Carl Frampton's heartbreaking health admission, net worth, Barry McGuigan feud
Carl Frampton has enjoyed a stellar career in boxing, becoming the first Northern Irishman to have held world titles in multiple weight classes, but is concerned for his long-term health
Carl Frampton has revealed concerns about his health
(Image:)
Carl Frampton has revealed his concerns about potentially developing dementia or "some sort of brain injury" as a result of his time in the ring.
The now-retired boxer made a name for himself across two weight divisions – super bantamweight and featherweight – claiming world titles in both categories. Notably, he was the first from Northern Ireland to hold world championships in different weight classes.
These titles earned Frampton Fighter of the Year awards from The Ring magazine, ESPN, and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Frampton held prestigious titles such as the WBA (super) super bantamweight belt in 2016, the IBF super bantamweight title from 2014 to 2016, and the WBA (Super) featherweight title between 2016 and 2017.
Following his retirement in 2021, Frampton appeared on The Nolan Show in February 2025 to share his worries about the future of his neurological health due to his intense boxing career.
This report delves into some of the significant highlights of Frampton's life in the sport, including his estimated net worth, the well-documented feud with Barry McGuigan, and his concerns over potential brain disease.
What is Carl Frampton's net worth?
Carl Frampton is reportedly worth over £1million - despite retiring four years ago
(Image:)
Article continues below
In 2021, The Net Worth Portal reported Frampton's net worth at approximately £1.3million, and stated that he could have made as much as £1.13 million per fight during his prime years.
Having not fought since his retirement four years ago, it remains uncertain if his net worth, which was last calculated in 2021, has changed. Despite this, Frampton did make millions throughout his career, thanks to some lavish fight purses.
The Sun reported that the Northern Irishman earned approximately £902,000 for the rematch against Leo Santa Cruz, and £1.8million from his bout with Josh Warrington.
In 2019, the retired boxer revealed the truth behind fight purses; stating that they were distributed among several parties including management, trainers, and the fighters themselves.
This means that, even if he emerged victorious in the fight, Frampton was unlikely to win the entire purse to keep for himself.
Carl Frampton has earned millions throughout his career
(Image:)
During an appearance on the Joe TKO podcast, the ex-world champion said: "Your outlay depends on where you are at. For me to be fighting in big title fights, your trainer gets 10%. Your manager normally gets 25%. That is the amount in most circumstances.
"Then you have to pay sparring partners. Sometimes you can get sparring partners who are looking to get [ready] for other fights, who you don't have to pay. You have to pay for your food. You have to eat clean, which is sometimes expensive.
"Then there's your digs, if you are travelling away from home. And travel expenses, and getting to and from training.
"Sometimes what sound like a good purse at the time – someone might say to you that they'll give you £20,000 – by the time you break it down and you're paying taxes on it, it is not a lot of dough."
Barry McGuigan feud - 'Pretty deep disappointment'
Frampton once worked under his "hero" Barry McGuigan, with the former professional boxer promoting him throughout his early career. Their partnership began in 2009, and it was during this time that Frampton won his world titles while fighting for Cyclone Promotions and being coached by McGuigan's son, Shane.
The relationship soured in 2017 following the cancellation of Frampton's fight with Andres Gutierrez. Frampton parted ways with his promoter to join rival firm MTK Global, managed by Daniel Kinahan, a man suspected by British authorities of operating a significant criminal enterprise.
Although Frampton was never implicated in any criminal activities associated with Kinahan's operations, his switch in allegiance resulted in a legal battle with his former associates.
Carl Frampton ended up in a legal battle with Barry McGuigan
(Image:)
Frampton initiated legal action against Cyclone Promotions, seeking £6m for alleged unpaid earnings from fights across Northern Ireland, England, and the USA.
In response, McGuigan filed a counterclaim, claiming that Frampton had breached his contract by leaving Cyclone Promotions.
Both sides maintained their innocence, and what unfolded was a multi-million pound lawsuit that, to many people's surprise, concluded with an out-of-court settlement in November 2020 – the terms of which remain confidential.
The Daily Mail has previously reported Frampton's accusations of McGuigan profiting extravagantly from his success in the ring. He said: "It just seemed at times they were enjoying life on my purse.
"The biggest one was in 2016 after a fight. My family and I had a bit of a holiday, and the McGuigans did too. The expenses were coming out of the purse after the fight was over.
"I literally paid for a lot of what went on in their holiday. It was hard when it broke down, to be honest, but I mean, it was probably a long time coming.
Barry McGuigan managed and promoted Frampton for years
(Image:)
"I was hoping that the things that people were saying about Barry were all wrong. He was a hero of mine growing up. I wanted this to get fixed. A court process was the last thing I wanted, but there was no other option."
After their court case was resolved, McGuigan expressed his sadness about the rift that had developed with the fighter, whom he previously considered "part of the family."
