SAN DIEGO – Dmitry Bivol knew the questions were coming. For all the people who wanted to ask Bivol, an undefeated light heavyweight champion, about his upcoming title defense against Canelo Álvarez, more wanted to quiz Bivol, a Russian citizen, on his thoughts about the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“I have a lot of friends in Ukraine,” says Bivol. “I have a lot of friends in Russia. My family is in Russia. I have a lot of friends everywhere. I wish them only peace and only the best. It’s really sad for me. Every day I wake up and read the news. I hope [the war] stops.”
As the battles between Russia and Ukraine intensify, sports, and boxing in particular, have played a part in illuminating the conflict. Vitali Klitschko, a three-time heavyweight champion, is the mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. His brother, Wladimir, who held a heavyweight title for more than a decade, is there alongside him. After the fighting started, Oleksandr Usyk, the unified heavyweight champion, flew back to Ukraine. Vasyl Lomachenko, a three-division titleholder, is there, too.
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They are there to support Ukraine and, if necessary, fight for it. Asked about his willingness to take up arms, Vitali said, “It’s already a bloody war. I don't have another choice.” In an interview with CNN, Usyk called it “my duty” to fight for Ukraine. Speaking from an undisclosed bunker, he said, “My soul belongs to the Lord. … My body, my honor belong to my country, my family.”
Addressing a small group of reporters on Wednesday, Bivol chose his words carefully. He notes that he is not fully versed on the reasons for the fighting. “I’m not a politician,” says Bivol. “I’m not a professional. I don’t understand it completely.” Born in Soviet Kyrgyzstan, Bivol emigrated to Russia when he was 11. His wife and two sons remain in St. Petersburg. The 31-year-old Bivol describes how they feel as a “state of nervousness.”
“Nobody is really accepting what is going on,” says Bivol. “They are not accepting what is happening. They are not thinking of politics; they are thinking about what they are seeing. This is not something anybody enjoys. I hope this is over [soon].”
Bivol, who trains in the U.S., has felt the ripple effects of the international response. As Russia faces crushing economic sanctions, the sports world has isolated the country. FIFA has barred Russia from the World Cup. World Rugby has banned Russia from international competitions. The IOC has urged all international federations to exclude Russian athletes from competitions.
Boxing, too, has taken action. Three sanctioning bodies—the WBC, IBF and WBO—have agreed to not certify any championship fights involving boxers from Russia or its ally, Belarus. The WBA announced that non-champion Russian fighters will be removed from its rankings. But the WBA—which recognizes Bivol as its 175-pound champion—has stopped short of declining to sanction Russian-involved title fights, which is why Bivol’s light heavyweight belt will be on the line against Alvarez on May 7. For now.
For his part, Bivol strongly disagrees with Russian athletes being punished for the actions of the Russian government.
“It’s always important to be talkative about things you are an expert in,” says Bivol. “For example, I’m not a doctor, I don’t understand viruses, so I don’t speak about COVID. And the same goes here, related to politics. It’s not something I completely understand, so I’m not going to say much. But if we’re talking about sports, I’m willing to say a lot, because I’m a professional.
“As a kid growing up, I always wanted to be an athlete. I wanted to be successful. That has been my goal. If people are not specifically taking any type of negative action or not taking any type of steps to affect the political situation, they should not be punished. They are not related to that. They are in the sports game. They are not related to politics. Sports and politics have [always] been separated. Historically, it has been that way; I think it should stay that way.”
In two months, Bivol will share the ring with Canelo. After years spent chasing top opponents, Bivol will get the best. Alvarez is the consensus top pound-for-pound fighter in boxing, the undisputed 168-pound champion who has targeted Bivol as the first step towards becoming undisputed at 175. It will be the stiffest test of Bivol’s career. It will be a chance to achieve a dream. He may have to do it while his country is living a nightmare.
