Boxing trainer Shane McGuigan has hit out at Josh Taylor over the super lightweight world champion’s acrimonious split from Cyclone Promotions.
Taylor decided to quit Barry McGuigan’s company for Top Rank in America this month.
Both Shane and dad Barry had supported the Edinburgh-born fighter in his journey from turning professional to becoming WBA and IBF belt holder last October.
The move has also seen Shane split as Taylor’s coach and he is less than impressed by the way his former protege’s has gone about business.
McGuigan said: “It was a huge surprise and a bit of a killer blow really.
“It was late December and I got a phone call saying Josh was asking to leave. It was a pretty big shock. I didn’t see anything coming.
“As soon as I heard that, my heart sank. Mainly because of the effort and time that I and we had put in to Josh. I felt we had managed him and trained him impeccably – 16 fights unbeaten, unified world champion, Ring magazine champion.
“To find out like that was a blow. I’m annoyed that I’ve invested four-and-a-half years of my time and energy in someone who just doesn’t deserve it.”
Speaking to Boxing Social, McGuigan admits there was no chance he would continue coaching Taylor.
He added: “I train fighters that aren’t necessarily managed by my dad, George Grooves and David Haye. But with Josh, dad had signed him from the start and has done an amazing job with him. He’s built him up and it’s not right to do it that way. I’m not going to continue to train him when he has done that to somebody so close to me. Myself and Josh will no longer be working together.”
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