Yahoo Sport 
Barry McGuigan EXCLUSIVE Q&A: “Floyd Mayweather would be too good for Amir Khan”
One of Britain’s best loved boxers catches up with Yahoo Sport for a chat about the current state of British boxing – including some words of warning for both Amir Khan and Anthony Joshua.
1) Have we really seen the last of Floyd Mayweather?
No, I don’t think so. He was pretty lacklustre against Berto and the fight against Pacquio was a bit of a bore, and a bit of a snore, too, so I think he’ll want to go out on a high.
He’s a hugely talented fighter, but is he one of the best? Absolutely not. But when it comes to making money, he’s the best of all time. He’s earned more money than any fighter in the history of the sport. I have no doubt he’ll fight again, possibly as early as next April.
2) If he does come back, British boxing fans will want to see him getting into the ring with Amir Khan. Khan has said that Mayweather is afraid of losing his unbeaten record by taking him on – is he right?
I don’t believe that, to be honest. I don’t believe that for a minute.
Mayweather would be the outstanding favourite. There are three or four other guys who would be more dangerous, and Kell Brook is one of them. Keith Thurman is another, and the most dangerous of all is Errol Spence. They’re certainly more of a risk to the 49-0 record.
Amir’s speed would nullify a lot of Mayweather’s advantages, but with the greatest of respect he’s a bit vulnerable around the whiskers. He’s been knocked down a few times and Mayweather would be too good for him.
3) Anthony Joshua has had another fairly simple victory recently – you’ve said in the past that he could be the World’s best heavyweight. Do you still think that?
Definitely. He’s undoubtedly the finest young Heavyweight. There’s no-one who comes close. Klitschko says that of all the guys he’s sparred with, he’s the best.
The big issue is facile fights against people like Gary Cornish. With the greatest of respect, he couldn’t beat snow with a rope. He was never going to be a threat. Until Anthony is tested by somebody who can take and deliver a shot, we will never know how good he is. We need to see him fighting a top-class American or Russian for nine or ten rounds, where he has to take some shots and show some stamina.
At the moment he’s just taking on hapless guys and everyone’s saying how great he is. I’ve been in boxing more than forty years and we’ve seen plenty of guys built up who end up on their backside against the first good fighter they come up against.
4) Are there other British and Irish fighters who you think deserve more attention?
There are a lot of talented kids coming through; it’s a bit of a purple patch for British boxing. Carl Frampton, who I manage, is World Champion, Kell Brook, James DeGale, Scott Quigg, Lee Selby and Andy Lee, an Irish guy who is World Middleweight Champion.
The four nations have never had this many World Champions. It’s an exciting time.
5) Someone you didn’t mention there is George Groves – after three World Title defeats, will he get another shot?
He’s been beaten, but he’s been beaten at the highest level and the fight with Jack could have gone either way.
Of course there’s going to be a rematch with DeGale, who he beat as an amateur. That would be a title fight and I’m sure that will happen in the next 12 months.
6) Is that the fight you’re looking forward to the most?
No. The most exciting and most anticipated fight in the UK is Carl Frampton versus Scott Quigg. Carl’s one of the most exciting kids around.
Then there’s the Kazakhstan fighter Gennady Golovkin. He’s an amazing fighter and he ‘s fighting David Lemieux in October. That’s going to be an amazing fight to watch.
7) Do you think the rise in popularity of UFC is depriving us of some great young fighters who would otherwise of have been boxers?
I don’t think so. They’re two different skills and if you try them out you’ll know pretty quickly if you’re any good or not.
In my mind there’s much more skill in boxing and it’s a lot more difficult to succeed at the highest level. It’s always good to have competition, but I don’t see a threat.
They’re great athletes, but I don’t enjoy the grabbling and I don’t enjoy the ground work. Boxing is a different level of skill.
8) Do you have a favourite sport apart from boxing?
I love Formula One and I’m a Spurs fan. I watch everything; watching any worldclass athlete is always a joy.
9) Has anyone ever challenged you to a fight in the pub?
As I was a public figure most people knew me, so they didn’t try anything! You get idiots, but I just blow kisses at them.
10) You’re involved in the National Lottery Awards and you’re about to present one lucky boxing club with a cash prize. Can you tell us more?
I do a lot of grassroots work with the Barry McGuigan Boxing Academy, and up and down the country I see a lot of projects who combine boxing coaching in with education, so I’ve been aware of Monkstown Boxing Club for many years.
Their BoxClever project with its study clubs, breakfast clubs and work placements has helped countless kids get employed. Kids who have been in detention centres, hard to reach kids, kids who felt isolated or ostracized at school, they help them understand the importance of knowledge and give them a chance in life. It’s a great project.
