Daniel Kinahan sanctioned ‘nothing to do with me’ says Tyson Fury
Tyson Fury insists recent sanctions against Daniel Kinahan “no longer have anything to do with me” and says he has “absolutely zero” dealings with the alleged crime boss.
The world heavyweight champion meets Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium on Saturday in an event expected to draw 94,000 spectators, but preparation for the all-British fight has been overshadowed.
Kinahan, a man who has advised Fury in the past, was named leader of Ireland’s Kinahan crime gang last week and faced global financial sanctions of $5 million (£3.84 million) by the United States government offered ) a reward for information about the group that led to the arrest and sentencing of its leaders.
Kinahan, who has always denied any wrongdoing, is said to be one of the leaders of a cartel that US authorities have accused of drug smuggling, money laundering and violence against “the most vulnerable in society”.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman released a statement Monday stressing he had “at no point” a working relationship with the Irishman.
A virtual press conference was held a day after US sanctions were imposed on Dubai’s Kinahan to preview the fight at Wembley, but with a moderator choosing the journalists allowed to ask questions, Fury was not questioned on this subject.
He did, however, address the elephant in the room after Tuesday’s open practice session at BOXPARK Wembley.
When asked if he had anything to do with Kinahan, Fury said: “Zero, absolutely zero.
“It’s none of my business. I keep my own business to myself, that’s it.
Tyson Fury says he has “zero business” with Daniel Kinahan (Nick Potts/PA)
“Was it a distraction? Not really, it has nothing to do with me, does it?
“When I say ‘There is a war in Ukraine’ and people ask me about it, it has nothing to do with me. I keep my business to myself. I have my own issues with six kids and a wife to take care of.
“I have a lot more to think about than other people’s affairs. There’s a man in my life who wants to punch me in the face next week and I have to deal with that. Everything else is beyond my control.”
Asked about the magnitude of the story, Fury admitted: “I don’t really take notice of the media. I know what the media can do and I was the victim of a witch hunt in 2015 and 2016.”
Fury, who is co-promoted by Top Rank, was pictured with Kinahan in Dubai in February but downplayed the image.
A picture doesn’t mean I’m a criminal. I can’t control who’s in the buildingTyson Fury
“A picture doesn’t mean I’m a criminal,” Fury said. “I can’t control who’s in the building.
“There could be a criminal in this building right now. That doesn’t mean I’m involved in his criminal activities, does it?”
Top Rank CEO Bob Arum told Yahoo Sports last week that Kinahan had received payments for his help with the four recent Fury fights.
On Arum’s comments, Fury added: “This is Bob Arum’s personal business, what he does with his own money. He can spend anything on gummy bears if he wants.
“What someone does with their money is beyond my control.”
Frank Warren, who also promotes Fury, insisted the couple had no idea about Top Rank’s payments to Kinahan.
Frank Warren is the promoter of Tyson Fury (John Walton/PA).
He said: “Let me be very clear on a couple of things – firstly, Daniel Kinahan has nothing to do with this show, and secondly, as Tyson said, he was unaware of any Top Rank payments to Daniel Kinahan.
“We were not aware of any payments.”
Warren was asked if he was worried about boxing after the US government told anyone with ties to Kinahan, who advised several boxers and founded advertising firm MTK Global in 2012, to quit last week.
He added: “I’m concerned, but I’m also concerned about some of the misinformation that’s been floating around. We are not stupid people. We all understand what happened to the US Treasury.
“It’s been like this for three years now and we all know what we have to do and we’re not going to break the law. By the way, we have never broken the law.
“Is it a bad image for boxing? We sold 94,000 tickets in a day or two. Will we do the deal on pay-per-view? Yes we are.
“We are very aware of what we have to do as participants and guardians of the sport, but we are not police officers. We are not the police. It was only after last week that something actually happened.”
https://www.independent.ie/sport/daniel-kinahan-sanctions-nowt-to-do-with-me-says-tyson-fury-41566951.html Daniel Kinahan sanctioned ‘nothing to do with me’ says Tyson Fury