The co-promoter of Tyson Fury does not think there would be “any difficulty” in overturning the heavyweight boxing superstar’s travel ban into the US.
Bob Arum says that Fury has yet to make any move against the sanction, which he was placed under due to his past boxing associations with drug baron Daniel Kinahan.
The “Gypsy King”, 34, has been refused permission to board flights in the UK bound for the States on two occasions and is one of dozens in the professional sport placed on the list compiled by US authorities.
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Fury last week announced his “retirement” once more, but as part of his mega-million deal with Arum’s Top Rank Promotions, the Briton is contracted to one more transatlantic fight.
Asked if Tyson had stepped away from the game, Arum told us: “No. Well, who knows. He says a different thing everyday. But I don’t think so.”
He insisted there is “no reason” yet to fight the ban, but when a bout in the US is set, he doesn’t see any major obstacles.
In an exclusive interview with the Irish Mirror, Arum explained: “There’s no reason at the moment, he’s not fighting in the United States. So to my knowledge he hasn’t done anything. I don’t think it would be any difficulty.
“But again, I’m not in the US Government. It’s my government and I respect what they do, but I can’t speak for them.”
Arum, 90, is “not really certain” of what needs to be done but from speaking to other people in the fight game, he has heard that some have come off it by going to the US embassy in their home country.
Speaking from his home in Los Angeles, Arum told us: “All I know is that if somebody is on the list with the travel ban, then there is a procedure that has to be followed if they want to come off.
“I don’t necessarily know what the procedure is. Some people in boxing have been on that list but then they go to the embassy and say what they have to say and in most cases they get taken off. That’s my understanding.”
The boxing hall of famer - who once promoted Muhammad Ali - says Fury’s next fight may be against the winner of Saturday’s bout between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk, which is taking place in Saudi Arabia.
If that does happen, he said that will not be in the United States “in any event”.
Fury’s camp had previously agreed to a two-fight deal against UK rival Joshua in 2020 when he praised Daniel Kinahan for getting the deal “over the line.”
Kinahan at the time was working on behalf of Fury in the unlicensed role of an “advisor”. The fights ultimately never took place.
In February of this year, Fury travelled to Dubai, where the Kinahan cartel HQ is based, and was pictured with drug baron Daniel.
Less than two months later, the US Government declared war on Kinahan, his father Christy snr and brother Christy Jnr, placing them under sanctions and offering a $5m reward for anyone who had information to take them down.
The Irish Mirror subsequently revealed how Kinahan was paid up to $8million for his role in the negotiations for four of Fury's fights.
The money was paid to the Dubliner, 45, by Arum’s Top Rank and Fury was unaware of the transactions.
Following the US sanctions, Fury distanced himself from Kinahan.
In the meantime, investigators added dozens of names from the fight game onto the US travel ban list for any association with Kinahan in the sport.
And in late April, Matthew Macklin became the first major boxing name to be rejected permission to board a flight to Las Vegas where he was to work for Sky Sports.
Macklin founded management firm MTK Global, formerly MGM, with Kinahan in 2012.
It grew into one of the sports’ biggest firms and also had Fury on the books.
However, following the US sanctions being placed on Kinahan, the company collapsed.
After Macklin was refused permission to fly to Vegas, a Sky spokesman said the former pro puncher “relinquished his interest in MTK in 2017, and has had no commercial dealings with Daniel Kinahan since.”
Despite enjoying a holiday in Miami in May, Fury was subsequently rejected from boarding two seperate flights from the UK to the US in June.
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