Sports

30 Shadiest Individuals In All Of Sports History

Darren - June 4, 2021
Sports

30 Shadiest Individuals In All Of Sports History

Darren - June 4, 2021

Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports

5. Daniel Kinahan

Irish courts named Kinahan as the leader of one of Europe’s most violent drug cartels. Responsible for almost 20 murders in Ireland and Spain, they a brutal force. Currently, Kinahan lives in exile in the Middle East, where he avoids extradition. Why does this matter? He is also a major influence in boxing because of his promotion, MTK. MTK insists that Kinahan is no longer affiliated with them But everybody knows the truth.

Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports

In 2020, heavyweight champion Tyson Fury made waves when he thanked Kinahan on Twitter. It was seen as an attempt to legitimize Kinahan and sports-wash his reputation. Kinahan maintains an advisory role with many fighters like Fury and Billy Joe Saunders. Meanwhile, his cartel allegedly deals drugs, launder money, and ruins the lives of innocent people. He’s definitely one of boxing’s shadiest figures.

Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports

4. Rob Manfred

MLB commissioners are typically some of the worst in American sports. Bud Selig was dreadful but Manfred makes his predecessor look competent. Franchise owners love Manfred because he is their man. They are making more money than ever before but at the expense of baseball. Meanwhile, players and fans loathe him because he does very little to improve their experience. He’s been awful from beginning to end.

Mandatory Credit: Sports Illustrated

Firstly, his mealy-mouthed reaction to the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal was ludicrous. His justification for failing to strip them of their 2017 title win was that nobody had done it before. Then, he came into conflict with players after attempting to force them to take pay cuts and risk their health in 2021. Needless to say, this went down like a sack of potatoes. Overall, he’s as well-liked as a cockroach in a Big Mac.

Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports

3. Don King

King literally killed people. This definitely makes him one of the shadiest people on this list. The boxing promoter is one of the most notorious figures in the history of the sport. He exploited fighters like boxing was going out of fashion. King’s legal team is always busy. This is because they’ve faced so many lawsuits down through the years. Larry Holmes, Lennox Lewis, and Muhammad Ali all sued the promoter.

Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports

It all comes down to money because King sneakily attempted to underpay his fighters. Mike Tyson also sued him for millions of dollars and won the case against King. He also called him ‘vile’ and ‘greedy.’ Those words adequately sum up one of the shadiest figures in sports promotion. Historically, boxing has a terrible reputation but King is one of the worst offenders. It’s amazing he’s never spent time in jail.

Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports

2. Dan Snyder

Snyder owns the Washington Football Team and is one of the NFL’s most notorious figures. Fans and pundits alike have criticized him heavily for his actions. First and foremost, Washington has a losing record since he took charge in 1999. At the end of the day, results on the playing field affect public perception like nothing else. If they were good, then many fans would overlook his other misdemeanors.

Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports

Then there was the controversy over the ‘Redskins’ nickname. Activists and Native American support groups advocated for a change for years. Finally, Snyder dropped the ‘Redskins’ name after sponsors threatened to pull out. In short, he didn’t listen to the fans but rather the money. Meanwhile, he recently faced sexual harassment allegations. Snyder was involved in some of the league’s shadiest shenanigans.

Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports

1. Dana White

UFC President White is one of the most visible promoters in the world of combat sports today. He is also one of the shadiest characters out there. White is a serial liar. In sum, he has made millions of dollars off the backs of his fighters. Meanwhile, he has also had a ridiculous number of fallouts with his athletes. This is because his organization underpays them. They care more about profits than fighter welfare.

Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports

Whenever a fighter demands more money, White regurgitates the same tired old lines. He almost always says that they are ‘afraid’ of their opponent. Then, he makes out that they are being unreasonable. Jon Jones, Conor McGregor, and Dustin Poirier have one thing in common. They have all had problems with the bald one in the past. but White is like a dictator in his Las Vegas castle.

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