Brian McIntyre: A Suspended Sentence Ends His Confinement in England

Boxing trainer Brian “BoMac” McIntyre whose home base is in Omaha, Nebraska, arrived in Manchester, England, on Aug. 19. He was slated to fly back to the United States on Sept. 3, the day following a boxing show in Manchester topped by the rematch between Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith.

“BoMac” trained Eubank Jr. It was the first collaboration between the boxer and the noted trainer, and Eubank, in the role of the would-be avenger, turned in the best performance of his career, dominating and ultimately stopping Smith who somehow made it as far as the tenth round before the referee had seen enough.

BoMac’s two-week excursion to England descended into a six-week layover. At the Manchester Airport as he prepared to board his flight back to the U.S., McIntyre was arrested when a Smith and Wesson handgun and seven rounds of ammunition were found in his checked baggage. He was remanded into custody and wasn’t allowed to leave the country until yesterday (Monday, Oct. 9) when he had his day in court and was given a suspended sentence on a charge that a carried a minimum five-year prison term. McIntyre, 53, was assessed a prosecution fee (approximately $1,280 U.S.) and was put on probation for two years, but the verdict that was handed down was cause for jubilation.

The judge accepted McIntyre’s claim that he made an “honest mistake” — he simply forgot that the gun was in his suitcase. The magistrate acknowledged that he was impressed by the outpouring of support for the defendant. Those that testified in person to BoMac’s good character included Terence Crawford who flew to Manchester with his stablemate Steven Nelson and with two members of McIntyre’s family. Among the hundreds of pages of testimony were letters of support from Omaha Police Chief Charles Schmederer and from Bob Arum, Crawford’s former promoter.

Crawford, widely considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, called his longtime homie “an anchor of the [Omaha] community.” The boxer and his trainer are the co-founders of Omaha’s non-profit B&B Sports Academy which serves as a community center for at-risk youth. “You are a thoroughly good man,” said the presiding magistrate.

BoMac’s confinement in England was something less than a terrible ordeal. According to a story in the online edition of the Daily Mail, BoMac didn’t serve his detention inside prison walls, but rather in hotels and an Airbnb. He will likely be back in the U.S. by the time that you read this and will reportedly be in Rosenberg, Texas, this Saturday working the corner of rising lightweight star Keyshawn Davis who opposes Nahir Albright in a scheduled 10-rounder. As for the whereabouts of his gun and whether it will be returned to him, nothing has been reported but one thing is certain; it didn’t go home on the plane with him.

Terence Crawford’s masterclass vs Errol Spence in what was arguably the biggest fight of the year made Brian “BoMac” McIntyre the clear-cut favorite to be named the 2023 Trainer of the Year and Chris Eubank Jr’s upset of Liam Smith seemingly sealed the deal.

It will be interesting to see if his misadventures in Manchester will cost him that honor.

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