On July 20 in Los Angeles, the ESPYS will honor the Hall of Fame boxer and mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko. The announcement was made on Tuesday.
The mayor of Ukraine's capital has been an outspoken critic of Putin since the beginning of the conflict.
One of the faces of the resistance has been Vitali and his brother, Wladimir. A territorial defense battalion was set up in the city of Kyiv, as well as in other parts of the country.
The award is a great honor for me. I am certain that this is recognition of the courage and inviolability of the Ukrainian people, who have been resisting the Russian aggression for more than three months. Everyone who defends the independence and freedom of Ukranian will receive this award.
The sons of a soviet general developed their boxing skills in the soviet amateur system. Both are considered to be the greatest of all time.
The most well-known fight of Vitali's career was his fight with Lewis for the title. The fight was stopped after a gruesome cut over his left eye that required 60 stitches.
When Lewis decided to retire, negotiations for a second fight fell apart. Lewis relinquished the title in 2004, but it wasn't until the following year that he was defeated by Vitali.
After announcing his retirement from boxing, he ran for mayor. He returned to the ring in December of 2008 and won the title back.
He made nine defenses of the title. His last fight was in 2012 at 41 years old. When he was winning, he lost when he was hurt. He retired with a record of 45 wins. He has one of the best knockout ratios of all time.
He was never knocked down and never lost a round. Before his pro boxing debut in 1996, he was a four-time world champion in kickboxing. He was an amateur boxer with 195 wins and 15 losses. He was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the first year he was eligible.
He is the longest-serving mayor in the history of the city. He told the audience at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland that it would be a mistake to think the impact of the war in Ukraine wouldn't reach outside its borders.
Rob King, senior vice president and executive editor-at-large, ESPN Content, said that Vitali's composure and strength as his city and country faces unimaginable tests have far surpassed his incredible resolve. His bravery is an example of the resilience of the human spirit and he has been a global inspiration. It is our pleasure to honor him with an award.
Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell are among the other recipients of the award.
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