A Ukrainian heavyweight champion boxer has joined a territorial defense battalion as his country defends itself from Russia‘s armed forces.
Oleksandr Usyk, an Olympic gold medalist who is ranked as ESPN’s No. 2 heavyweight, joined the Kyiv territorial defense battalion to help resist a full-scale invasion launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin last Thursday.
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“If we consider ourselves as brother, Orthodox ones, do not send your children to our country, do not fight with us,” Usyk said in an Instagram post on Saturday.
“Also, I’m addressing this to the president, Vladimir Putin,” Usyk said. “You can stop this war. Please just sit down and negotiate it with us without claims.”
“Our kids, wives, grannies are hiding in the basements. … We are here in our own country, we cannot do it other way — we are defending,” Usyk said. “Stop it! Stop this war.”
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Usyk joins Vasiliy Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, Vitali Klitschko, a Hall of Fame boxer and the mayor of Ukraine’s capital city, Kyiv, and his brother Wladimir Klitschko in fighting against Russian forces.
