Matthew Macklin prevented from entering USA over Daniel Kinahan link

Matthew Macklin, a former professional boxer and current Sky Sports commentator, was just prevented from entering the United States due to his links to alleged drug cartel leader Daniel Kinahan.

Sky Sports has reported that Macklin was traveling to cover the upcoming bout between Shakur Stevenson and Oscar Valdez when he was prevented from boarding his flight.

Macklin co-founded MTK Global, which represents boxers such as Tyson Fury, with Kinahan in 2012. MTK Global just announced that it will be closing all operations this month after the United States Treasury Department announced major sanctions on Kinahan, his family, and his businesses.

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Matthew Macklin and Daniel Kinahan

Matthew Macklin was born in Birmingham, England but holds Irish citizenship as both of his parents are Irish. He spent much of his childhood in Ireland and has maintained close ties to the country.

Macklin retired from professional boxing in 2016. His record stands at 35-6-0 with 22 knockouts. He fought the likes of Gennadiy Golovkin, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Sergio Martinez, Felix Sturm, and Jamie Moore. He challenged for three middleweight world titles and won a number of regional belts.

Daniel Kinahan is an alleged Irish drug cartel leader who has been quietly involved in professional boxing for decades. In 2012, he founded Macklin's Gym Marbella - MGM - in Marbella, Spain, with Matthew Macklin. The gym was rebranded as MTK Global in 2016 and has been one of the leading promotional companies in recent years.

It was alleged that Kinahan stepped away from the company in 2017, following investigations into a high-profile shooting at an MTK event in Dublin. However, the former owner has maintained clear ties to the company and its fighters in the years since, serving in an 'advisor' role.

Kinahan has been a shadowy but legitimate figure in the boxing world. Until recently, he was supported by major figures such as Bob Arum and Mauricio Sulaimán, the president of the WBC.

It was also recently claimed that Katie Taylor, one of Ireland's most celebrated boxers, has been unable to fight in her home country due to MTK's dominance of professional boxing in the country. Instead, her bouts have taken place in cities such as New York and London.