British and Irish politicians are increasingly alarmed at suspected $1 billion drug lord Daniel Kinahan's involvement in elite boxing

• A two-fight series between prominent heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua was reportedly agreed last week.
• The lucrative bouts were organized by Daniel Kinahan, a suspected $1.1 billion gang boss, who has been widely condemned by Irish politicians.
• A UK politician, Stephen Farry, told Insider that he will alert the British government to Kinahan's involvement in elite boxing.
• "He is not a fit and proper person to be involved in the promotion of professional sport," said Farry, a member of parliament for Northern Ireland's Alliance Party.
• He wants to know "what can be done to ensure proper international governance around professional boxing."

Alarm is spreading among British and Irish politicians over the suspected $1.1 billion drug lord Daniel Kinahan's involvement in elite British boxing.

"This is no ordinary businessman," the deputy leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland and sitting member of parliament in Britain, Stephen Farry, told Insider in a statement.

A two-fight match between the WBC heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury and the WBA, WBO, and IBF champion Anthony Joshua was reportedly agreed last week. Kinahan is an "advisor" to Fury, and thus fundamental to negotiations between all concerned parties involved in setting up the fight.

An alleged feud between Kinahan's people and a rival group has "resulted in the deaths of 18 people" in Ireland and Spain, according to Paul Reynolds of RTE.

There is no suggestion that either fighters is involved in or aware of any criminal activity.

In a video message on Twitter, Fury thanked Kinahan for getting a deal done.

Insider reported Friday that Kinahan, who has no convictions, is notorious in his native Ireland and has been widely condemned by the nation's politicians.

A legal representative for Kinahan declined to answer questions from Insider. In a statement, the law firm Brandsmiths said Kinahan had been defamed by the press before, and was considering legal action.

While Kinahan himself was not the subject of the proceedings, the Irish High Court has heard accusations that he is the leader of a gang known as The Cartel, which has generated vast profits from organized crime.

The gang's operations are "managed and controlled" by Kinahan and his brother, Christopher, according to a 2019 ruling of the Irish High Court reported by the Irish Times. The ruling itself was never published.

A separate 2018 hearing in the Irish High Court, about how to dispose of assets linked to the gang, heard claims by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) that its operations were estimated to have generated 1 billion euros ($1.13 billion), according to the Irish Mirror.

In the hearing, the CAB said the group's activities include drugs trafficking and smuggling weapons.

Farry told Insider that he will be talking to the UK's Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport, Oliver Dowden, about what can be done to ensure the sport of boxing is properly governed.

"Many people enjoy sport, including professional boxing and would look forward to a match-up between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua," Farry said in his statement to us. "But it is critical that we have integrity in sport.

"Daniel Kinahan has been described by the Irish police, An Garda Siochana, in an affidavit to the Irish High Court as running the day to day operations of an international crime gang. This is no ordinary businessman," he said.

"He is not a fit and proper person to be involved in the promotion of professional sport, let alone a very high-profile event.

"Great care must be taken to ensure that professional boxing is not used to legitimize such a person, and indeed that such a person could compromise professional boxing. This would send out a terrible message to wider society.

"Details of the timing and location of any fight are still to be arranged.

"But I am raising this issue with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport with a view to establishing how the Government can work with UK-based broadcasters around their coverage, and what can be done to ensure proper international governance around professional boxing."

British broadcasters have been forced to comment

The Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said last week it would be "entirely appropriate" for broadcasters to shun the Fury vs. Joshua fight because of its associations with Kinahan, The Times reported.

Here's Daniel Kinahan pictured alongside the WBC heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury:

—TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) March 8, 2017

Insider asked Sky twice on June 5 if it would broadcast bouts associated with Daniel Kinahan, considering his background. Sky deferred instead to its broadcast contract with Matchroom and Hearn, representing Joshua.

Insider asked Sky the same question for a third time when the two-fight Fury vs. Joshua agreement was announced last week.

"Sky Sports has an exclusive contract with Matchroom Sport and with Anthony Joshua," it said.

"We have not been involved in negotiations for a possible Joshua v Fury fight. All our broadcast deals are subject to careful consideration."

Sky's statement follows a similarly-worded comment from BT Sport, which has a contract with Queensberry Promotions, Fury's co-promoter in the UK.

"BT Sport is not currently involved in the Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua negotiations," a BT spokesperson said, according to The Sun.

"Our broadcast agreement for the fights of Tyson Fury is exclusively with Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions. We have had no dealings with MTK or any of their representatives for this fight.

"BT reviews all sports rights and broadcast deals with the appropriate levels of responsibility and scrutiny before deciding on a course of action.

"We cannot comment further on a potential fight which to the best of our knowledge is not confirmed, and which has not been offered to us."

It is unclear where the Fury vs. Joshua fight would take place, with the UK, Las Vegas, or the Middle East all possible venues.

It could head to Saudi Arabia. Joshua has fought once there already having beaten Andy Ruiz Jr. in a high-stakes rematch in Diriyah last year.

"There should also be concerns at speculation that this event may be held in Saudi Arabia given its appalling human rights record," Farry said.

Joshua has a professional boxing record of 23 wins (21 knockouts) against one loss. Fury is unbeaten after 30 wins (21 knockouts) and one draw.

A first fight between them is expected to generate at least $200 million, according to Fox Sports.

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