Shane McGuigan: New BBC One documentary ‘Stable’ goes inside elite boxing gym

Of the various successful fighters McGuigan has trained, one of the brightest prospects in recent years is Daniel Dubois. Under McGuigan’s guidance the 26-year-old became a big name in the heavyweight division.

When he knocked out American Trevor Bryan in 2022 to win the WBA (Regular) title, it earned Dubois the opportunity to challenge unified champion Oleksandr Usyk last August.

However, just three months before that title shot, the Londoner split with McGugian and joined trainer Don Charles.

Meanwhile, his younger sister, Caroline, who was also being trained by McGuigan, opted to remain within the stable.

The series finished filming before Daniel’s departure, but episode three offers a glimpse inside the family’s unique dynamics, with contributions from both siblings as well as head of the family, Stan.

The family patriarch home-schooled seven siblings from a three-bed flat in Greenwich and reveals that he formed a plan to turn his eldest son Daniel into a boxer, “before he was even born”.

Caroline, by contrast, had to nag her dad to take her to a gym. He relented reluctantly and took her to Repton boxing club, but for a period they pretended she was a boy called Colin., external

In an interesting foreshadowing of the sibling split, Stan talks in one scene about the importance of family, comparing the Dubois’ to other boxing dynasties like the Hattons, Benns and Eubanks, saying “family things are good things,” before adding, “hopefully it’ll end with a good story”.