Paddy Barnes emphatically responds to those linking his new gym to the Kinahan family

Paddy Barnes is at the start of a new journey, a new exciting venture in his glittering career.

The 29-year-old has turned professional, having signed for Matthew Macklin's MGM Marbella in the wake of his disappointing Rio Games. Barnes joins an impressive stable of fighters at MGM which includes Liam Smith, Martin Murray, Billy Joe Saunders and Dery Mathews. He will fight his first fight as a professional boxer later this year in his home town of Belfast. It will be a special moment for Barnes and his family, just rewards for a lifetime of dedication to his sport. But it is his new gym's links to the Kinahan family, whose name hasn't been far from the headlines as a bitter feud has taken place in Dublin over the past 12 months, that has gained a lot of focus since Barnes announced his decision. It's hard not to feel empathy with Barnes as these stories get in the way of a momentous time in his own career. There has never been any suggestion that Matthew Macklin has been involved in criminality of any kind and the Kinahans have no official involvement with MGM, but the Marbella based gym was still searched by Spanish police earlier this month as they investigated the family. In an excellent and wide-ranging interview with Fearghal O'Connor in Sunday's Business Post, Barnes is asked if these links with the Kinahan group have caused him any concern.

"None at all because MGM is Matthew Macklin. He is the founder of the gym, and he's my manager and will be looking after me. I have nothing to do with criminality. Matthew Macklin is not a criminal. I'm not a criminal. So if anyone wants to talk about criminality and about Daniel Kinahan and Christy Kinahan, they should go and ask them themselves.  "I've read people saying that. But where's the facts and proof of it? You're telling me about the Kinahans... I don't know anything about the Kinahans, I only know Matthew Macklin. But what has Daniel Kinahan been convicted of?"

O'Connor replies that he is not aware of any convictions.

"There you go. So people need to be careful about what they are saying if they are slandering people's names. People are saying he's a criminal, but he's been convicted of nothing. Strange, isn't it? He's roaming the world free with no convictions and no warrants for his arrest."

Barnes is then asked if he would have any issue with Daniel Kinahan being in his corner for his first professional fight.

"If he wants to sit in my corner, he can sit in my corner."

The full interview is in the Sunday Business Post and is well worth a read.

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