Daniel Kinahan will no longer be part of the negotiations for the potential world heavyweight title unification showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, according to Bob Arum.
Arum confirmed to The Telegraph that Kinahan – who acts as adviser to Fury and whose involvement in negotiations had become a major story in recent weeks due to his alleged gangland past – will step back from representing Fury in future negotiations.
The Top Rank supremo – who promotes Fury along with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions – said: “Over the weekend I’ve had a lot of conversations with Tyson Fury and what we both decided is that myself, Top Rank and Fury will do all negotiations for fights in the future.
“Whether it’s for Joshua or Wilder or anybody else. We’ve informed Eddie Hearn about that. He knows where to go for the negotiations. Tyson and I have had long negotiations about it. That’s the way it’s going to be.
“This will eliminate a lot of confusion, we’ve talked with Dan, who Tyson and I both love and admire and respect, and he understands that it’s best the negotiations on Tyson’s side be handled that way. ‘Both Tyson and I have each discussed this with Dan and he is amenable and satisfied and wished us luck. He only wants the best for Tyson Fury.”
When Fury announced on June 10 that he had agreed the financial structure for a double-header with fellow British world champion Joshua, he triggered a media storm by crediting Kinahan for “getting the deal over the line”.
It’s official FURY VS JOSUAR AGREED FOR NEXT YEAR, I got to smash @bronzebomber first then I’ll annihilate @anthonyfjoshua #WEARESPARTANS
MASSIVE THANKS TO DANIEL KINNERHAN FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN.???????????????? god bless pic.twitter.com/18FfVKfCax
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) June 10, 2020
The response was far-reaching with Irish Prime Minster Leo Varadkar telling the Irish Parliament: “I was taken aback by Tyson Fury and his video and dropping in that name you mentioned”.
Since that announcement the media coverage has escalated around the links between Kinahan, Fury and what would probably be the biggest fight in British boxing history, culminating with Wednesday’s announcement from Arum.
The 88-year-old Hall Of Fame promoter had earlier credited Kinahan for being a calming influence in handling the negotiations for Fury vs Joshua with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom, saying: “Dan is a great source of putting everything in perspective and talking reason to the promoters. Keeping the peace with Eddie (Hearn) and Frank (Warren), which is not easy. He’s been a good and calming influence. He acts as the adviser to Top Rank and Tyson Fury. That’s his role and he’s done us a lot of good articulating our position to both Eddie and Frank.”
