Barry McGuigan launches £5,000,000 boxer investment scheme

[Ruthless-RKO]

Former featherweight world champion Barry McGuigan has launched an intriguing fighter investment scheme, giving fans and businesses the opportunity to invest in fighters.

The Cyclone Promotions boss has set up the Boxing Advantage Company (BAC) which he hopes will raise big funs and big returns on boxers

McGuigan is hoping to secure £5,000,000 investment to help Cyclone Promotions to build a stable of world champions.

The funds will be used to research, sign, and nurture talented fighters, with the Clones Cyclone hoping to develop a team of 15 top boxers.

Those fighters will then be promoted by Cyclone and trained by Shane McGuigan in London.

The people who invest initially will then secure a cut of the career earnings of the punchers whom they have invested in. This cut would be from income generated by sponsorships and appearances rather than fight purses.

The minimum contribution is £5,000 and the perks of being involved include VIP tickets to Cyclone shows.

As well as Cyclone and the McGuigans, Harvey Shulman and Rupert Phillips will be involved as directors of the fund.

“It’s a tough business but I believe we have the alchemy to turn the rough metal into gold,” the Mail quoted McGuigan as saying in a meeting with potential investors last month.

“I believe myself and my son Shane are the best at detecting who the talented kids are. I don’t want to waste time on someone who is not going to make it.

“You had Audley Harrison, who won the Olympic gold medal. I would not have signed him and I would not have paid that money. Not because I didn’t think he was a good boxer, simply because with those big padded gloves and the headguard whether he could take a bang on the chin.”

“I’m not looking for people going for the British title, Commonwealth title or European title level. I’m not interested in that, I want to make world champions.”

Boxers managed by Cyclone and trained by Shane McGuigan include Josh Taylor, Lee McGregor, and Chantelle Cameron – while WBA super middleweight champion George Groves is trained by McGuigan.

McGregor, Cameron, and Malik Zinad are the initial fighters featured in the fund.

The Irish outfit used to guide the careers of numerous Irish boxers and ran shows here but have become an increasingly absent part of the scene in Ireland recently – this, despite pledges in late 2015 and early 2017 that they would be signing fighters and running shows on the island.

The cancellation of Carl Frampton vs. Andreas Gutierrez at the SSE Odyssey Arena last Summer means that the last Cyclone Promotions promotion on these shores was way back in November 2015.

In the months which followed this, Cyclones last two remaining Irish fighters – with there being five at one stage – left the outfit. These fighters, Frampton and Conrad Cummings, were also trained by Shane McGuigan.

The pair have since relocated to Jamie Moore’s VIP Gym in Astley and Frampton, who is involved in an ongoing legal battle with the McGuigans, is now promoted by allegedly.

[Counter-puncher]

the mind boggles.

[Boxerbeetle]

I look forward to the inevitable pitch on Dragon’s Den.

[keirw]

Former featherweight world champion Barry McGuigan has launched an intriguing fighter investment scheme, giving fans and businesses the opportunity to invest in fighters.

The Cyclone Promotions boss has set up the Boxing Advantage Company (BAC) which he hopes will raise big funs and big returns on boxers

McGuigan is hoping to secure £5,000,000 investment to help Cyclone Promotions to build a stable of world champions.

The funds will be used to research, sign, and nurture talented fighters, with the Clones Cyclone hoping to develop a team of 15 top boxers.

Those fighters will then be promoted by Cyclone and trained by Shane McGuigan in London.

The people who invest initially will then secure a cut of the career earnings of the punchers whom they have invested in. This cut would be from income generated by sponsorships and appearances rather than fight purses.

The minimum contribution is £5,000 and the perks of being involved include VIP tickets to Cyclone shows.

As well as Cyclone and the McGuigans, Harvey Shulman and Rupert Phillips will be involved as directors of the fund.

“It’s a tough business but I believe we have the alchemy to turn the rough metal into gold,” the Mail quoted McGuigan as saying in a meeting with potential investors last month.

“I believe myself and my son Shane are the best at detecting who the talented kids are. I don’t want to waste time on someone who is not going to make it.

“You had Audley Harrison, who won the Olympic gold medal. I would not have signed him and I would not have paid that money. Not because I didn’t think he was a good boxer, simply because with those big padded gloves and the headguard whether he could take a bang on the chin.”

“I’m not looking for people going for the British title, Commonwealth title or European title level. I’m not interested in that, I want to make world champions.”

Boxers managed by Cyclone and trained by Shane McGuigan include Josh Taylor, Lee McGregor, and Chantelle Cameron – while WBA super middleweight champion George Groves is trained by McGuigan.

McGregor, Cameron, and Malik Zinad are the initial fighters featured in the fund.

The Irish outfit used to guide the careers of numerous Irish boxers and ran shows here but have become an increasingly absent part of the scene in Ireland recently – this, despite pledges in late 2015 and early 2017 that they would be signing fighters and running shows on the island.

The cancellation of Carl Frampton vs. Andreas Gutierrez at the SSE Odyssey Arena last Summer means that the last Cyclone Promotions promotion on these shores was way back in November 2015.

