Suspected crime boss Daniel Kinahan confirms that he has NOT stepped away from boxing

Suspected crime boss Daniel Kinahan – who brokered the deal for Tyson Fury to face Anthony Joshua – confirms that he has NOT stepped away from boxing and is still ‘involved in planning world title fights’ as he vows to continue his work in the sport

Daniel Kinahan, a suspected crime boss who was once an advisor to Tyson Fury, has broken his silence and confirmed he is still involved in organising ‘world record fights’ in boxing and claimed allegations against him are part of a ‘campaign’.

Last week, a BBC Panorama investigation said Kinahan was still involved in boxing despite outcry last year when it emerged he had helped to broker the deal between Fury and Anthony Joshua for a British heavyweight showdown.

His involvement even led to calls from the Irish government to boycott broadcasting the fight because of the ties to Kinahan, who is now based in the UAE.

Daniel Kinahan (pictured) based in the UAE and a suspected crime boss, was the focus of a new BBC Panorama which claimed he has not stepped away from boxing entirely

Now, in a statement given to talkSPORT, Kinahan has protested his innocence and vowed to continue his boxing work.

‘I have dedicated myself to my work in boxing for over 15 years,’ he said. ‘I have started from the bottom and worked my way up. I am proud to say today that I have helped organise over a dozen major world title fights. I continue to be involved in planning multiple record-breaking and exciting world title fights.’

Kinahan was name checked by Fury in a video posted to social media last June when he announced a deal had been agreed for him to fight Joshua.

The High Court in Dublin previously named Kinahan as a senior figure in an organised crime gang involved in international drug-trafficking operations and firearm offense.

‘I was taken aback by Tyson Fury and his video and dropping in that name you mentioned,’ Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told parliament in June in response to remarks from another party leader, Labour’s Alan Kelly, about Kinahan’s involvement in the Fury-Joshua deal.

Addressing those allegations now, Kinahan said: ‘I firmly believe that my success has led to an increase in the campaign against me. Pretty much anything can be said about me, or inferred about me, and it goes unchallenged and is sadly believed. 

‘I can’t be any clearer on the fundamental slur – I am not a part of a criminal gang or any conspiracy. I have no convictions. None. Not just in Ireland but anywhere in the world.’ 

Kinahan is one of the founders of MTK Global, a management company that represents Fury.