‘New McGuigan’ ready for debut

Carl Frampton, set to make his professional debut in the Kings Hall in Belfast on Friday, has been dubbed ‘the new Barry McGuigan’ by one of the Clones Cyclone’s former trainers.

Gerry Storey, who trained McGuigan, Neil Sinclair, Hugh Russell and a host of other Irish boxing stars has backed ‘The Jackal’ to go all the way to a world title.

He told East Side Boxing, “I have handled most of the fighters that we have had coming up in the past including Barry and the rest of them. And this will be the best that we have had coming along.”

Storey continued, “This will be the new McGuigan. As far as I am concerned he is the best that we have had since Barry was packing the Ulster Hall and the Kings Hall.”

McGuigan meanwhile has supported the claims adding, “Every time I watch this kid in the gym he gets better and better. He gets embarrassed sometimes when I talk about him, but it is the quality he has.

“It is not just about being able to bang, which is almost a prerequisite when you are a professional fighter. That is why a lot of the amateurs don’t make it as a pro because they don’t carry the old wallop.”

“This kid has got power, but he has got intelligence too. He boxes with intelligence, he backs off and fights coming forward and every time I see him he gets better and better.

“We are not going to see Frampton at his best until people really try against him – that’s when you will really see him. When you start a fight with him, he suddenly becomes an amazing kid.”

Frampton will take to the ring against Ian Bailey on Friday on the fight card of European Champion Paul McCloskey and mandatory challenger Giuseppe Lauri.