The former boxer said: "Just a disappointment. Pretty deep disappointment. I took him into my home, made him part of my family. I didn't take a penny off him for over two years [until] he won the Commonwealth title.
"It's been very disappointing he chose to go off and be with Daniel Kinahan. That's just how it is. He [Frampton] knows well himself that without me or my family and our efforts, he wouldn't have achieved anything.
"I don't want to get into a slagging match with him. I'm past all that nonsense. Shane will end up in the International Boxing Hall of Fame, just like me. It sounds very bumptious but I'm not in the International Boxing Hall of Fame for no reason.
"I was really good at what I did. We are very good people. We're very decent people."
Frampton subsequently signed with promoter Frank Warren before retiring in 2021 and releasing an autobiography titled 'Carl Frampton: My Autobiography'.
Carl Frampton no longer speaks to Barry McGuigan
(Image:)
In this 2023 publication, the 38-year-old delved into the legal dispute with McGuigan and confessed how his perception of the ex-boxer drastically shifted during his tenure with Cyclone Promotions.
In his book, Frampton wrote: "It was bliss at the start and there was genuine love and friendship. Barry went as far as calling me the fourth son at times. He was a man that I looked up to so much.
"I understand that Barry is a hero to many people. He was a hero to me. But if you read this book, and still think he is a hero, you need to give your head a wobble. It was pretty sour in the end. It was a shame but this is what happens in boxing. I think the relationship's dead, it will always be dead.
"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. I've calmed down and have more important things to worry about now.
"Obviously I can't say a lot, but I can say I'm extremely happy with the settlement."
Health admission - 'One of the lucky ones'
Carl Frampton is worried about his neurological health
(Image:)
Frampton has revealed that he is deeply concerned about the potential consequences of his boxing career on his brain health. During his February appearance on The Nolan Show, the two-weight world champion confessed to having suppressed the risks associated with fighting during his active years, only to confront them in retirement.
Frampton said: "I wouldn't say I worry about it but I have been to see some specialists just to have my brain checked out and make sure it's working as it should be and that there's no deterioration with it.
"I go back for a check-up on a yearly basis to make sure I'm still OK and touch wood I am at this stage. Given the longevity of my career I'm expecting at some point to have dementia or some sort of brain injury, but I'm just hoping it's when I'm 75-years-old and not 50.
"If you look at what's going on in the sport and the amount of former boxers this happens to, but I'm OK with it I'm not worried. Obviously I hope I don't get it. I wouldn't want to be a burden on anyone or anything like that.
Frampton has been hit many times in his career
(Image:)
"It's part of the game and that's a horrible thing to say as it sounds flippant, but if you're in professional boxing, and I'm going to separate it from amateur boxing as I think that amateur boxing is actually quite a safe sport as referees jump in quicker, fights are stopped when kids are getting hurt and they use bigger gloves.
"The professional side of the game can be very brutal though. As a fighter you probably just put it to the back of your mind. You know that there's a risk and if you actually sat there and thought about it you know you're in a dangerous sport.
"For me though it was something I never really thought about. I was boxing to better the life of my family. I obviously wanted to win titles but for me it was about security especially as my career developed.
"I'm one of the lucky ones who has a secure life for the time being and the kids are in a good position, but it's few and far between so I would class myself one of the very lucky ones. I did have fights where I fought the wrong fight and maybe took too many punches, or punches that I didn't have to take.
"Sometimes that's down to trying to impress the crowd, but you put the risks to the back of your mind. Looking back I probably sparred too much. I sparred guys that were too big for me as well, and at the time I got a bit of a macho feel out of that. With hindsight I probably wouldn't have sparred as much, it's just trauma on your head and brain that you don't need."
Article continues below
Frampton also discussed improving safety practices in boxing, touching on aspects such as weight preparation prior to bouts and overall nutrition for athletes.
He added: "In general I think nutrition needs to be looked at as I think that's where a lot of these serious injuries are stemming from. More can be done especially with the weigh-ins a day and a half before a fight meaning fighters are going into fights dehydrated.
