Kinahan has been sanctioned – with a reward for information leading to his arrest – by the US but Fury said it was ‘none of his business’
Tyson Fury has broken his public silence over his dealings with Daniel Kinahan by saying US sanctions against the suspected gangster are “nowt to do with me”.
Speaking to journalists ahead of his Wembley fight against Dillian Whyte, Fury insisted there had been no commercial deals with the Kinahan-linked boxing firm MTK Global for two years.
Fury had been under mounting pressure to clarify their connections after he was warned last week by police to sever all ties with Kinahan. “Zero, absolutely zero,” was Fury’s reaction when asked whether the pair were in business together.
The United States had sanctioned Irishman Kinahan last week and issued a $5 million (£3.8 million) reward for information leading to the arrest of suspected senior figures in the Kinahan Organised Crime Group.
As Fury finally faced questions over the furore on Tuesday, he appeared in a tracksuit with no MTK logos on it. When it was pointed out he had previously worn MTK emblems, he said: “That was from ’17 until ’20 – three years and that was it. Done. End of.”
US Treasury sanctions on Kinahan and another six of the group’s alleged ringleaders is “none of my business”, Fury added. “I keep my own business to myself, that’s it.”
Fury was asked about promoter Bob Arum, boss of legendary Top Rank, suggesting this week he had paid more than £1m each for Fury’s last four fights. Arum also claimed that Kinahan remains “100 per cent” the brains behind management company MTK Global, despite the firm themselves insisting they had severed ties with the alleged gang leader five years ago.
In response, Fury said: “That’s Bob Arum’s own personal business – what he does with his own money, he can spend it all on gummy bears if he wants to. What someone does with their money is out of my control.”
When asked whether the Kinahan saga had been a distraction, Fury added: “Not really – it’s got nowt to do with me, has it? If I say there’s a war going on in Ukraine and people ask me about that, it’s got nowt to do with me. I keep my business to myself. I’ve got my own troubles to look after with six kids and a wife nagging me to death for not being at home to help with the kids.
“I’ve got a lot more to think about than other people’s business. In my life, I’ve got a man who wants to punch my face in next week and I’ve got to deal with that. Anything else is out of my control.”
Promoter Frank Warren went on to add that Kinahan “has nothing to do with this show” and Fury “was unaware of any payments made by Top Rank to Daniel Kinahan”.
Warren added of the furore: “I am concerned, but I’m also concerned about some of the misinformation that’s going around. We’re not stupid people. All of us understand what has happened from the US Treasury.”
Earlier, Bob Yalen had resigned as chief executive of MTK Global, the firm founded by Kinahan, citing the “intense pressures” of recent weeks. Yalen had previously praised Kinahan for his involvement in the sport but last week said the company would comply with the sanctions. MTK Global claims Kinahan parted ways with the firm five years ago, but Yalen previously told a BBC documentary he still advised MTK boxers.