Major Update On Daniel Kinahan’s Relationship With Tyson Fury

The controversial relationship between Daniel Kinahan and WBC and lineal Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury appears to have come to an end.

According to Gareth A. Davies of The Daily Telegraph, Fury (30-0-1) has parted ways with Kinahan as his advisor. Negotiations for a future clash with Anthony Joshua will be handled exclusively by Bob Arum and Top Rank.

“Over the weekend I’ve had a lot of conversations with Tyson Fury and what we both decided is that myself, Top Rank, and Fury will do all negotiations for fights in the future,” Arum stated. “Whether it’s for Joshua or Wilder or anybody else. We’ve informed Eddie Hearn about that. He knows where to go for the negotiations. Tyson and I have had long negotiations about it. That’s the way it’s going to be.”

The founder of MTK Global, Kinahan has been an advisor to Fury for the last three years. He was right in the thick of things when it came to agreeing in principle to a deal between Fury and WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua. When the announcement was made, Fury thanked Kinahan for his role in helping with an agreement. There has been controversy following his praise due to Kinahan’s apparent past.

Kinahan’s name has been linked to organized crime for a while, and while never charged, has been considered a “known crime associate” (via The High Court In Dublin) and advisor to an international crime family. Several Irish politicians and high-ranking officials have expressed their concern over Kinahan’s involvement in anything Fury related.

“I was taken aback by Tyson Fury and his video and dropping in that name you mentioned,” Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told Parliament. The High Court placed Kinahan as someone that is involved in “international drug-trafficking operations and firearm offenses.”

“While I cannot comment on any particular garda [Irish police] operation, I can certainly assure you that there has been contact between [Ireland’s] Department of Foreign Affairs and the authorities in the United Arab Emirates about that matter.”

As a result of the relationship, several news entities vowed to not cover any Fury fights (for PPV rights), including the one against Joshua. BT Sport cut ties with Fury, and Sky Sports was considering doing the same thing. Kinahan was recently hired as a special advisor to the Prince of Bahrain’s sports organization, KHK. However, since the backlash has increased, KHK cut ties with Kinahan.

Kinahan was looking to be a boxing promoter all over, but the United States banned him as a result of his past. In 2016 there was a shooting at the Regency Hotel in Dublin before a fight night with MTK Global. It appeared to have been an attempted hit on Kinahan, according to Boxing Scene, as a result of the longstanding rivalry between the Kinahan and Hutch crime families.

While Arum has praised Kinahan’s efforts, there was a lot of pressure to work something out to avoid controversy.

“This will eliminate a lot of confusion,” Arum went on to tell The Daily Telegraph. “We’ve talked with Dan, who Tyson and I both love and admire and respect, and he understands that it’s best the negotiations on Tyson’s side be handled that way. Both Tyson and I have each discussed this with Dan and he is amenable and satisfied and wished us luck. He only wants the best for Tyson Fury.”

As of now, Kinahan will remain with MTK and may be behind the scenes when it comes to a relationship with Fury and Arum.