Wladimir Klitschko called out Roy Jones Jr. in front of the boxing world over his ties to Russia and President Vladimir Putin.
Jones received a special Russian passport from Putin and continues to be a guest of honor in the country despite soldiers waging war in Klitschko’s home of Ukraine.
Klitschko accepted the honor of his 2021 enrollment into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. However, it came with a question for Jones.
“Thank you, fans and officials. When I was 14 and started my journey in boxing I’ve never dreamed of being among all these champions in the Hall of Fame,” said Klitschko.
“All of us here have a huge responsibility. It is up to us to build the future of boxing.
“Thank you, fans. I never ever dreamed of getting that far in the sport. Amazing. Boxing just made me a better person, period. Even if it was a bit scary in the beginning, I started to enjoy it later. You know how it is.
“It taught me a lot. Contrary to the popular expression, every punch I ate made me smarter.
“Unfortunately, the Russian aggression and the war in Ukraine have prevented me from sharing in person this ceremony with you.
KLITSCHKO ROY JONES JR.
“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. 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?
“I really respect you as a fighter, but I really question your moral compass.”
Klitschko ended the video by paying tribute to Marvelous Marvin Hagler.