"People are talking about head guards and stuff, but I don't think that makes it safer as there has been research done showing head guards only really stop cuts from happening, not trauma to the head or brain."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
3 hours ago
- Daily Record
The Celtic chief will remain in hiding as the boss tries to deal with tight-fisted change of stance
The club's sequestered leadership will discover that there is no hiding place if Celtic are knocked out of the Champions League Time's just about up for the men in charge of Celtic 's transfer strategy. By Thursday night the alarm bells will be ear splitting when Brendan Rodgers has to submit his squad list for a Champions League play-off double header against Kairat Almaty and, at that point, there will be no wriggle room left. No excuses. Nowhere left to turn. On the contrary, unless they suddenly pull a collection of unforeseen rabbits out of hats which appear not to exist, Rodgers will be shoved out front and centre, attempting to render their inexcusable mismanagement as just some minor misdemeanour. Yes, the chances are that he'll find a way of doing precisely this. Scotland's champions may willingly be entering a period of regression but Rodgers remains an elite tactical and managerial performer. And, true, it's probably reasonable for his paymasters to assume he's got enough talent at his disposal to get through a double header against the Kazhaks of Kairat Almaty, even without a late rush of oven ready reinforcements. But, given the holes in his squad which remain both glaring and gaping, it's by no means a sure thing. And, no matter how these European qualifiers should turn out, the man charged with holding the fort is highly likely to find the inaction of his superiors as absolutely unforgivable. And, really, who in their right mind could possibly disagree with him? So the most pertinent and pressing question in all of this is, where exactly is Michael Nicholson, Celtic's invisible man of a chief executive? You may just about remember Nicholson from his yearly appearance in front of shareholders at the club's AGM. Even though his offerings are, for the most part, instantly forgettable. And that's probably the way he likes it. Nicholson is a reluctant and reclusive leader. So long as Rodgers remains standing there in the spotlight, delivering one title after the next, he may believe there's no real requirement for him to step out of the shadows. But, ironically, his determination to stay as far as humanly possible from centre stage or to present himself as his club's driving force, could well be about to drag him out into full focus. If he will not or cannot give his backing to Rodgers then he will have to carry the can in the eyes of the Celtic support when the Northern Irishman decides that his second stint as manager has run its course. And right now, the catastrophic optics seem to suggest that moment will be arriving sooner rather than later. Rodgers has long since nailed his own colours to the mast. On day one, when he began his reincarnation as Celtic's manager, he made a solemn promise that he would not run out on the club and its supporters for a second time, having taken a wrecking ball to those relationships when he left for Leicester City first time around. He deeply regrets the damage done by that decision. And that's possibly the only reason why he'll be prepared to stick around until his current three year contract has expired at the end of this season. Nicholson and his board will have calculated - and with good cause - that Rodgers will continue to succeed in his role for the time being, despite the dereliction of their own responsibilities. They have not replaced Kyogo Furuhashi despite rubber-stamping his £10m sale in January. They did not have a succession plan in place when they rushed to grab a further £17m for Nicolas Kuhn earlier this summer. Also, they appear not to have paid the slightest bit of attention to the injury which will keep Jota stuck in the treatment room at Lennoxtown for the rest of this year. And that's before they grapple with the potential end bringer of sanctioning Daizen Maeda 's sale if, as has been reported, the Japanese international has no inclination to put pen to paper on a contract extension. Nicholson's certainly not daft. Regardless of the Maeda conundrum, he must realise Rodgers has already been left leafing through limited options and that Celtic's squad is weaker than the manager has earned the right to expect. But with Russell Martin already making a bad situation worse at Rangers, the bottom line is there is no obvious business requirement for Nicholson and his boardroom strategists to part with the kind of money the manager might wish them to. Yes, if they're smart, they'll be keeping one eye on the diligent work being carried out at Hearts but, even so, they will believe Rodgers has more than enough to see off the combination of Derek McInnes and Tony Bloom's analytics. They will probably point to the £26m they shelled out this time last year as a justification for cautiously playing footsie with this summer's transfer market. Once bitten, twice shy appears to be the mantra. And the basic logic is simple enough to follow. If Adam Idah can't be trusted to lead Celtic's attack despite costing £9m, if £11m Arne Engles has been subbed out of the manager's starting XI to make way for a £1.7m arrival in Benjamin Nygren and if Liam Scales continues to keep Auston Trusty on the bench, then why should they back the judgement of Rodgers to the same extent? Nicholson could reasonably argue that spending fortunes in order to satisfy the manager's lofty ambitions has come at too much of a cost. But don't hold your breath waiting for the CEO to come out and state his case. Rather, it's almost certain he'll remain hidden in plain sight while Rodgers attempts to deal with the consequences of his board's tight-fisted change of stance. Ultimately, this sudden pivot is likely to convince Rodgers that his own judgement is being called into question in the boardroom and he's simply not the kind of man to tolerate such blatant disrespect. He already said he's not the man to merely 'maintain' Celtic's status as Scotland's dominant force. On the contrary, Rodgers is striving to drive up the club's reputation across the continent by trading some serious blows in the Champions League. And, crucially, that's why Thursday's deadline will carry such significance to Rodgers even if Nicholson isn't all that bothered by it. Celtic will spend and the chances are they'll spend big before the window shuts for business at the end of this month. But even that would be missing the point. If Rodgers is left carrying a water pistol into a £40m knife fight against the Kazhaks next week then he may very well reach the conclusion that his own value to Celtic is being disregarded and underestimated by his own bosses. We all know how that one ends. And, if that's really where this is all headed, then soon the club's sequestered leadership will discover that there is no hiding place.
