Influencer Boxing Event Turns Violent Amid Tommy Robinson's Presence
What began as another chaotic night in the world of influencer boxing ended in a full‑scale riot in Kilkenny, as the presence and rhetoric of far-right activist Tommy Robinson turned a manufactured spectacle into genuine violence.
The trouble erupted around midnight on Saturday at The Hub, where controversial internet personality HSTikkyTokky – real name Harrison Sullivan – was staging an event under his Unhinged promotions banner alongside fellow influencer Ed Matthews.
Robinson, 43, currently on bail after being found guilty in October of harassing two journalists to the point they feared violence, had been billed as a ringside guest. He is due back in court on 16 December for sentencing and faces the prospect of a substantial custodial term. On Friday, Sullivan had confirmed Robinson’s attendance.
The warning signs were there. A press conference on Friday evening disintegrated into a brawl, with competitors repeatedly attacking each other on stage. The cast list was a snapshot of the more toxic corners of online celebrity: streamers, fitness influencers, drill rappers, OnlyFans models and Paul Flaherty, a convicted sex offender turned YouTuber.
Even so, the main event began without major incident. The fights were streamed live on Kick to an audience of about 1.8 million, the kind of global reach that has turned low-rent grudge matches into lucrative theatre.
Then the temperature changed.
Before a bout involving Muslim social media personality Mo Deen – real name Mohammad Kubba – Sullivan and Matthews invited Robinson to the commentary desk. Robinson, clutching a copy of his book, The Grooming Gang Cover-Up, launched into an inflammatory tirade, claiming “Muslims have been raping our country for 100 years” and citing false statistics about Muslim men and sexual offences.
In a racially mixed crowd, the reaction was instant. Anger, disbelief, hostility. The atmosphere, already edgy, tightened.
Kubba won his fight. Instead of celebrating, he climbed out of the ring and launched himself at Robinson, throwing punches as he reached the activist at ringside. Security dragged the pair apart and, for a moment, it looked as though the show would stagger on.
It did not.
Sullivan, chasing another viral moment, demanded that Kubba – who had already left the venue – return to “face off” with Robinson in the ring. A reluctant Kubba was escorted back inside by event security. From ringside, Sullivan could be heard pushing for an unscheduled bareknuckle confrontation, repeatedly shouting: “Let Tommy fight him.”
He also allowed Robinson’s entourage, “Tommy’s boys” in his own words, to pour into the ring.
By the time Kubba stepped through the ropes again, the ring was packed with Robinson’s supporters. Robinson hurled his book – designed with Arabic-style lettering on the cover – at Kubba. That was the spark. A mass fight exploded inside and around the ring.
Chairs flew. Barricades went over. Fans traded punches as others sprinted for the exits, screaming. The live stream captured the chaos before cutting to black, but not before some in the crowd chanted “Oh Tommy Robinson” over the bedlam.
Kubba later told the Guardian he had been instructed to start a fight with Robinson, though he refused to say by whom. Before the confrontation, Robinson had said he would be willing to “batter” Kubba if the Muslim influencer initiated a fight, while also insisting he liked Kubba and held no ill will. There is no suggestion the riot itself was pre-planned.
For around 20 minutes, the venue descended into rolling violence. Sullivan could be heard pleading with the crowd to calm down, his appeals swallowed by the noise. Event and venue security, joined by gardaí who had already been called earlier in the evening after disturbances, gradually forced people out and regained control.
A Garda Síochána spokesperson said a man in his 30s had been assaulted and taken to St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny. Another man, in his 20s, was arrested and detained at a local station. A teenage boy was also arrested, charged with violent disorder and scheduled to appear in court on Sunday.
Outside, in the early hours, the aftermath became content. Predominantly teenage boys and young men filmed smashed barriers and police lines on their phones. One attendee told the Guardian that “such things did not happen in Kilkenny city”, a town of roughly 27,000 more used to quiet nights than imported culture wars.
Inside, the show’s organiser tried to squeeze more out of the wreckage. After police dispersed the crowd, Sullivan attempted to restart the fights for the live stream only, but a visibly distressed representative of the venue blocked him.
By then, footage of the riot was already ricocheting around social media. On Instagram, the official Unhinged account, @unhinged_promotions, posted clips with the caption: “The Area started a RIOT.” Sullivan himself, in comments uploaded on Sunday, admitted he had misjudged the security operation. “Everyone makes mistakes when you are trying to grow something,” he said, before adding: “One thing I can say is it was a great night of entertainment and it’s gone super viral.”
The Ministry of Justice and the Metropolitan police were unable to say whether Robinson’s bail conditions barred him from travelling to Ireland.
What began as a made-for-streaming circus ended with arrests, injuries and a small Irish city asking how a night of “content” turned into a riot on its doorstep.
