A boxing event in Kilkenny descended into a 20-minute riot after influencer Mo Deen launched himself at Tommy Robinson, with Deen later claiming the confrontation had been scripted and that he had been “told to” attack the far-Right activist.
The Unhinged 003 show, organised by British influencer Harrison Sullivan, known online as HSTikkyTokky, was abandoned three bouts before its scheduled finish after fighting spread through the crowd at the Hub venue.
Metal chairs and barriers were thrown as spectators exchanged punches. A man was stabbed and taken to hospital, while two people were arrested, including a teenager who was charged with violent disorder.
The event had been streamed on Kick to about 1.8 million viewers. It was also attended by up to 2,000 young fans, despite claims that it had been held without authorisation from an official boxing body.
Violence breaks out at Kilkenny boxing event
Robinson had been invited to join Sullivan and influencer Ed Matthews at the commentators’ desk before Deen’s bout against MrTikTokUK.
Holding a copy of his book, The Grooming Gang Cover-Up, Robinson made inflammatory remarks about Islam, including the claim that “Muslims have been raping our country for 100 years”. He also cited statistics about Muslim men and sexual offences that were described in the source material as false.
After beating MrTikTokUK, Deen, whose real name is Mohammad Kubba, climbed from the ring and appeared to launch a flying kick at Robinson. The confrontation initially spilled into the crowd but was contained by security.
Deen left the venue, but was later escorted back inside. A further confrontation then broke out involving Robinson and members of both men’s entourages, before the violence spread across the arena.
Videos posted online showed people screaming, pushing and throwing punches as security staff struggled to regain control. The livestream eventually cut to black.
Gardaí said they attended the Dublin Road premises at about 9pm on Saturday, November 7. A man in his 30s was assaulted and taken to St Luke’s Hospital, while a man in his 20s was arrested and detained at a Garda station in the south-east.
A second male, described by police as being in his teens, was arrested for violent disorder and later charged. He was due to appear in court, although no court sitting had been set at the time of the statement.
The Hub said its management had intervened to stop the promotion company continuing with the event.
“The Hub has a zero-tolerance policy towards violence, aggression or disorderly behaviour,” a spokesman said.
Mo Deen says confrontation was scripted
As he and members of his entourage sheltered in a utility room, Deen posted videos claiming that the initial attack had been staged to promote a possible future fight but had spiralled out of control.
“This is like WWE, they said this is what the situation is. I followed the script,” he said, while urging those with access to Robinson not to “put hits out” on him.
Deen also said he was receiving death threats from Robinson’s supporters. “I’m getting death threats, people trying to kill me,” he said.
He added: “This is a message to all supporters of Tommy, supporters, gangs, whatever you are. I just followed the script they told me to agree with. Tommy’s agreed to it, they’ve agreed to it, I followed it.”
Sullivan denied that the confrontation had been staged. In a video posted on his YouTube channel, he said he had been sitting beside Robinson and asked: “Do you think that I wanted to get f***ing fly-kicked and f***ing some fat belly over me?”
He also rejected the suggestion that he had deliberately arranged a bare-knuckle fight between the pair after Deen returned to the venue.
Despite the disorder, Sullivan initially described the night as having gone “absolutely brilliantly” because the event had trended online. He later accepted that he had misjudged the level of security required and the type of audience attending.
HSTikkyTokky claims promotion has been shut down
Sullivan subsequently said Unhinged Promotions had been stopped from operating “worldwide”, claiming he had received messages from police and a boxing commission.
“I am not allowed to put an Unhinged event on anymore after Tommy Robinson riots at Kilkenny last night,” he said, adding that he was cancelling future events and apologising for putting spectators’ safety at risk.
He had previously discussed the prospect of Robinson fighting Deen on a future card, while rappers Russ Millions and Kirky were due to headline the event in Kilkenny before the final bouts were abandoned.
Sources close to boxing authorities questioned the substance of Sullivan’s claim that the company had been shut down worldwide. Influencer boxing events such as Unhinged 003 are also understood, from the material provided, to have commonly taken place without authorisation from an official boxing body.
Robinson is on bail after being found guilty in October of harassing two Daily Mail journalists in a campaign that caused them to fear for their safety. He is due to return to court on December 16 for sentencing, when he could face a custodial sentence.
Andrew McGuinness, the mayor of Kilkenny, described the scenes as “absolutely disgraceful” and criticised the decision to stage an event attended by minors and teenagers.