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Raymond Ford vs Abraham Nova: Date, fight time, card, TV channel and live stream as Americans clash in Saudi
All recommendations within this article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click on a link in this story we may earn affiliate revenue. Huge bout on the Itauma vs Whyte undercard Supernova Raymond Ford vs Abraham Nova: Date, fight time, card, TV channel and live stream as Americans clash in Saudi Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FORMER world title winner Raymond Ford takes on underdog Abraham Nova in a thrilling fight this Saturday! American Super featherweights Ford and Nova face-off against each-other in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, August 16 as part of the undercard for Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Anthony Ford (R) is a big favourite for clash against Abraham Nova Credit: Getty 2 Ford lost his WBA featherweight world title to Nick Ball in 2024 but has won two since Credit: Getty Ford was meant to face Anthony Cacace, but the Northern Irish star picked up an injury during training camp and was forced to withdraw. The American is certainly the favourite going into this contest, boasting a professional boxing record of 17-1-1. The 26-year-old star won the WBA featherweight world title last March, defeating Otabek Kholmatov via a dramatic TKO in the final round. But he failed to defend his title in June, 2024 as he lost out to Nick Ball - who also fights on the card - by split decision. He has since moved up to the super featherweight division where he has beaten both Orlando Gonzalez and Thomas Mattice. His opponent, the more experienced Nova, has a professional boxing record of 24-3-1, although he hasn't won a fight since 2023. Victory for the 31-year-old brawler would arguably be a career best win and could catapult the unranked boxer into a world title shot. When is Ford vs Nova? Ford vs Nova will take place on Saturday, August 16. The main card will get underway at 5.45pm BST. The ring-walks for the Ford vs Nova are scheduled for around 8.15pm BST. The ring-walks for the main event are scheduled for around 10.20pm BST. The bout will take place at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. What TV channel is Ford vs Nova on and can it be live streamed? Ford vs Nova will be broadcast live on DAZN. The whole fight card will stream live on DAZN in over 200 countries across the globe via a DAZN subscription. If you are not currently a DAZN member, then monthly and annual subscription options are available to watch over 185 fights a year across boxing, bare knuckle boxing, MMA and kickboxing. An Annual Super Saver subscription is a one-off payment of £119.99 / $224.99 for 12-months access (£14.99 / $19.99 per month if paying in monthly instalments). A Monthly Flexible pass, which can be cancelled at any time, is £24.99 / $29.99 per month. Alternatively, SunSport's live blog will bring you round-by-round updates from the huge card. Who else is on the card? Here are all the bouts taking place in Saudi Arabia: Subject to change
South Wales Argus
9 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Tredegar's Cole Pikulski winning now for pro boxing future
"He wants to be a professional boxer and possibly represent Wales at the Commonwealth Games and Great Britain at the Olympics. This is his ambition. There is no plan B." Such ambition is apparently no pipe dream, according to Gavin Rees, head coach at Pantside Amateur Boxing Club, near Newbridge, where 15-year-old Cole Pikulski has trained for four years. "He's one of our most dedicated boxers. The other boxers look up to him and want to follow in his footsteps. As a future professional we're sure that he'll be on the way to the top as a champion." Cole lives in Tredegar with dad Pawel and mum Eugenia. "He never turns down a bout," said Pawel. "He wants as much boxing experience as possible. His coach Gavin Rees is a former world champion who held the WBA super lightweight title. Cole has three weekly sessions at Pantside and does strength and conditioning training with me. "Cole is now Welsh Champion for the fourth time. He's also won this year's Warehouse Box Cup held in Neath. The final was his 50th bout. Nobody had ever boxed in our family, but I always loved the sport and encouraged Cole. He's always thoroughly enjoyed it." "I love everything about boxing,' said Cole. "The training, making friends at the club, competing and most of all winning. I like to swim in the sea to relax. "I'm learning a lot from Gavin who had a distinguished professional career over 16 years, as long as I've been alive. I also admire Venezuelan boxer Edwin Valero who remained undefeated in two weight classes and Vasily Lomachenko who is a reigning world lightweight champion." "Consistency is the key in any sport," said Rees. "Cole is a consistent winner. He's been a champion in a dozen events over the last four years, starting off at 36 kg and now at 52kg. These include winning in a tournament in Portugal. The future is bright." Like all elite athletes Cole needs sponsorship. "We're grateful to Sean Barnsley from Advanced Air, Jordan Jones from the Munch Stop, Bradley Cox from Platinum Prizes, Lee Edwards from Muscle Magic Massage and most especially our friend Angela Short for the support they've shown Cole." Potential sponsors should contact Pawel Pikulski on 07881 810601 or e-mail pavpikulski@ .
