Carl Frampton: Former boxer wanted to tell story of McGuigan split 'my way' in new book

Carl Frampton says he was keen to tell his story "my way" as he opened up about his acrimonious split and subsequent legal battle with former manager Barry McGuigan.

The former two-weight world champion has detailed his relationship with the McGuigan family and the ensuing lawsuit between himself and Cyclone Promotions in his new autobiography.

After their partnership broke down in 2017, Frampton and Cyclone Promotions sued each other in a High Court case in Belfast.

Frampton was suing McGuigan and Cyclone Promotions for alleged withheld earnings.

In a counter suit, McGuigan claimed against Frampton for breach of contract. Both men denied the respective allegations against them.

The multi-million-pounds case began at the High Court in Belfast in September 2020 and was settled out of court in November of that year.

In his upcoming book, Frampton details how the fractious breakdown of his eight-year partnership with McGuigan and subsequent court proceedings took a toll on himself and his family.

In an interview with BBC Sport Northern Ireland ahead of the release of his book, Frampton was asked if he could understand people potentially questioning why he has chosen to revisit the split and legal battle given it was settled nearly three years ago.

"I could understand that, but I bring it up again because I want to tell it my way," said Frampton, 36, who retired in 2021.

"I don't mind upsetting or annoying these people because I was upset and annoyed for many a year. It's just another nail in the coffin and I'm happy to do that."

Frampton felt like McGuigans 'didn't care about me anymore'

Frampton and former world champion McGuigan began working together in 2009. Under McGuigan, the Belfast fighter won world titles at super-bantamweight and featherweight in 2014 and 2016.

However, the partnership ended in August 2017 after Frampton's fight with Andres Gutierrez in Belfast on 29 July was called off.

Frampton weighed in one pound overweight for the bout, but the contest was still scheduled to go ahead until the Mexican was injured after slipping in a shower.

Less than 10 days before Frampton's scheduled contest with Gutierrez, the Belfast boxer resigned as a director of Cyclone Promotions.

Frampton fought seven times after leaving Cyclone, winning five and losing two after signing with British promoter Frank Warren. Frampton hung up his gloves in April 2021 after his bid to become a three-weight world champion ended in defeat by Jamel Herring.

Barry McGuigan's son Shane (left) was Frampton's trainer before the split in 2017

While admitting he regrets not ending his partnership with the McGuigans earlier in his career, Frampton said revisiting that time in his life made him realise how naive he was at times.

"I had full and complete trust in these people, to the point where they would put contracts in front of me and say 'sign that' and I would just sign it thinking 'these guys have my best interest at heart'."

After the legal dispute ended in 2020, Frampton said he did not expect to patch up his differences with McGuigan. Nearly three years on, that view has not changed.

"I think the relationship's dead, it will always be dead," said Frampton.

"But for a while I had a lot of bitterness about them and thought about them a lot and I had a lot of anger, but I don't have that anymore. I kind of pity them now."

When asked why his bitterness has dissipated, Frampton said "time" had been a factor.

He said: "I've just calmed down a bit and have more important things to worry about now and obviously there was a settlement in the court case which, I mean I can't say a lot about the settlement, but what I can say, I'm extremely happy with the settlement."