The Taoiseach has called on media and sporting organisations to boycott the planned boxing matches between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. It comes after Fury thanked Daniel Kinahan for getting the fight ‘literally over the line.’
The 46-year-old Dubliner has been named in the High Court as a senior figure in the Kinahan organised crime gang, which is involved in international drugs and weapons trafficking.
Fury is managed by MTK Global, which was founded by Mr Kinahan and Matthew Macklin in 2012. The company has since claimed Mr Kinahan has no direct involvement with it. The fights are expected to go ahead in Dubai and the Department of Foreign Affairs has contacted UAE authorities about the plans.
Mr Varadkar admitted there was little more the Irish Government could do to stop the fights from happening. Speaking this afternoon, Leo Varadkar urged sports and media companies to ignore the fight.
“It is not a decision for me but I think it would be entirely appropriate for sporting organisations and media organisations to have nothing to do with this,” he said. ”Maybe they don’t know the facts or know the truth – but they need to know them. I wouldn’t like to see them giving it any attention at all given the circumstances.”
