Sky standing by their man over flight ban
my best friend.” It is understood that Macklin, 39, is one of a number of people turned away because of their past links with the drug baron.
But yesterday Sky backed their man, saying he had no links to the companies named in the Kinahan sanctions.
Macklin was due to travel to Las Vegas to cover the super-featherweight title fight between Shakur Stevenson and Oscar Valdez but on instruction from US authorities, was stopped from boarding.
Dubliner Kinahan, 44, had a $5million bounty put on his head and was hit with sanctions by the US Government earlier this month.
Former professional boxer Macklin has no involvement in crime but has been friends with Kinahan for 16 years.
The pair founded the MGM boxing group in 2012, while he was still fighting.
Macklin was also involved in Kinahan’s MTK boxing operation which is now folding after promoters refused to deal with the firm over the sanctions.
But the TV pundit insists that 2017 is the last time he dealt with Kinahan in business terms when he left MTK.
Sky yesterday declined questions on Macklin being prevented from travelling but the broadcaster continues to stand by him. A spokesman said: “Matthew Macklin relinquished his interest in MTK in 2017 and has had no commercial dealings with Daniel Kinahan since.
“Matthew Macklin is not a named individual in the US sanctions, nor does he have any interest in, or prior dealings with, the named companies.”
The Irish Mirror tried to contact Macklin yesterday but without success.
He previously spoke about his relationship with Kinahan, saying: “Me and Daniel started off MGM. We were best friends and I was over there [Marbella] all the time when I was training and it just grew from there.”