Promoter Vladimir Khryunov suggested that the former challenger for the WBC heavyweight belt Kevin Johnson will fight on December 15 in Chelyabinsk against the Russians Maxime Babanin in the status of a citizen of the Russian Federation.
On April 1, Johnson contacted Russian President Vladimir Putin to request Russian citizenship. It was reported that the boxer submitted all the necessary documents to Samara. For his last fight in August in Moscow against 2021 world champion Mark Petrovsky, Johnson fought under the Russian flag. It is also known that the athlete chose his middle name Vladimirovich in honor of the head of state.
— A meeting of the citizenship commission will take place on Wednesday. I think Kevin Johnson will enter the fight in Chelyabinsk as a Russian citizen,” reports correspondent, reporting Khryunov’s words.
On December 15 in Chelyabinsk, Johnson will host an exhibition match with 2019 World Heavyweight Championship bronze medalist Maxim Babanin.
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Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