In the months which followed this, Cyclones last two remaining Irish fighters – with there being five at one stage – left the outfit. These fighters, Frampton and Conrad Cummings, were also trained by Shane McGuigan.

The pair have since relocated to Jamie Moore’s VIP Gym in Astley and Frampton, who is involved in an ongoing legal battle with the McGuigans, is now promoted by allegedly.

That certainly sounds like something Mcguigan would say

[JimJim2009]

So they're broke.

[spudder56]

So they're broke.

I was thinking the same myself mate

[Ezzard]

Rich people have been investing in boxers for decades. But I guess this is more of a bond/fund style arrangement.

If I had 5k I didn't mind losing I would be in. I wonder if there are any tax incentives? SEIS/EIS type of thing...

[Stuarty]

They must be skint. I wouldn't invest a bean with McGuigan even if I had that much disposable income. I see Taylor isn't involved in the fund. He's got the biggest earning potential in the stable. I'm sure there would've been plenty people interested in investing in him.

[dookus]

So they're broke.

I was thinking the same myself mate

[Noxy]

They must be skint. I wouldn't invest a bean with McGuigan even if I had that much disposable income. I see Taylor isn't involved in the fund. He's got the biggest earning potential in the stable. I'm sure there would've been plenty people interested in investing in him.

I‘d do it if I had some spare coin to add a bit of spice to my interest in boxing. I wouldn’t be too confident about getting a return on it though.

[Stuarty]

They must be skint. I wouldn't invest a bean with McGuigan even if I had that much disposable income. I see Taylor isn't involved in the fund. He's got the biggest earning potential in the stable. I'm sure there would've been plenty people interested in investing in him.

I‘d do it if I had some spare coin to add a bit of spice to my interest in boxing. I wouldn’t be too confident about getting a return on it though.

There's more chance of Jennifer Lawrence turning up at my door the night begging to suck me off than getting a return on a McGuigan investment

P.s she better not turn up as the footballs on the inconsiderate boot

[ewenhay]

Sounds like a good idea on paper but could be an absolute shambles in practice if not managed correctly.

[spudder56]

Sounds like a good idea on paper but could be an absolute shambles in practice if not managed correctly.

Why don’t the mcguigans invest their own money in the scheme ? Just sounds like pie in the sky to me so they are going to manage train and promote the boxer lol as I always say the trainers only as good as the boxer

[rio]

I wonder how much Frampton is investing in this scheme and what his thoughts are on Barrys new venture?

[jameswilson]

It's odd. The business model of being managed, promoted and trained by the McGuigans worked so well for Frampton I'm amazed there is such a lot of cynicism on here......

[Counter-puncher]

Sounds like a good idea on paper but could be an absolute shambles in practice if not managed correctly.

Why don’t the mcguigans invest their own money in the scheme ? Just sounds like pie in the sky to me so they are going to manage train and promote the boxer lol as I always say the trainers only as good as the boxer

It's a bad idea on paper, too.

[Counter-puncher]

It's odd. The business model of being managed, promoted and trained by the McGuigans worked so well for Frampton I'm amazed there is such a lot of cynicism on here......

I'm slightly surprised by the near-unanimity, so either boxrec posters are more clued-up/ cynical than I assumed, or it's an even worse idea than I thought.

Everything about it reeks of desperation.

[Coco]

Maybe he can use some of this money to repay Frampton!
And I wonder how much money he will be putting in himself!
Saying that I wonder about its legality, sounds like Primo Carnera all over again! If a business is buying into a fighter he will also want a cut of the purse.

[Loynesy]

Cracking typo in the first line

[Loynesy]

If they produce an Information Memorandum, or PPM, I will take a look and revert to the board, but it looks utterly fanciful. Can’t believe it will qualify for any form of tax benefit.

[Counter-puncher]

Investors having part-shares in horses is reasonably well-established, and in the best cases, obviously the minority, can make investors a few quid. but there is a huge difference between that and the model being proposed here.

Horses don't demand purses for themselves. Add that into the mix and the thing seems untenable to me on that basis alone. How does the fighter get a decent cut and the shareholders still get theirs, or vice versa

[Counter-puncher]

And investors won't get paid out of fight purses but sponsorship and appearance money? This just gets better.

[Coco]

Investors having part-shares in horses is reasonably well-established, and in the best cases, obviously the minority, can make investors a few quid. but there is a huge difference between that and the model being proposed here.

Horses don't demand purses for themselves. Add that into the mix and the thing seems untenable to me on that basis alone. How does the fighter get a decent cut and the shareholders still get theirs, or vice versa

I imagine it would be similar to the Frampton model where the fighter goes short as well as these new investors and the whole McGuigan family is on the payroll.

[bripez]

Cracking typo in the first line

I didn’t notice that!

So, all Barry has to do is convince 1,000 people to each give him 5 grand so that he can find boxers, to be trained by his son, managed by his other son and have their kit washed by his wife.

Sounds good, I will send my payment as soon as I have sent my details to this African king who emailed me today looking for somewhere to transfer $100million dollars

[Counter-puncher]

Christ, imagine being an investor turning up to take advantage of your VIP status at the fights, and there's a wobbly-eyed Bazza trying to chisel more money out of you and enthusing wildly over whatever prospect(s) he's trying to sell you on.