Shane McGuigan stepping out of his father Barry's shadow 

Shane McGuigan (right) with Andrew Flintoff (centre) and Barry McGuigan in Sky 1's Flintoff: From Lord's to the Ring

By Damian Dolan

Stepping out of the shadow of his famous father, boxing legend Barry, Shane McGuigan is fast carving out a name for himself in his own right.

As well as training highly rated Belfast fighter Carl Frampton and about to open his first gym in Battersea, Shane has been busy preparing England cricket legend Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff for his professional boxing debut at the grand old age of 34.

Flintoff faces unbeaten American Richard Dawson in Manchester next Friday (November 30) in a fight that’s provoked plenty of debate and divided the boxing world. While the likes of Mike Tyson and Sugar Ray Leonard have given their seal of approval to the bout, and even cast their over Flintoff in the gym, Marvin Hagler, Frank Warren and Frank Maloney are among those who’ve criticised the decision of the British Boxing Board of Control to grant the 2005 England Ashes hero a pro license.

To read more see the December 1 edition of the Irish World