Wladimir Klitschko has criticized Roy Jones Jr’s ties to Russia while questioning his “moral compass.”
Jones, a former four-weight world champion, was granted Russian citizenship in 2015. He has been a Russian citizen for seven years after President Vladimir Putin agreed to his request. The boxing icon told Putin that becoming a Russian citizen would make it simpler for him to operate a gym and start a company in the nation.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year, Klitschko and his brother Wladimir, the Mayor of Kyiv, have shown their support for the nation. In a recent video, Klitschko aimed at Jones’ ties to Russia.
Klitschko challenged the boxer to explain “whose side he is on.” He said in a Twitter video, “I am super happy to be able to address all of you tonight. Well, almost all of you.”
“There is one person for whom I have a real question [for]. One person broke Ukrainian law by going to the occupied peninsula of Crimea through Russian territory.”
“That person is Roy Jones. 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.
Jones has previously supported Putin. He commended Putin for leading a healthy lifestyle.
Jones said, “To me, he is a man’s man. He does things that men are really highly engaged in. He’ll fish, he hunts, he boxes. He does taekwondo, Aikido — things that men love.”
“That is just who he is and he is a man of his word. The problem people have with him is that if he says he is going to do something, there ain’t no question that he’s going to do it.
“I have nothing but love and respect for a person like that because that is the way life should be. That is what I like about Mr. Putin.”
“If he says he is going to do something, he is going to do it. ‘Look, you want to be a Russian citizen? Bam. I can make that happen.’ It is just that simple.”