President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Terence Crawford, the first three-time undisputed world champion in the history of professional boxing in three different weight classes, holding the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO titles.
The boxer remains undefeated in the professional ring, with 42 wins in 42 bouts, 31 of them by knockout.
“We know you. Yes, we know your victories. And here in Ukraine, we also need a victory, but one. One big victory, which is important for us. It is important because it is our way to survive. And we are very thankful to you personally and to your friends. We are very thankful that you have supported Ukraine from the very beginning of this war. Thanks for this, for your voice. And for everything. And especially these days – very important to us. Because this is the war for independence. It's not just surviving. We don't just survive. We need to win. And this is very important,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Terence Crawford has consistently spoken out publicly in support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in their struggle for freedom and independence. In April 2022, the boxer recorded an official address through WBC Ukraine, calling on the international community to pray for Ukraine and support Ukrainians. As one of the world’s top boxers, Terence Crawford uses his influence to draw attention to the war in Ukraine. At major media events and after his victories, the American athlete speaks openly about the war and calls Ukrainians his brothers.
Igor Faniian, founder of the Ukrainian Boxing League for Combat Veterans, who was present at the meeting, said that the organization was the first in Ukraine to hold boxing bouts for veterans with prosthetic limbs.
“We were the first to hold bouts for veterans in wheelchairs. And now we have held a bout that was entered into the Book of Records of Ukraine. It was a bout involving a double amputee for the Ukrainian championship title. We are now preparing a new large-scale tournament among veterans, where we will integrate veterans into professional boxing as much as possible, and professional boxing into veteran boxing,” he said.
The Head of State noted that supporting and developing veteran sports is very important. Our defenders and combat veterans want to engage in sports; it gives them great enjoyment and helps with rehabilitation.
During the meeting, Terence Crawford also presented the President with an American Pit Bull Terrier puppy – a female, three and a half months old. The puppy is named Freyja, after the future FREYJA air defense system. Her grandfather, a dog named Athos, survived the Russian occupation of Bucha and was rescued by Ukrainian warriors after the city was liberated. He now lives in Houston.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also presented with the original painting Invasion of Ukraine by American artist Andres Valencia. His work has been compared with that of Pablo Picasso. The painting was a personal gift from World Boxing Council (WBC) President Mauricio Sulaimán. The artist created it in 2022, when he was only 10 years old, inspired by news of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The artist wanted to show the world the history of the Ukrainian people, Russia’s crimes, and Ukraine’s resilience.
In addition, WBC Ukraine President Mykola Kovalchuk presented Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a unique personalized WBC World Champion belt specially made for him, which was also given by Mauricio Sulaimán. The central plate of the legendary green-and-gold belt bears the inscription “World Champion,” while its side features a portrait of Volodymyr Zelenskyy alongside portraits of longtime WBC President Don José Sulaimán and undefeated world champion Floyd Mayweather. The belt is a symbol of solidarity from the entire international boxing community with the Ukrainian people.