Update On Daniel Kinahan’s Career In Boxing

The subject of major controversy in and out of the boxing world, it appears that Daniel Kinahan’s time in the sport has come to an end.

Mike Coppinger of The Athletic was the first to report that Kinahan will be stepping down from all major roles in boxing. That includes his duties at MTK Global, an organization in which he helped found.

“Daniel’s going to be taking time away from the sport to focus on other interests and hopefully this will put a stop to the negative press from Ireland that’s based entirely on hearsay,” MTK Global President Bob Yalen told The Athletic. “No court has ever found this man guilty of anything. The man has never been charged or convicted of a crime. The only basis for these allegations is the hearsay testimony of biased parties.

“And it’s unfortunate for his fighters that he’s taking this step back. But I respect his personal decision. He wants to do what’s right for the sport, he loves the fighters. But MTK will continue to secure the best, most lucrative deal for its fighters and ensure the biggest fights in the sports are made. We have lots of exciting news coming soon.”

The news comes after recent backlash surrounding his involvement in the sport and major world events.

Kinahan was a huge factor in getting Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury to agree in principle to a deal to fight one another in 2021. When the announcement was made, Fury thanked Kinahan, an advisor of his for three years.

“Hello there! I’m just off from getting off the phone with Daniel Kinahan,” Fury stated in an Instagram video. “He just informed me that the biggest fight in British boxing history has just been agreed… big shoutout Dan, he got this done. Literally over the line, two-fight deal, Tyson Fury v. Anthony Joshua, next year.”

This has resulted in a lot of backlash towards Fury and Kinahan in general. Kinahan’s name has been linked to organized crime for a while, and while never charged of any convictions, he has been considered a “known crime associate” (via The High Court In Dublin) and adviser to an international crime family.

“I was taken aback by Tyson Fury and his video and dropping in that name you mentioned,” Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar would end up telling 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.”

Kinahan was looking to be a boxing promoter all over the world, recently booking events for Kazakhstan, and signing a deal with Bahrain’s KHK. Following further research and skepticism, KHK cut ties with Kinahan. The United States banned him as a result of his past, making his goal of reaching out to the world limited.

Several news entities within the United Kingdom vowed to not cover any Fury fights (for PPV rights) as a result of the partnership. BT Sport cut ties with Fury, and Sky Sports was considering doing the same thing.  As a result, Fury parted ways with Kinahan. 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.

During his time in boxing, Kinahan has advised the likes of Carl Frampton, Liam Smith, Michael Conlan, and both Tyson and Hughie Fury. Bob Arum ended up taking control of talks between Fury and Joshua, as well as other personal matters.