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Vitali Klitschko's wife worried about his safety -- outside the ring

Vitali and Natalia Klitschko celebrate one of his in-ring victories. (Photo via <a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3261/2500272685_934140123c.jpg">farm4.static.flickr.com</a>)
Vitali and Natalia Klitschko celebrate one of his in-ring victories. (Photo via farm4.static.flickr.com)
Scott Christ is the managing editor of Bad Left Hook and has been covering boxing for SB Nation since 2006.

Natalia Klitschko, the wife of heavyweight titleholder Vitali Klitschko, is worried about her husband's safety, but not inside the boxing ring. Natalia fears for Vitali's life due to his involvement in politics.

"My wife says I'm in danger. Around here, if you have money, you're the king of the world. Almost everything is for sale; judges, politicians, journalists. It is a dangerous fight. Women are always worried. But as a man I must have no fear. And the fight against corruption and for democracy in my country is dear to my heart. I can not simply stand by and watch what is happening to my country. I love my country, my family, my parents. I can not and will not take everything and move completely to Los Angeles and Hamburg, where life is good. I want it to be just as good in Ukraine. That's my goal."

Vitali's attempts to "change something" are on a different level than most in boxing, whose charity work I'm not trying to downplay or call "less than" what Klitschko is trying to do, but it's something that's done and you move on. Vitali constantly involves himself in something he feels strongly about. I don't know enough about Ukrainian politics to know if I'd agree with his views or not, but I probably would because he's a very strong, very large man.

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