McIntyre arrested at Manchester Airport for having gun in bag

Trainer guided Eubank Jr. to rematch knockout of Smith on Saturday

A note to Fight Freaks Unite readers: I created Fight Freaks Unite in January 2021 and eight months later it also became available for paid subscriptions for additional content — and as a way to help keep this newsletter going and for readers to support independent journalism. If you haven’t upgraded to a paid subscription please consider it. If you have already, I truly appreciate it! Also, consider a gift subscription for the Fight Freak in your life.

Trainer Brian McIntyre was arrested on Sunday at Manchester Airport in England and charged with attempting to board a flight to Atlanta with a gun and ammunition in his checked bag.

McIntyre, 53, of Omaha, Nebraska, who is a leading candidate for trainer of the year honors, was on his way back to the United States after having guided middleweight contender Chris Eubank Jr. to a one-sided 10th-round knockout win over Liam Smith in a rematch on Saturday night at AO Arena in Manchester.

Upgrade to a paid subscription for full access to all posts and comments, and also to support independent journalism

McIntyre, known to most as “BoMac”, was training Eubank for the first time, having been hired in the wake of his fourth-round upset knockout loss to Smith in their first fight in January.

“At around 10:45 a.m. on Sunday 3 September 2023, officers were called to reports of a possible firearm being found in hold luggage by airport staff at Manchester Airport,” the Greater Manchester Police said in a statement. “After initial inspection by security staff, GMP officers attended, and the firearm was seized. Subsequently, a 53-year-old man was arrested for possession of a firearm and was taken to custody for further questioning.

“Brian McIntyre from the United States of America was charged with possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition for a firearm without a certificate.”

According to the Greater Manchester Police, McIntyre then attended Stockport Magistrates court on Monday morning and remanded into custody.

Unless his attorney can get a bail hearing, McIntyre would remain jailed until he is due to appear at Manchester Crown Court on Oct. 9.

There are very strict gun laws in the U.K. and McIntyre could face a minimum of five years in prison if convicted.

There remains the question of whether McIntyre traveled to the U.K. with the weapon, which, if he did, means it was missed by TSA agents in the U.S.

McIntyre trained Eubank to his victory Saturday barely a month after leading Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs), whom he has trained for his entire career, to a ninth-round knockout of Errol Spence Jr. in their showdown for the undisputed welterweight title on July 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, a victory that lifted three-division champion Crawford to pound-for-pound No. 1 status on most sets of rankings.

A note to subscribers

I sincerely appreciate your readership. If you’re reading, it means you love boxing just like I do. If you’ve been reading you also know the quality and quantity of what I produce. It’s one-stop shopping. Read the newsletters and there is no need to search multiple websites or click a multitude of links to get the latest news, opinion and detailed fight schedule. Everything you need is in one spot and delivered directly to your inbox (or via phone alert if you download for free the superb Substack app). You don’t have to hunt for the news; it comes to you.

I believe that is worth something, so while I will continue providing stories, notes and the schedule for free, I encourage you to upgrade to a paid subscription for the most content. A paid subscription is your way of keeping this reader-supported newsletter going and supporting independent journalism. I am beholden to no network, promoter, manager, sanctioning body or fighter. If you have read my work at all during the past 23 years I’ve covered professional boxing you know that I keep it real and that will not change.

To upgrade your subscription please go here:

Thank you so much for your support of Fight Freaks Unite!

McIntyre photo: Lawrence Lustig/Boxxer

---

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danrafael1/

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanRafael1

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanRafaelBoxing