MTK Global begin boycott of Irish media

Management outfit Mack The Knife Global have this afternoon announced that they will be indefinitely boycotting media outlets from the Republic of Ireland.

The move comes following the cancellation of the SK Promotions ‘Collision Course’ card at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin last Saturday. That bill was pulled on short notice by the venue, leaving numerous Irish fighters without fight dates.

According to a press release from MTK Global, the cancellation came after “widespread media propaganda.”

Sandra Vaughan, the newly announced CEO and sole shareholder of MTK Global, said that “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?”

This “witch hunt” has left Vaughan 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.”

Vaughan lamented the move on behalf of Irish boxers, describing how “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 move would theoretically rule Alfredo Meli out of Ireland’s Last Man Standing on March 3rd – however this remains unconfirmed.

In addition to not hosting any cards in the Republic of Ireland or having any of their fighters box on bills in the 26 counties, Vaughan also confirmed that MTK Global will no longer be signing any more fighters from the area.

Vaughan noted how “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, bar none, yet the Irish media are putting the sport at risk to the point of near extinction if this witch-hunt continues.

Elaborating on the media boycott, Vaughan explained that “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.”

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Irish-Boxing.com is a media outlet based in Dublin. While we strongly deny ever slandering, disrespecting, or representing MTK and its fighters unfairly or unjustly, it is assumed our location dictates that we are subject to the boycott and we are deeply saddened by this.

Irish boxers who are represented by MTK will still be covered by this website in the form of fight news and fight reports, however we will respect their wishes and not request interviews.