Barry McGuigan: "Frampton can unite the people"

Barry McGuigan believes his super-bantamweight charge Carl Frampton has all the tools to succeed at the very top.

Speaking through his boxing column in Saturday’s Daily Mirror, McGuigan sees Frampton breaking through the political divide to unite Belfast behind a new hero.

“The people of Belfast know their boxing. I know a great fighter when I see one,” opined Barry. “He has the X factor in spades and will be as big as I was, but in a new Belfast. This is the epitome of the modern Northern Ireland, fighting for a shared future in which political tension is a thing of the past.”

23-year-old Frampton is from the traditionally Loyalist Tiger’s Bay area of North Belfast yet trains with Gerry Storey just minutes up the road in the Nationalist New Lodge estate. McGuigan was at Carl’s Midland ABC amateur club recently taking his protégé on the pads and answering questions.

“Carl can fight aggressively or off the back foot and when guys exchange with him he can knock them out with counter punches,” said Barry.

“I don’t want to change him too much because what he did as an amateur worked. “I don’t want to lose the things he did well but gradually improve his ability to come forward a bit more and inject more pace into his work. That will all come with time and quality sparring – that’s where you learn the skills. I’m thrilled about his improvements and I really want to get him out in Belfast.

“After turning pro I made my name at the King’s Hall in Belfast [fighting there seven times],” he continued, in the Mirror.

“I was seen a unifying force, a young fighter who represented all creeds and religious persuasions. Had it not been for the Troubles, I would have been no different form any other young boxer trying to make a name for himself. I would have been just like Frampton in fact.”

Carl is currently 5-0 (3 KO’s) as a novice professional, but just watching the intensity in his training, obviously chilling punch power (Barry says Carl punches harder than he did as a pro) and willingness to improve his style, Frampton will soon be knocking on the door of the British title.

“I have not been so excited about a young Irish fighter for a long time,” concluded McGuigan.