Josh Taylor has hit back at former trainer Shane McGuigan and insists he had been unhappy for a long time working under Cyclone Promotions.
The WBA and IBF super lightweight champion quit boxing legend Barry McGuigan’s company last month to link up with US company Top Rank.
Shane, Barry’s son, recently claimed the Edinburgh-born fighter did not deserve his time and also took aim at Taylor on social media when he said: ‘If you want loyalty, buy a dog’.
However, Taylor has explained why his relationship with the McGuigans had started to break down.
He said: “I wasn’t happy behind the scenes and I wasn’t happy for a long time.
“Saying I didn’t deserve his time I thought was a bit unfair and his comment that if you want loyalty, buy a dog.
“The time I was with with him I showed them nothing but loyalty and commitment.
"I was away from home 90 per cent of the year staying in c**p hotels, c**p digs, horrible, horrible rooms.
“That was me putting in my time and effort.
“All the team went away to Miami before the Ivan Baranchyk fight and never asked me to go.
“I would love to have gone over there, yes I was out of camp but I had moved my whole life down to London.
“I moved full-time into the flat after the Viktor Postol fight, brought my girlfriend and my dog down and based myself in London to show I was committed.”
Speaking to Boxing Social, Taylor, who is hoping to set up a fight with WBC and WBO champion Jose Ramirez later this year, added: “Before the Regis Prograis fight they all went away to Philadelphia as Luke Campbell had a fight over there.
“I could have been there in the background ticking over and they never even had the decency to leave me a gym key to get in to go and train, I had to go to other places. That’s not loyalty.
“I showed nothing but loyalty and commitment to them.
“If you want loyalty buy a dog, but you don’t buy a dog then go and put it into the kennels.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here