Brian 'Bomac' McIntyre arrested on gun charge in England

Brian ‘Bomac' McIntyre is sitting in a jail cell instead of celebrating another big victory back home in Omaha.

The potential 2023 Trainer of the Year, McIntyre was detained by Manchester airport police over the weekend after a gun and ammunition were allegedly found in his luggage.

According to the UK Daily Mail, McIntyre was arrested Sunday morning in the Terminal 2 departure lounge while awaiting his return flight to Atlanta. The weapon was allegedly discovered through the airport baggage scan. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officials subsequently apprehended McIntyre.

“At around 10:45 am 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,” a GMP spokesperson said in a statement.

“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.

“McIntyre attended Stockport Magistrates court this morning where he was further remanded into custody. He is next due to appear at Manchester Crown Court on Monday 9 October 2023.”

Unanswered Questions

It is legal to travel with an unloaded firearm and ammunition in a locked box in checked luggage in the United States per TSA regulations. However, McIntyre was not in the U.S., and therein lies the problem.

Possession of a handgun is generally prohibited in the UK, which carries among the strictest penalties worldwide. Most handguns have been banned in Great Britain since the Dunblane school massacre in 1996.

According to Sections 1 and 2 of the UK Firearms Act 1968, McIntyre could face up to five years in prison. If prosecutors can prove that McIntyre purchased the weapon in the UK, he could spend up to 10 years behind bars.

There’s also the question of whether McIntyre flew via commercial or private aircraft to England. If he flew privately, no one likely bothered to check his luggage. Unfortunately for McIntyre, that was not the case when he tried to travel back home.

NY Fights also confirmed through a Team Crawford member McIntyre was previously mugged in the UK, which could have persuaded McIntyre to consider carrying a firearm. However, the law is the law.

McIntyre Arrested Following Big Victory

Chris Eubank Jr. put on the performance of his life, winning a tenth round TKO victory in his rematch with Liam Smith Saturday.

McIntyre was in the UK to lead the corner of Chris Eubank Jr., who stopped Liverpool’s Liam Smith (33-4-1, 20 KOs) in the 10th round of their one-sided rematch this past Saturday at AO Arena in Manchester.

After suffering a fourth-round TKO to Smith earlier this year, Eubank (33-3, 24 KOs) sacked then-trainer Roy Jones Jr. and brought aboard McIntyre and his team.

The win by Eubank concluded a strong summer for McIntyre, who is best known for training three-division champ and pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford, the man who knocked out Errol Spence Jr. in July to become the first undisputed welterweight champion of the four-belt era.

Will Crawford-Spence Rematch Happen?

Last week, McIntyre told British media that Spence Jr. had activated his contractual right to an immediate rematch to face Crawford again later this year.

With McIntyre facing jail time, will the fight happen? I believe it still will. McIntyre is the brains behind the operation, but there’s also an organized group behind him, including assistant trainers Red Spikes and Esau Dieguez.

I undoubtedly believe that Crawford-Spence II will take place and that we likely see the same outcome, regardless of McIntyre's potential absence.