Irish Daily Mirror

JOE WANTS A PEACE OF THE ACTION

»»He wants big fight with Fury’s father in Saudi »»Egan ‘friends with Hutches and Kinahans’

- Crime Correspond­ent News@irishmirro­r.ie

EXCLUSIVE

IRISH boxing legend ‘Big’ Joe Egan says he remains friends with Gerry Hutch and the Kinahans — as he vows to return to the ring.

BY PAUL HEALY

In an exclusive interview, Egan, 58, says he wants to return to boxing after more than 20 years – and fight world heavyweigh­t champion Tyson Fury’s father John in an unpreceden­ted match in Saudi Arabia.

He also later spoke of his friendship with gang victim David Byrne – and how he cried when he learned he’d been shot dead in Dublin’s Regency Hotel back in 2016.

Egan made a video this week calling on John Fury to fight him after he called out pal Mike Tyson for a bout late last year.

Gauntlet

And, in his first interview, Egan spoke out over his shock boxing return hopes.

Egan told us: “I was a born fighter and John Fury is a born fighter. He’s calling out any 58-year-old man on the planet who is game enough to fight him and he’s thrown the gauntlet down. “So I’m game enough.” And in fighting words to John Fury – who infamously threw a table and chairs at a recent press conference for a fight between his son Tommy and Youtuber KSI – Egan described his behaviour as letting the side down. He said: “I know John. He’s my friend but he’s upset me with the way that he’s conducted himself.

“Boxing is the greatest sport in the world. And he’s carrying on like a man possessed, throwing tables and that. He’s going to leave a bad taste in people’s mouths with his carry-on and his conduct.”

In his call-out video which went viral this week, Egan — who was once dubbed by Mike Tyson as the “toughest white man on the planet” — said he wanted “one last hurrah” in a match between him and Fury, 59, in Saudi.

MONEY

Egan said he hoped to get backing for the fight – and to make a load of money while he’s at it. He added: “I know my chin is granite. I took Mike Tyson’s punches and I took Lennox Lewis’s punches. John Fury’s punches will bounce off of me,” he claimed.

“I want to see it happen in Saudi. It seems to be where all the money is.

“The thing is it seems to be the boxing capital at the moment.

“I think the Saudi royals and the Youtubers deserve to see two old warriors going at it. It would be a big pot. It would be a load of money. I’m not going to do it for nothing.” So far, Fury hasn’t responded to Egan’s call for a fight – but the former four-time Irish heavyweigh­t championsh­ip boxer says he’s deadly serious about making it happen.

He added: “You don’t answer a man’s challenge to a fight unless you’re serious. The thing is here a man has set down a challenge and I’ve stepped up to the mark and that’s that.”

Egan has never shied away when asked about being friends with recently freed crime figure Gerry Hutch – and with mob boss Daniel Kinahan.

In the past, he visited Kinahan’s Spanish gym and was pictured with him and brother Christophe­r Kinahan Jr.

He also once famously flew into Dublin Airport with Mike Tyson and the pair were picked up by Hutch, 60, in his limousine.

Asked today about Hutch being found not guilty of the Regency Hotel murder of David Byrne, Egan said he didn’t want to say much – but said he cried the day he learned Byrne was killed.

Gangster Byrne was shot dead in the lobby of the Regency Hotel in Dublin on February 5, 2016 – a killing that saw a wave of revenge murders at the hands of the ruthless Kinahan cartel.

Egan said: “The Byrne family are my good friends. I know David’s father and mother and I know his brother.

“He was my very good friend. I’ve been to visit his grave and I cried when he died. He always had great time for me. His father Jaws Byrne always had great time for me. They were

all my friends since I was a little boy. It’s very, very sad, heartbreak­ing even talking about it now.”

Egan says all he hopes now is that there is peace — after the violent Kinahan-hutch feud left 18 men murdered.

He defends his relationsh­ips with both sides – whom he says he remains friends with through the world of boxing.

“Happiness is what it is all about. I wish people happiness and that’s it,” he said when asked about the subject.

“I’m friends with both sides through boxing. Listen, Gandhi was the best peacekeepe­r this world has ever seen and that’s what I want – peace.

“I just want people to be happy. “I don’t like to see people kill each other and people die — particular­ly friends of mine.”

Egan says he welcomes Youtubers getting involved in the sport of boxing – arguing that it has given the sport a new lease of life. He also said he’d no

issue with the Saudi regime pushing money into the sport — arguing it is also a good thing. “I think it’s great and absolutely fantastic,” he said. “These Youtubers and there’s hundreds of millions of them are watching.

“If even one per cent of them suddenly realise they really like the sport then boxing has gained millions of new fans.

“I respect the Saudi royals. I respect them. They have done a lot of work in Ireland with the horses.

“I respect their regime, their culture and their principles.” Asked about the influence of the underworld on boxing, Egan continues to defend it.

“There’s always been an underworld in boxing from the days of Al Capone. If you go to a boxing show there could be a member of the royal family, a doctor, a bin man and there could be a gangster. That’s the attraction of boxing,” he said.

“They’re just fans. It doesn’t matter what their background is.”

 ?? ??
 ?? With Daniel Kinahan ?? MEETING
With Daniel Kinahan MEETING
 ?? ?? ‘NO RESPECT’
Egan says Fury is bad boxing ambassador
‘NO RESPECT’ Egan says Fury is bad boxing ambassador
 ?? ??
 ?? ?? Joe Egan is taking up Fury’s challenge
LIMOUSINE Egan with Hutch and Mike Tyson
Joe Egan is taking up Fury’s challenge LIMOUSINE Egan with Hutch and Mike Tyson
 ?? ?? PAL Murdered David Byrne
PAL Murdered David Byrne

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