OLEKSANDR USYK joined the desperate fight against Vladimir Putin's Russia.
The London Olympic champion in 2012, the undisputed cruiserweight king, and September conqueror for Anthony Joshua, has joined the Kyiv Territorial Defence, and slung an automatic machine gun over the giant shoulder.
Oleksandr Usyk (second right) is participating in the war effort against his homeland Ukraine. To the left is Andrii Negotov, head of the Kiev Police
The father-of-3, aged 35, has joined his best friend Vasiliy Lomachenko, two-time Olympic champion and legendary heavyweight brothers Wladimir Vitali of Kyiv in trading guns for gloves.
Usyk flew to London last week to see Chelsea defeat Lille on Tuesday night, and visit Sheffield on Wednesday.
The brave southpaw, however, flew back to the warzone and uploaded a series of videos to Putin and the invading Russian hooligans before arming himself on Monday.
Eddie Hearn, the promoter of the AJ rematch had hoped to stage it in May or June but now it seems that it will be postponed.
Joshua, 32 years old, who crushed Wladimir to retirement in 2017, sent his support for Ukraine's boxing fraternity fighting against war in Eastern Europe.
Joshua stated, "I have learned that politics and sport go hand-in–hand."
"They are powerful voices, and it is a good thing that they are speaking out.
They aren't calling for war; they are asking for peace. They wish them all the best.
The father of three, married Usyk, clearly has more important things in his head and has reached out to the Russian people directly for assistance.
In an Instagram video, the Orthodox Christian devout said: "Good Morning to everyone. My name is Oleksandr Usyk. I would like to meet the Russian people.
"If we are brothers, Orthodox ones," don't send your children to the country.
"Also, I'm addressing it to the President Vladimir Putin. This war can be stopped.
"Please sit down and let us negotiate it without any claims.
"Our children, wives, and grannies are hiding under the floors. We are here in our country and we can't do it any other.
"We are defending. Stop this war. There is no war.
As the war between Russia and Ukraine enters day five, Kyiv was able to escape another night of siege.
The announcement came at a time when high-level peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv are scheduled to take place on the Belarusian/Ukrainian border.
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