Wladimir Klitschko, in Midst of Ukraine Battle, Demands Russian Dmitry Bivol Be Banned From Fighting Canelo Alvarez

By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent

Kyiv, Ukraine (March 10th, 2022)–  A maternity hospital in the southern port city of Mariupol was bombed by Russian forces on Wednesday, Ukrainian authorities claimed, marking a difficult development in the two-week old invasion of independent Ukraine by Russian Special Forces.

 Former World Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, fighting on the front lines for his life with his brother, former World heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, current World Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, and former World Lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko, told BBC 5 Dmitry Bivol should not be allowed to fight Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in May 2022 for money or any reason. His brother, ex-champ Vitali also spoke out.

 According to Wladimir, “”Absolutely not. Every sanction, and it’s nothing against the personality or athletes, it’s about the politics of Russia. Every Russian representative (athlete) in this case needs to be sanctioned, because (in) this way we (the world will) show to Russia that the world is against this senseless war (in the Ukraine), and that there’s no good in (fighting this war with loss of life) this war.”

 Bivol, 19-0 with 11 knockouts, the current World Boxing Association World Light Heavyweight champion, is a Kyrgyzstan-born Russian. The Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic declared independence in 1991. Bivol won the Russian national amateur boxing championships in 2012 and 2014, as a light heavyweight His record as an amateur is 268–15. Precisely who Bivol is and who he represents is open to interpretation, but the Klitschko Brothers could put international heat on promoter Eddie Hearn to scrap Canelo’s next bout by generating nonstop negative publicity. Bivol has made no statement.

Kiev Mayor, brother Vitali Klitschko added he feels a ban from sports would signal to Russian citizens that the war is senseless. “The Russian population have to put pressure on the government, on Putin, from inside the country and show that it’s actually a senseless war. People pay with their lives, already thousands from both sides have died. The question is: for what? For what [purpose of fighting and loss of life] is the (our current) war? For our idea of being part of the European Union? For our idea of being part of the European family? We see our future as a democratic, modern country and that’s why we’re fighting for values, for principles, for our country.” Meanwhile, the Russian special operations continue inside Ukraine, with no peace offer, compromise, or end to the war in sight.



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