Tag: Cyclone

Josh Taylor: ‘I wasn’t happy’ with former handlers

Taylor said that he was simply doing what was best for his career when he decided to leave Cyclone Promotions and his trainer.

Junior welterweight titleholder Josh Taylor wants to move on from his from his former promoter and trainer, let bygones be bygones. But not before slipping in the final word.

The Scotsman recently signed a new pact with American outfit Top Rank, which didn’t go over well with longtime handlers Barry McGuigan of Cyclone Promotions and his son and trainer Shane. The elder McGuigan hinted at a possible lawsuit against his former client, while Taylor insists he was free to leave and that he was transparent. 

Taylor (16-0 12 KOs) said in a recent interview that he regrets any hard feelings and that he was simply doing what was best for his career. With Top Rank, Taylor now has a major promotional force behind him and a clear line toward unifying junior welterweight titles against Jose Ramirez later this year. Also waiting in the wings at welterweight is a shot at Top Rank-promoted titleholder Terence Crawford.

At the same time, Taylor was quick to point out that he “just wasn’t happy” with Team McGuigan.

“There were a lot things behind the scenes that was going on that I wasn’t happy with for a long time,” Taylor told Boxing Social. “So I took it in my hands. I’m going to move management and promoter. … I’ve done that all the right way.”

Shane McGuigan recently expressed his disappointment in Taylor, saying “I’m annoyed that I’ve invested 4½ years of my time and energy in someone who just doesn’t deserve it.”

Taylor responded to his ex-trainer’s comments.

“I’m getting a lot of stick that I dumped Shane and all that,” Taylor continued. “He said he’s put in the time and the effort, and he has, but he’s been paid for that time and paid for that effort. It’s not as if he’s done that out of the goodness of his heart.

“[Shane McGuigan said] ‘You want loyalty? Buy a dog?’ I thought that comment was unfair. The whole time I was with him, I showed nothing but loyalty and commitment to them.”

Taylor added that he was particularly displeased with the way Shane McGuigan would leave him out of the loop when it came to training camps that involved the trainer’s other fighters, such as British lightweight contender Luke Campbell.

“They ran away to Miami before the (Ivan) Baranchyk fight, the whole team,” Taylor said. “They never asked me to go. You know, I’d love to have been over there. … Before the [Regis] Prograis fight, Luke had the fight in Philly and again they all went to Philly and never even asked me. Again, It was maybe 12 weeks out, but I could’ve been there in the background, staying out of everyone else’s way … and never even got to go. And they didn’t even have the decency to get me a gym key to get in — the (McGuigan) gym in London — so I had to go to other gyms to train. I just thought that was unfair.”

Still, Taylor expressed gratitude toward his former team.

“I just want to say thank you to them,” he said. “They got me great matches. Of course, I was thankful to them. I’d be an idiot or a spoiled brat if I wasn’t.”

Taylor is scheduled to face mandatory challenger Apinum Khongsong, in a bout that will be promoted by Khongsong’s promoter Sampson Lewkowicz. The date and place have yet to be determined.

Follow Sean Nam on Twitter at @seanpasbon

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Josh Taylor’s ex-trainer: ‘my heart sank’

Shane McGuigan has confirmed that he will no longer be training Josh Taylor, who recently signed with Top Rank.

Hard feelings are left in the wake of Josh Taylor’s jump to Top Rank in a split with promoter Barry McGuigan and his son, trainer Shane McGuigan.

Shane McGuigan says he could never continue to work Taylor’s corner because of the way the junior-welterweight champion left Cyclone Promotions, his father’s company.

“My dad matched him impeccably and built him up and I feel it is not right to do it that way,’’ Shane McGuigan told Boxing Social. “I would not continue to train somebody who has done that to someone so close to me.

“We had such a great thing going, lots of big wins and achievements. So, I felt it was not fair for that person to be cut out so myself and Josh will no longer be working together.”

Taylor, who signed with Top Rank on Jan. 9, has yet to decide on a new trainer. He is expected to make a mandatory title defense against Apinum Khongsong of Thailand within the next three months.

Shane McGuigan said he was stunned by Taylor’s deal with Top Rank, a move that put him closer to a fight for the undisputed 140-pound title against Jose Ramirez.

“It was a pretty big shock,’’ Shane said. “I did not see anything coming, and as soon as I heard it, my heart sank mainly because of the effort and time we had personally put in for Josh. We had managed and trained him impeccably, inside 16 fights he was unified world champion.

“If he had been a year into his career then fine, no problem. And if he had called me and talked to everyone and done it the right way, then that would have been fine. But not that way, after four-and-a-half years and all the achievements.’’