Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
FRAMPTON’S £1MILLION BARRY FIGHT
Row on sum lodged into Barry’s bank
CARL Frampton’s legal battle with
Mcguigan yesterday heard disputed claims £1million from his bouts were lodged into his ex-manager’s bank account.
The High Court was told earnings due to the ex-world champion were withheld while he was with Cyclone Promotions.
A judge heard Frampton’s parents were said to have sold a lot of tickets to their son’s fights after a deal was signed.
Referring to The Jackal’s father, a lawyer said: “He paid large amounts of money in cash into Barry Mcguigan’s account in Belfast. There’s a dispute between Mr Frampton Snr and Mrs Mcguigan – he thought possibly up to £1million in cash, she says £220,000.”
EARNINGS due to former world champion boxer Carl Frampton were allegedly withheld during his time with ex-manager Barry Mcguigan, the High Court heard yesterday.
The Belfast fighter claims he wasn’t paid properly under an arrangement which “unjustly enriched” Cyclone Promotions.
A judge was also told Mr Frampton’s parents believe they lodged up to £1million in ticket sales from their son’s bouts into Mr Mcguigan’s bank account.
The boxer has issued a writ over an alleged failure to pay sums due in purse monies. The action is being taken against Mr Mcguigan, his wife Sandra and Cyclone Promotions (UK) Ltd.
It forms the basis of Mr Frampton’s counter-claim to separate legal proceedings brought against him by Cyclone Promotions at the High Court in London.
Mr Frampton, 30, a former two-weight world champion nicknamed “The Jackal”, split from Cyclone last summer. In November it emerged he is facing an action from his former promoters centred on an alleged breach of contract.
Mr Frampton’s lawyers pledged to defend the action and counter-claim.
The boxer’s writ refers to contracts for bouts in Northern Ireland, England and the US.
But a preliminary hearing is under way to decide the proper jurisdiction for the action. Counsel for the Mcguigans and Cyclone Promotions argued it should be heard at the High Court in London.
Liam Mccollum QC insisted London was the only forum for deciding complaints of mismanagement and alleged unjust enrichment.
He also challenged the validity of the writ and confirmed all of the boxer’s claims were rejected. But Gavin Millar for Mr Frampton disputed points raised on the issue of domicile.
Mr Mcguigan was famed as an “Irish/ Northern Irish” boxer in his own world championship-winning career who, according to a press interview, still returns to the region up to four times a year, the court heard.
He became Mr Frampton’s manager in 2009. Mr Justice Horner was told the boxer would have decided differently if he’d known Mr Mcguigan and his wife had been banned from being company directors for five years after a previous venture was wound up with debts of £80,000 back in 1996. In an affidavit he stated: “I do not believe I would have signed an agreement if he had told me about his disqualification.”
The court heard Mr Mcguigan was always keen to build a fan base for Mr Frampton in Belfast and promote both of their links to Northern Ireland.
Referring to Mr Frampton’s father, Mr Millar said: “He paid large amounts of ticket money in cash into Barry Mcguigan’s bank account in Belfast.
“There’s a dispute between him [Mr Frampton Snr] and Mrs Mcguigan – he thought possibly up to £1million in cash over that period, she says £220,000.
“But it’s a lot of cash being collected from fights from people in Belfast.”
Mr Millar said there had been an alleged “failure to secure him due and proper reward”.
It is further claimed Mr Frampton’s former management company had a conflict of interests and “withheld money due to him”.
Frampton Snr paid large amounts of ticket cash to Mcguigan GAVIN MILLAR HIGH COURT BELFAST YESTERDAY