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Wladimir Klitschko was among the boxing icons who were inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame over the weekend.
Unfortunately, the former Heavyweight World Champion won’t be in attendance for the induction ceremony. He and his older brother, Vitali, have become the faces of Ukraine during their war with Russia. While Vitali is the current mayor of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, the younger one is enlisted into the reserve ranks of the military.
Despite his absence, Klitschko uploaded videos to his Twitter account to formally accept his induction. After thanking his fans and supporters in one of the videos, he then took aim at his fellow heavyweight icon Roy Jones Jr.
Klitschko, 46, called out Jones for his connections with Russia.
In 2015, Jones met with President Vladimir Putin in Crimea and reportedly told the leader that a Russian citizenship would make it easier for him to do business in Moscow. The same year, Jones was officially granted Russian citizenship.
In his message, Klitschko questioned Jones’ moral compass, saying:
“There’s one person for whom I have a real question. One person who broke Ukraine law by going into the occupied peninsula of Crimea through Russian territory. That person is Roy Jones.”
He went on to say:
“So Roy, whose side are you on? On the side of the aggressor, or on the side of the defender of its right to live? I respect you as a fighter but I really question your moral compass.”
Watch Wladimir Klitschko’s video message:
Wladimir Klitschko appeals to unite amateurs, pro boxers under one organization
Wladimir Klitschko also pounced on the opportunity to appeal for a system change in boxing.
In his second video, Klitschko, popularly known as ‘Dr. Steelhammer’, challenged boxing’s governing bodies to come together and address the lack of job security, education and healthcare for fighters, both amateurs and professionals.
“There should only be one association that accompanies the athletes and not that instrumentalizes the athletes. We need to think about preparing for their personal development, health, and education plans well into the next stage of their life, not just their next fight.”
Klitschko is an Olympic gold medalist and two-time Heavyweight Champion. He retired in 2017 with a 64-5 win-loss record, including 53 knockouts.
