LONDON — The controversial boxing promoter helping to arrange the all-British heavyweight fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua has been dropped as an adviser to a Bahraini sports organization that is looking to bring high-profile bouts to the region.
Daniel Kinahan was recently hired as special adviser to KHK Sports, which is owned by the Prince of Bahrain, and was publicly praised by Fury for bringing together the camps of the current two world champions in boxing’s heavyweight division for a possible two-fight deal.
Kinahan, an Irishman currently based in the United Arab Emirates, is the subject of dialogue between those two countries because of his alleged links to organized crime. He has previously been named by the High Court in Dublin as a senior figure in a gang involved in international drug-trafficking operations and firearm offenses.
KHK said in a statement sent to The Associated Press on Wednesday that it has “discontinued engagement with Daniel Kinahan and he is no longer an adviser to” the organization.
“KHK Sports is known for its contribution to the sports industry,” the statement said, “and is renowned and well respected for its integrity and deep-rooted principles in the sports industry.”
The Middle East is one of the regions being considered for the fight, which wouldn’t happen until 2021.
Irish lawmakers said last week that Kinahan was attempting to rebrand himself in the Middle East as a boxing promoter. One of them, Neale Richmond, said he has written to potential broadcasters of the proposed Joshua-Fury fight to “make sure they are aware of who Daniel Kinahan is and to see if they are comfortable working with him.”
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said Wednesday it would be “entirely appropriate” for broadcasters not to show any Fury-Joshua fight arranged by Kinahan.
“They maybe don’t know the facts or don’t know the truth but they need to know them,” Varadkar said. “I wouldn’t like to see them getting any attention at all given the circumstances.”