock out. He was an animal in his hay day and seems like the perfect coach for Carl Frampton. Irishman Frampton is already a terrific boxer. He is technically very gifted, as well as having the tenacity to take the match to his opponents. But with McGuigan there he might just be able to take Frampton onto the next level.
McGuigan a former world featherweight champion was a legend during his own time in the ring. During a very troublesome time in Ireland McGuigan was able to give some hope to Northern Ireland, his fame and appeal made him one of the most sought after managers in the country.
McGuigan has already begun proving his worth, with Frampton going on to beat Leo Santa Cruz enabling him to claim the WBA Featherweight title. McGuigan claimed that it was the ‘greatest night of his life’ after the fight. He was also quick to lavish the praise onto Frampton, stating his great ‘spacial awareness’ as a key attribute as well as his quick feet.
So what has McGuigan actually done for Frampton? There is no doubting the Irishman was already a great fighter before McGuigan and his sons became part of his entourage. But after his performance against Santa Cruz you have to say that he is now on another level. In terms of speed, fitness and strength there wasn’t much room for improvement. But in terms of mental strength and Frampton’s movement around the ring, he has gone up 10 fold.
With Frampton stepping up in the ring, it has been McGuigan and his son’s task to take Frampton into the main stream of boxing culture. Having the young Irishman on terrestrial TV has been a big hit and has propelled the young man from Belfast into a new category fighting and has really helped push his popularity up in the UK. However, a battle against Scott Quigg in order to defend his belt looks on the cards as he looks to further cement his place in boxing history. With his second leg with Santa Cruz taking place in Brooklyn surely it won’t be too long before Frampton conquers the states.
There is no doubting that McGuigan has made a big impact on Frampton. Having a legend as a coach/manager and a team that is basically family is only going to push the Irishman on further.
