Via issues may derail WWE’s plans for Tyson Fury at the Royal Rumble next month and WrestleMania 39 in April.
The US Sun reports that WWE was planning to have Fury make a Royal Rumble appearance and work a match at WrestleMania, but that Fury’s issues entering the country are in the way. Those hopes are looking “slim and complicated.”
The boxing superstar cannot enter the US because of links to alleged Irish mob boss Daniel Kinahan, who co-founded MTK Global, which represented Fury. It was shut down in April when Kinahan was hit with sanctions regarding his alleged crimes.
Fury is among over 600 people with connections to Kinahan who are believed to be banned from entering the country.
Originally, Fury was set to face Jake Paul in a fight in New York City, but that had to be pushed back because Fury could not get into the country for the match, having appeared in a picture with Kinahan in February. Fury has said he has nothing to do with Kinahan.
“Because I had my picture taken with a man, it doesn’t make me a criminal. I’m just a boxer. There could be a criminal in this building.”
Fury-WWE Connection
An insider told the outlet, “Tyson is well loved at the WWE, and him popping up in any match, and a run to Wrestlemania would generate huge headlines and fan interest. However, his immigration status is proving tricky to deal with. Tyson and the legal team or getting this whole grey and tricky area resolved. But non-entry, quite simply put, means non-payment.”
The source continued, “And people may not believe this but turning up for a match or being part of the shows, not even fighting, earns him several million dollars. So this issue with his working visa in the States is costing him a large amount of cash. The WWE works with foreign athletes all the time in aiding their visa processing for appearances. The legal team are on the sidelines offering support in this matter, but ultimately getting approval is on Tyson’s head and how US immigration assesses his case.”
This source noted that Fury working matches in Saudi Arabia is always possible. Fury faced Braun Strowman at WWE Crown Jewel in 2019, which marked his pro wrestling in-ring debut and his only match to date in addition to appearing at Clash of the Castle in September.
