It's one week since the US government issued sanctions on senior members of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group. The ramifications of that announcement for the sport of boxing continue to be felt.
This morning, hall of fame boxing promoter Bob Yalen resigned his post as the president and CEO of MTK.
Yalen took the position of MTK Global president in 2018.
Yalen on Daniel Kinahan (2020) - 'No court has ever found this man guilty of anything'
Yalen - like Top Rank CEO Bob Arum - was fond of praising the character of Daniel Kinahan in the media.
Back in 2020, it was Yalen who revealed to Mike Coppinger that Daniel Kinahan was taking a break from boxing promotion amid the backlash to Tyson Fury's 'Big shoutout to Dan' video, while issuing a staunch defense of the Dubliner's character.
"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. No court has ever found this man guilty of anything. The man has never been charged or convicted of a crime. The only basis for these allegations is the hearsay testimony of biased parties."
Those comments have not aged particularly well.
The BBC's Darragh McIntyre spoke to Yalen at the doorstep of his Connecticut home last year and Yalen claimed that Kinahan was still advising boxers.
Yalen said he was in regular contact with Daniel Kinahan, as business required it. He revealed that Kinahan was still advising MTK boxers but couldn’t say if that included Tyson Fury.
Interestingly, Yalen cited the 'pressure of the last few weeks' for the reason why he decided to leave MTK.
“I am incredibly proud of the success of MTK Global and I feel privileged to have served as President and CEO since 2018.
“However, the pressure of the last few weeks has been particularly intense. I need to consider the impact on myself and my family. So after four years leading MTK, I think it’s time for me to step aside to take on new challenges.”
Last week, MTK released a statement saying Kinahan had 'parted ways with the company' in 2017. Regardless, Arum has confirmed that Top Rank would no longer work with MTK or Probellum. Yalen's decision to step away amid the 'pressure of the last few weeks' - given his status in the boxing world - is a further blow for the company.
Tyson Fury fights Dillian Whyte this Saturday at Wembley. It remains to be seen if Fury will be asked a single question about last week's announcement by the US government.
SEE ALSO: Top Rank Reportedly Paid Daniel Kinahan An Awful Lot Of Money For Tyson Fury Fights
