Former world champion Roy Jones Jr. is a formidable beast inside the ring. However, it is worth noting that ‘Captain Hook’ is not just a boxing maestro, he also has a penchant for diplomacy as well. In fact, Jones Jr. would be using his connections in Russia to help WNBA star Brittney Griner.

Griner has been under detention in Russia for over 100 days. She was arrested at an airport near Moscow for allegedly carrying vape cartridges with hashish oil in her luggage. Moreover, it was also reported that she could face up to 10 years in prison.

Meanwhile, Jones Jr. who got the wind of Griner’s predicament, stepped in to help the star. He also stated that he had ties with Russia due to his career in sports. Jones Jr. went on to call his friend in Miami, who had acquaintances in Russia. He said, “So I said call them. What can they do? What are they willing to do for us to get Griner back?”

Jones Jr.’s friend later informed him that the Russian government was willing to do a prisoner swap. And his lawyer relayed the same to US President Joe Biden’s office. It was recently reported that the US government is willing to exchange Griner for the dreaded Russian arms dealer, Viktor Bout.

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Notably, Bout aka the ‘Merchant of Death‘  is a notorious criminal serving a 25-year sentence for aiding a terrorist organization in a conspiracy to kill US citizens.

Russian connections with Roy Jones Jr

It comes as no surprise that Roy Jones Jr. has connections in Russia. In fact, in a decision that raised a few eyebrows, Jones Jr. became a citizen of Russia in 2015.

He mentioned that he was a regular visitor to the country. And he stated that he was offered the opportunity to become a citizen while also being informed that 95% of the Russian population knows him. Talking about his Russian citizenship, he said, “I was simply looking at it as a way to become an ambassador to show that ‘hey, you can be part of both of these countries – we don’t have to be against each other, we can all work together here.'”

Notably, Jones Jr. also added multiple iconic fights in the country, especially his victories against Zine Eddine Benmakhlouf and Hany Atiyo.

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