UK boxer and reality TV star, Tommy Fury has been denied entry into the United States this morning before a kickoff press conference for his August 6th bout with Jake Paul.
Immediately going to his social media to explain the situation, Fury had this to say: “Me and my team this morning arrived at Heathrow Airport, ready for the press conference, ready to fly out. And as soon I entered the airport I got pulled to one side and was told by the homeland security officer that was there, that my ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authority) strip had been denied, and wasn’t able to travel to the US of A for a reason that I apparently know. I can stand here and say, I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong and I have no clue why I’m not allowed to travel to the US of A.”
Yes, Tommy himself may have done nothing to get his access denied, but reports are coming out saying that his family’s connection to major Irish crime boss Daniel Kinahan is what caused all of this to happen. The same thing happened to his older brother, WBC Heavyweight Champion, Tyson Fury who was banned twice in the span of ten days to travel to the United States.
Who is Daniel Kinahan?
Kinahan founded UK combat sports talent management and events promotion MTK global in 2012 and signed famed fighters such as Tyson Fury and Darren Till. Throughout this time Kinahan was suspected to be a part of the infamous Irish crime organization Kinahan Cartel, founded by his father Christopher. After being linked to multiple criminal activities, MTK cut ties with Kinahan, but he still remained a prominent and vocal voice in the boxing world.
As of April 2022, multiple factions of the United States government have imposed sanctions on him and even offered a $5 million reward for any information about him or his family’s whereabouts. Since this announcement, all major fighters and organizations linked to Kinahan have denied any relations or deep connections.
Next Steps for Tommy Fury vs. Jake Paul
Since the news broke regarding Fury’s denied entry, Most Valuable Promotions (founded by Jake Paul), have stated that the press conference has been postponed, stating in a tweet, “Despite many assurances by Tommy Fury and his team that he was able to come to the U.S., and knowing that Tommy was in California just last month, we were surprised to learn that he had an issue at Heathrow airport on Monday. As a result of circumstances out of our control, the scheduled press conference for Wednesday at MSG has been postponed.”
With six weeks remaining until the scheduled August 6th bout and the fact that Tommy was in California one month ago, many members from Paul’s camp claim it is another excuse not to step into the ring. Regardless of the opinions outside of the Fury camp, it is up to him and his team alongside Queensberry Promotions to get this issue resolved so that the fight can remain on the aforementioned scheduled date.
With this matchup being the biggest fight of both younger fighters’ careers and already being scheduled for the second time, the interest in this bout has dwindled. This fight needs the proper promotion that a kickoff press conference can provide and bring back fan and media interest. For all fans who wanted to see this matchup, here’s to hoping all issues can be resolved in a timely manner and fashion for this event to proceed as planned.
Featured image credit to Embed from Getty Images
Featured image credit to Embed from Getty Images
