Wladimir Klitschko has a strong message for Roy Jones Junior for his connections with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The Ukrainian icon was among the boxing legends honoured into the International Boxing Hall of Fame over the weekend.
Unfortunately, the former Heavyweight World Champion will not be present for the ceremony.
“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.” Klitschko said.
“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.” Klitschko added.
Jones sparked controversy in boxing in the 1990s. He earned the nickname Captain Hook for his flamboyant and explosive style, taking hard hits from all angles.
He represented the United States at the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988. He won 66 of his 75 fights, establishing himself as an international boxing legend.
Jones has profiled himself as an entrepreneur that brought him to boxing mad Russia, where he still enjoyed great popularity.
He sat down with President Vladimir Putin in August 2015. The location in particular caused a stir. Putin welcomed Jones in a residence in the strategic port city of Sevastopol, in Crimea, which had just been annexed by the Russians at the time.
Soon later, the two started talking business: Jones wanted a Russian passport to help him with his professional life and, in his own words, to making a connection between America and Russia.
“We have to love each other. We’re all human and I don’t understand why we have so much trouble communicating with each other.” Jones said.
