Manchester Memories: Recalling the Final Fight of Barry McGuigan's Boxing Career

On Saturday, when Carl Frampton makes his ring walk ahead of his much-anticipated fight with Scott Quigg in Manchester, England, Barry McGuigan will understandably be nervous.

As The Jackal’s manager, McGuigan has already done his job.

It was a long time in the making, but he clinched a deal for his client to take on his longtime rival in a super bantamweight unification bout staged on pay-per-view television. Frampton—who holds the IBF belt—will be a rich man, win, lose or draw.

But this isn’t a simple business matter for McGuigan—Frampton is linked to the Irishman's family in a deeper way than just through the straightforward fighter-manager relationship.

Barry’s son, Shane McGuigan, trains the talented super bantamweight. Shane’s older siblings, Blain and Jake, meanwhile, work for dad’s Cyclone Promotions company that promotes the 29-year-old.

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McGuigan the father will be fretting about how the night goes for all his team. That includes Frampton, who told Frank Brownlow of the Belfast Telegraph, "I don't think I would be where I am now without Barry."

Defeat likely won't end the team's journey together, but a victory makes the road ahead so much clearer—and more profitable, too.

McGuigan can only hope Frampton’s trip to Manchester—which will see him step into his opponent’s backyard (a rather large yard at that, seeing as WBA champion Quigg is from nearby Bury)—ends with a better result than his appearance in the city.

When he stepped into the ring in Manchester on May 31, 1989, The Clones Cyclone was on the comeback trail.

Few in Ireland were disappointed to see him back in action again. In becoming a world champion at super featherweight, he united a troubled nation north of the border, despite being born in the south.

In times of serious trouble, McGuigan could bring people together by doing the fighting himself. He told Martin Domin of Mail Online: "I wore the United Nations flag of peace and my dad [Pat] would sing Danny Boy before my fights. That was very important to me."

He initially retired in 1987 following the death of his father. However, McGuigan didn’t stay out of the ring for too long.

Just less than two years after he lost his WBA featherweight belt to Steve Cruz in the searing heat of an outdoor fight in Las Vegas, he returned to action in the much cooler surroundings of the Alexandra Pavilion in Muswell Hill, London.

Campaigning at super featherweight his second time around, he knocked out Nicky Perez in the English capital. Later that same year, he beat both Francisco Tomas da Cruz and Julio Cesar Miranda inside the distance.

A world-title challenge appeared to be in the pipeline, provided McGuigan could get past Jim McDonnell.

The Englishman had tried, and failed, to win a major belt at the weight, losing to WBA champion Brian Mitchell on points in November 1988.

Still, according to Lee Bellfield of SaddoBoxing.com, McDonnell was the underdog ahead of the eliminator with McGuigan at the G-Mex Centre.

While the odds might have been against him, he struck an early blow in the battle when a looping left hand in Round 2 opened up a cut over McGuigan’s right eye.

It was not the first time the Irishman had been split open since his return. He had shed blood against Miranda. however, the wound didn’t cost him a victory. Against McDonnell, however, it quickly became clear the damage was severe enough to put the favourite’s continued participation in jeopardy.

McGuigan’s corner did all they could to patch up the damage, but once he climbed off his stool and returned to work in Round 3, it became clear it was a matter of when, not if, the injury would cause a stoppage.

During Round 4, referee Mickey Vann cupped his hands around the face of McGuigan, who had pushed hard in the hope of finding a knockout. The official took one final look at the cut and then waved off the contest. For the loser, it was not just the end of his night but the end of the line.

Despite still being over a year off his 30th birthday, McGuigan (32-3, 28 KOs) retired again. This time, though, it was for good.

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Per BoxRec, McGuigan said in the aftermath to the McDonnell fight: "I said when I started my comeback that if I lost I would retire. I don't intend to reverse that."

After four bouts, the comeback was over. McDonnell went on to get the shot at a world title later in the year, but he lost to WBC champion Azumah Nelson in London.

Now, over a quarter-century later, McGuigan will hope fortunes won’t conspire to go against him again in Manchester.

The atmosphere will be electric. According to the Belfast Telegraph, tickets sold out in a matter of minutes.

Like his mentor and manager, Frampton has a legion of followers who will travel in large numbers to cheer on their man. The Manchester Arena will feel a little like home for the visiting fighter.

McGuigan knows firsthand what it is like to be in that situation. He has been in the eye of the storm, most notably when he became world champion by beating Eusebio Pedroza in the summer of 1985.

Now, though, he'll find himself on the outside of the ring when the first bell sounds. You can expect him to live every moment of the fight from his viewing point, because Frampton is much more to him than a fighter who he represents in negotiations.

But before the mayhem of the main event, McGuigan might just get time to reflect on his own Manchester memories, back to a night when The Clones Cyclone came to an unexpected halt.