The boxing promoter Bob Arum denied that he was kept in ignorance of his business’s relationship with the drug baron Daniel Kinahan.
Kinahan was sanctioned by the United States government in 2022 for his role as boss of a drug cartel based in Dubai, but had been previously welcomed in the boxing community after claiming that he had changed his ways.
He was involved in the negotiation of an agreement for the second and third fights of Tyson Fury against Deontay Wilder, as well as the Gypsy King fights against Tom Schwarz and Otto Wallin in 2019.
These fights occurred after Fury signed a promotional agreement with the first -row promotional company of Arum.
However, a legal action of $ 25 million (19 million pounds Sterling was filed before the California Federal Court saying that Todd Duboef high -level president hid his relations with Kinahan de l’Arum and the broadcasting partner of Top Rank Espn.
The trial alleys that Duboef contacted Kinahan behind Arum’s back to have Fury signed for Top Rank embarrassment Espn.
Daniel Kinahan (photo) was sanctioned by the US government in 2022
He had already negotiated agreements for several fights involving Tyson Fury (right)
A trial said that the CEO and founder of Top Rank, Bob Arum
But Arum, 93, is categorical, it was not the case, and insisted that he and ESPN knew Kinahan all the time.
Arum retaliated on the claims of the trial, saying to the Irish sun: “It’s total of Taurus ****. This is not true. Everyone knew it, everyone was part of it. It’s absolutely crazy. We agreed with Kinahan but everyone was on board, including me.
“No one did anything behind my back. Todd was always involved and Todd flew to Dubai with me.
“The image that is painted”, here is this old man and all these intriguing people behind his back, agreeing with Kinahan “and so on. This is not true. To say that it was done without my knowledge is crazy – or without the ESPN, it’s crazy. Of course, ESPN was aware.
Arum was repeatedly informed by journalists that Kinahan was still involved in organized crime while they worked together, but he broke his ties with the Irishman that the United States government imposed its sanctions three years ago.
Arum conceded that he had fallen into Kinahan’s lies and added that he would have moved away from him if he had been aware of the complete image.
“Remember at the time, things around his reputation were questionable,” added Arum. “I fell for the thing that he was a villain but he had changed and he had become legitimate.
“But again, nobody went behind my back. If I was the madman, it’s on me. If I had known what I do from Kinahan now, I wouldn’t have touched it with a 10 -foot pole. None of us could have.