US heavyweight Kevin Johnson came close to the top of the boxing world before his star dimmed. Now, he wants to relaunch his career from Russia, where he has become a cheerleader for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Relations between the West and Russia have hit record lows over Moscow’s almost three-year Ukraine offensive — also hitting the sporting world hard.
But the 45-year-old American from New Jersey said he has found a “recipe” for success in his new home, where he was granted citizenship this year in a decree from Putin.
Photo: AFP
“It’s all about the ingredients. Life is ingredients. And the ingredients in Russia are abundant. They make a good recipe,” he told AFP ahead of a highly publicized fight today against mixed martial arts champion Vitaly Minakov.
Johnson has become a feature at car shows and in the celebrity pages in Russia, and has even appeared on a cooking show.
He often vaunts his admiration for Putin and wears a T-shirt bearing the president’s image as “a sign of respect.”
He also likes to quote from a song by pro-Kremlin pop star of the moment Shaman, titled I Am Russian.
The idea of moving to Russia was inspired by his promoter and friend Vladimir Khryunov, who last year invited him to try to give his boxing career a second wind and ease the international isolation around Russia’s sporting world.
Johnson was unbeaten until 2009, when he lost against Ukraine’s Vitali Klitschko in a WBC championship match in Bern, Switzerland.
He went on to win the IBF Australasian heavyweight title in 2012, but his career dipped after that, with about 20 defeats and only 10 victories in the next 10 years.
He arrived in Russia alone with his dog, a cane corso.
After winning his first fight in Russia in April last year, he said he wanted Russian citizenship — a move his promoter praised as “an act of courage.”
Relations between Russia and global sporting organizations have been tense ever since the state-sponsored doping scandal following the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014.
They worsened after Russia’s decision to send troops into Ukraine in February 2022, which led to a ban on Russian athletes.
Putin granted Johnson nationality with a decree under an express procedure used for others including US actor Steven Seagal.
“It’s the biggest honor in the world to be a Russian citizen,” Johnson said, who speaks only a few words of Russian.
He has taken on the patronymic Vladimirovich “in honor of our president.”
The boxer, who lives in a Moscow suburb, has also registered with the military for potential mobilization — a requirement under Russian law.
He turned his registration at the military conscription office into something of a show, arriving dressed in khaki with a military fur hat on.
“I thought they will give me a gun today. I was ready. Yes! Officer Vladimirovich. I am ready,” he joked.
In theory, he could now be mobilized, but is not obliged to do military service because of his age.
He said he was devoted to his new homeland, but declined to talk about the conflict in Ukraine.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that