Ukraine star Vasyl Lomachenko and heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk return home to join the fight against the Russian army

By: Sean Crose

Former multi-division player and Ukrainian citizen Vasyl Lomachenko has returned to his homeland to join the fight against Russian military aggression that began last week. Based on TMZ, The 34-year-old fighter, considered by many to be one of the best on earth, “is said to have joined a battalion defending the territory.” Photos of the athlete, sometimes referred to as “High-Tech” due to his seemingly advanced, highly maneuverable ring design, went viral online, when Lomachenko was sighted. dressed in military uniform and holding a rifle. What effect this will have on Lomachenko’s potential 16-2 fight with lightweight athlete George Kambosos remains to be seen, as there are more serious issues to deal with right now.

However, Lomachenko is not the only Ukrainian fighter to join the fight against Russian aggression. Based on talkSPORT, Current heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk is also said to have returned home to join the “Kyiv Territorial Defense Team”. A photo of the undefeated warrior holding a rifle and dressed as a citizen soldier is also circulating online. Usyk is set for a major rematch with former heavyweight Anthony Joshua, but the war – and Ukraine’s need in particular for soldiers – could also put that relationship on hold. With both Lomachenko and Usyk risking their lives, as well as multi-million dollar salaries, it’s clear that, at least among professional boxers, Ukraine has an extremely patriotic population.

The world was in turmoil last Thursday when Russia, under the leadership of President Wladimir Putin, launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, giving the country horrifying images reminiscent of World War second, while giving most of the globe to the Ukrainian government. Former heavyweight kingpin, Wladimir brothers and Kiev mayor Vitali, Klitschko have gone from international star to international wartime figure with their overt military support for their homeland. Fortunately, none of the Ukrainian fighters here were injured in their deaths. However, this was clearly the deadliest and most important battle they or their countrymen had ever faced.