Former UFC fighter Jeff Monson weighed in on the International Boxing Association report and the decision by several national federations to boycott world championships over the presence of Russian and Belarusian athletes.
He expressed strong support for the move, asserting that politics and commerce have no place in sport. He argued that unity is essential, that competitions should spotlight talent, and that every participant and team should improve by facing diverse opponents. He stressed that global events should not fracture the sports community, calling for people to come together despite ongoing world events.
Monson challenged the idea of selective condemnation, asking where the international response was during earlier operations in Iraq and Libya and why sanctions were not imposed then. He claimed that the United States acted without restraint in those episodes, and he criticized current sanctions aimed at Russia as selective. He attributed the shift in tone to recent geopolitical developments and suggested that sports were being drawn into broader political disputes, a point raised in discussions with Sport Express.
In March 2023, the Women’s World Championship was scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India, and the men’s tournament in May in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, reflecting the international scope of the sport across continents.
Several countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Sweden, Ukraine, Norway, Poland, and Canada had already announced boycotts. The central issue cited was the acceptance of boxers from Russia and Belarus under their own flags, which some federations argued undermined the perceived integrity of national teams and the event itself.
Additionally, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, a former WBC world light heavyweight champion and Ukrainian, commented on the political dynamics surrounding athletes, labeling them as influencers within the broader discussion about sports and policy. His perspective reflected a broader concern that sports are increasingly entangled with geopolitical stances and public opinion, shaping how competitions are organized and who participates. These views were reported by Sport Express and echoed across international sports commentary.