‘Barry McGuigan’ – Carl Frampton’s cheeky response when asked which fighter from history he would most like to fight!

The cheeky smile says it all.

Carl Frampton couldn’t resist poking fun the way of his fellow Irish boxing legend and former manager Barry McGuigan in a video montage released by BT Sports on Monday.

BT asked a host of people in the boxing game ‘If you could pick any opponent in history to fight, who do you choose?’ for the purposes of a the video.

Names like Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Prince Naseem Hammed, Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes where mentioned by the likes of Ricky Hatton, Josh Warrington, Billy Joe Saunders, Kid Gallahad and Frank Bruno.

Indeed, another Belfast favourite Michael Conlan name dropped legendary lightweight ‘Hands of Stone’ Duran.

However, ‘The Jackal’ went a bit left field and plumped for the ‘Clones Cyclone’ Barry McGuigan.

The three weight world title hopeful justified his choice by suggesting ‘it would have been a huge Irish showdown’.

Although most will be aware of the cheeky nature to his pick.

Frampton fell out with McGugian and those at Cyclone Promotions to such a degree that he left the promotional company back in 2017.

The former two weight world champion is now involved a legal battle with his ex manager and former mentor.

The fighter is suing Barry McGuigan, his wife Sandra McGuigan and Cyclone Promotions (UK) Ltd, claiming a failure to pay purse money from his bouts. His case centres on alleged earnings in excess of £4m. The writs form the basis of a counter-claim to separate proceedings brought against Mr Frampton in London by the McGuigan family-run Cyclone Promotions. The court case will be heard this month.

Frampton’s response when asked which fighter in history he would like to trade leather with suggests he would prefer to settle the differences in the ring and proves he has maintained his sense of humour even with a case looming.

What would be yours? https://t.co/gUpJqaheiK

— P4P Boxing Opinions (@OpinionsP4p) January 6, 2020

The 32-year-old is currently nursing two hand injuries, but is expected to return to the ring in May. Frampton is on course to challenge WBO super-featherweight world champion Jamel Herring in Belfast. Victory in that fight will make him Ireland’s first ever three weight world champion.

Frampton has discussed how he believes he would have fared against Barry McGuigan and other Irish boxers in and around the weight previously. ‘The Jackal’ thinks he would have out boxed the ‘Clones Cyclone’.