Boxing legend Wladimir Klitschko spoke to the Daily Mirror from war-torn Ukraine and admitted: “This is the biggest fight of my life.”
The former world heavyweight champion and his brother Vitali, the mayor of besieged Kyiv, are leading freedom fighters against the Russian invasion.
Klitschko, whose last bouts were against Britain's Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, today asks Mirror readers to support a global campaign isolating Kremlin despot Vladimir Putin's Russia as sporting outlaws.
But the 6ft 6in Ukrainian giant, whose run of 20 consecutive world title fight wins was ended by Fury in 2015, is now on the front line in his home country and said: “Boxing is sport – this is war, and my people are dying.
“During this conversation, innocent women, children and civilians will be subjected to bombs, missiles and horrifying reality of war.
“People say this is the biggest fight of my life, and I agree – it's so sad to realise how terrifying the war is.
“This is why I ask your readers, all the people of Great Britain, to back our campaign and to act now, in any way possible, to support Ukraine.
“To isolate Russia from all sporting competition is not an act of aggression. We do this to stop the war, in the name of peace.
“I have nothing personal against the athletes, but I have a lot against the aggression of Russian leader Putin and his war machine.
“We believe sanctions on different levels, including sport, are crucially important.
“Take away sporting competition and the athletes will ask their leader, 'Why will nobody compete against us?' I repeat, this is not against the athletes, it's in the name of peace in Ukraine.”
