Why couldn’t Tommy Fury enter the United States for the fight against Jake Paul?
After initially refusing to fight due to an alleged chest infection and broken ribs, Tommy Fury later claimed to have been barred entry to the US, but why?
With the fight finally set to happen between the Youtuber and reality TV star, it’s worth taking a look back at how complicated it was to get to this moment. From chest infections and broken ribs, to visa issues, mob boss connections and a US immigration ban on travel, here’s a look at just what happened to Tommy Fury and why he couldn’t travel to the United States prior to this moment.
Why was Tommy Fury barred from entering the U.S.A.?
As you probably know by now, Jake Paul and Tommy Fury are set to meet in the ring on Sunday, February 26th in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. This of course, is the culmination of more than a year of buildup and two postponements, due to the withdrawal or failure to appear on the Brit’s part. Indeed, the latter was based on an alleged visa problem which Fury claimed was the reason why he was not allowed to enter the United States last year for the fight. In a social media post at the time, the “Love Island” star and professional boxer explained that he had been denied entry to the U.S.A. for what should have been an August 6th bout against Jake Paul in Madison Square Garden. He then went on to explain that his ESTA had been denied by Homeland Security and that though he had attempted to resolve the situation, he was not allowed to travel.
“Me and my team this morning arrived at Heathrow Airport ready for the press conference, ready to fly out. As soon as I entered the airport, I got pulled to one side, and I was told by a homeland security officer that was there that my ESTA had been denied, and I wasn’t able to travel to the USA for a reason that I apparently know,” Fury said. “I can stand here and say I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong, and I have no clue why I am not allowed to travel to the USA. Like I said, I’ve been training for a fight for this whole time, and that’s all I’ve been doing. I have no clue why they would not allow me to travel today, and neither does any of my team or my lawyers. Now, I’m having to go to embassies and all this sort of stuff to try and resolve it.”
What about Daniel Kinahan, why was his name mentioned?
One of the interesting pieces of information, that came out of the situation was the mention of Daniel Kinahan, the founder of the now defunct boxing promotions company MTK Global. In case you didn’t know, Kinahan was named by Dublin’s High Court as a senior figure in organized crime. That included, but was not limited to involvement in international drug-trafficking operations and firearm offenses. To that end, U.S. officials have since announced a $15 million reward regarding any information on Daniel Kinahan and his family. The U.S. has also barred anyone connected to Kinahan from entering the country, which includes Tyson Fury - Tommy’s older brother - and his camp with the boxer having previously been advised by Kinahan.