Boxing manager Bernd Bönte is worried about his two former protégés Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“The two will fight for the freedom of Ukraine. Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko will do everything possible,” said Bönte in an interview with “Sports Illustrated”: “I don’t want to think any further because I don’t see this situation from the outside can judge. But as everyone knows, the two are no bullies.”
Bönte accompanied the pair of brothers from Ukraine on their way to becoming heavyweight world champions and boxing stars. Vitali has been the mayor of Kiev since 2014.
“I wrote to both of them. I could have called them too, but Vladimir and Vitaly have completely different concerns at the moment,” said Bönte: “I told them personally what I think about this war and how I feel about them. That just hurts me. But not only for the two of them, but also for the whole country due to my close connections.”