Mob boss Daniel Kinahan has spent the past five years carefully trying to cultivate a new image of himself as little more than a harmless, but well respected, boxing advisor.
Kinahan (44) has posed for photos with several top boxers and other leading figures within the sport from his bolthole in Dubai — with many of them crowing about the sage and expert advice he was giving them.
However, the reality has been that the Dublin-born drugs cartel boss has only ever been using boxing to sportswash his dirty deeds and blood money.
Kinahan’s high level involvement in world boxing really came to the fore in June 2020, when World Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury name-checked him as the man who had managed to get a mega €500m double-fight deal with his fellow British boxer Anthony Joshua over the line.
Fury let the cat out of the bag in regards to Kinahan when he hailed his role in a post on Instagram.
Fury said: “I’m just after getting off the phone there with Daniel Kinahan.
“He’s just informed me that the biggest fight in British boxing history has just been agreed.
“Big shout out Dan, he got this done. Literally over the line. Two fight deal.”
Just a month prior to Fury’s pronouncements, Daniel Kinahan had been appointed as a ‘special advisor’ to a sports firm based in Bahrain.
Kinahan was described as an “international boxing power broker” by the Bahraini KHK Sports who said he was to advise them across their entire portfolio, including boxing and MMA.
He released a statement saying: “It is an honour for me to work with His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al Khalifa, Mr Mohammed Shahid and the entire team at KHK Sports.
“KHK Sports has made an impressive mark on the world of combat sports and has fantastic ambitions to grow into a global powerhouse.
“I look forward to working with the team to realise these dreams and further build Bahrain combat sports into a globally recognised presence.”
But it wasn’t long before Kinahan’s links to cocaine smuggling and murder put a temporary halt to his sportswashing activities.
As the spotlight came on him more following the Tyson Fury revelations, just weeks later Kinahan revealed he was to step aside as the boxer’s advisor, and from his role at KHK Sports.
The backlash against his involvement in the sport prompted Fury’s co-promoter Bob Arum to say Kinahan would no longer be involved in negotiations around the Joshua fights.
Meanwhile, MTK Global president Bob Yalen, who insisted at the time Kinahan had no links with the firm, said: “Daniel’s going to be taking time away from the sport to focus on other interests and hopefully this will put a stop to the negative press from Ireland that’s based entirely on hearsay.”
While Kinahan did step back from the boxing limelight for a while, his sportswashing campaign really kicked back into gear earlier this year.
The mobster has been pictured on Twitter posing with boxers and promoters, including Sunny Edwards, Jono Carroll and Darren Till.
He was even pictured as recently as just four days ago posing with giant bodybuilder and actor Martyn Ford.
Kinahan even laughably claimed he just wanted to help stamp out corruption in boxing, as he issued a bizarre statement in which he claims he has “nothing to hide”.
Kinahan issued the statement to the popular Fight Disciples boxing podcast after its hosts questioned his role in boxing as well as a controversial draw between Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall .
In the show the pair discussed Kinahan, who they referred to as “the elephant in the room”. But in an unprecedented statement given to the podcast, Kinahan insisted he has nothing to hide — and claimed “unethical” and “corrupt practice” needs to be exposed.
“Questions now being asked are necessary and timely and I wholeheartedly welcome them,” he stated.
“Where unethical and corrupt practice exists it’s important to expose it.
“Some people have made serious allegations about my involvement in Saturday’s fight.
“That’s why I’m happy to invite scrutiny. I have nothing to hide. I’m proud to represent Josh and Jack who are not only world class fighters but personal friends. I will answer any questions asked of me and it’s incumbent on others, advisors, managers, promoters, trainers and fighters to do the same.
“Boxing needs to change and I want to play my part in safeguarding the future of the sport.
“Above all we need greater transparency in decision-making to ensure fairness for fighters and respect for fans.”
Meanwhile, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris urged anyone in boxing with ties to Kinahan to cut them.
He said: “What was implicit is now absolutely explicit: if you deal with the individuals who are sanctioned then you are then involved with a criminal network.”
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