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On Saturday 3rd February, a boxing event being run by SK Promotions, which was due to feature 5 MTK Global signed boxers, was cancelled when the Citywest Hotel pulled out of hosting the event following widespread media propaganda.

Despite announcing MTK Global cutting all ties with Daniel Kinahan in February 2017, and announcing a full management buy-in by myself in October 2017, the Irish media have continued to vilify MTK Global in all and any mention of Irish boxing and MTK Global signed boxers. Our legal team are now dealing with this matter and will be issuing legal letters to a number of Irish media houses today.

None of the new management team or owners, nor any of the Irish boxers signed with MTK Global, have any connection with crime, yet many Irish media continue to drag up past affiliations and sensationalise and slander MTK Global and their stable of boxers. As CEO I cannot and will not allow this to continue. How are we ever meant to move forward as an organisation when we keep being dragged into the past by media?

“no choice but for MTK Global to pull out of the Republic of Ireland for the immediate future”

MTK Global currently represents 29 Irish boxers, including world famous talent such as Carl Frampton, Michael Conlan, Paddy Barnes, David Oliver Joyce, Jamie Conlan, Jono Carroll, to name but a few. Many of these fighters have won Olympic or world title medals at amateur level and are considered national heroes for their achievements. Yet the minute they turned professional, the Irish media turned their backs on them and instead have taken money out of their pockets by vilifying them in the press. This witch-hunt by Irish media has left me with no choice but for MTK Global to pull out of the Republic of Ireland for the immediate future. We will not host fight nights in Dublin nor will any MTK Global athletes fight on a Dublin card.

Since inception, MTK Global has held hundreds of fight nights across the globe which attract tens of thousands of attendees each year. That has a direct impact on local businesses and, in turn, the local economy. MTK Global’s withdrawal from the Irish market means a direct and negative impact on the Irish economy.

“forced into alternative employment –

is that what the people of Ireland want”

However, the biggest financial impact this will make is to the boxers themselves. These are people who were treasured and championed as some of Ireland’s most successful amateur athletes who, due to the lack of financial support to amateur boxing in Ireland, had no choice but to turn to the professional industry. Unlike what is widely and wildly reported, these athletes are not on salaries. Their earning capabilities are very much dependent on the number of fights they have and the number of tickets they sell for those fights. If they are not fighting on home turf then they will be unable to sell the same volume of tickets, thus drastically impacting their earning potential. This will no doubt mean driving them from the sport as many athletes will be forced to seek alternative employment to earn a living and to feed their families. Is this what the people of Ireland want? Because this is what is being forced upon these young athletes by media scaremongering.

This will also impact the future of boxing in Ireland because without the opportunity for boxers to have fights in their home cities, we will no longer be in a position to sign any more boxers from the Republic of Ireland. This will mean less opportunities for those that are hoping to make the transition from amateur to professional athletes, and will deter those who are currently considering pursuing boxing as a career.

“Ireland has won more Olympic medals in boxing than any other sport”

MTK Global is a multinational organisation with operations across the globe. Ireland has only played a small role in our operations, but we have always been keen to create opportunities in Ireland to honour the incredible boxing talent the country produces.

Ireland has won more Olympic medals in boxing than any other sport, bar none, yet the Irish media are putting the sport at risk to the point of near extinction if this witch-hunt continues.

“full boycott of media with immediate effect”

It is for these very reasons that MTK Global, and the stable of boxing talent it represents, will be enforcing a full boycott of media from the Republic of Ireland with immediate effect.

We will no longer issue press releases. Our team and athletes will no longer participate in interviews. Media from the Republic of Ireland will no longer be welcome at any MTK Global hosted events. We will provide no further comment to any media from the Republic of Ireland on any matters, be it sporting or business.

We will also no longer tolerate unsubstantiated, false and slanderous media attention and our team of legal representatives will pursue all and every defamatory claim going forward in addition to copyright thefts.

Whilst our industry continues to be slandered, disrespected and represented unfairly and unjustly by Irish media, whilst they take money from the hands of our athletes for the purpose of lining their own pockets, we will not participate or engage on any level. We ask the people of Ireland, who have supported these incredibly talented athletes, to do the same and boycott these media outlets whilst they continue to demonize and harass the industry. Instead, we ask that people seek the truth which we will communicate to them directly and honestly through our own media channels.

You can get involved and support our #FairNews campaign online here: https://twibbon.com/Support/mtk-fairnews-2 and together hopefully we can make a change.

Sandra Vaughan

CEO and Sole Shareholder of MTK Global