It was in 2005 – The New England Patriots had just won Super Bowl XXXIX against the Philadelphia Eagles. Patriots CEO Robert Kraft proudly took his ring and visited St. Petersburg in Russia to attend a press conference at Konstantinovsky Palace where he met Vladimir Putin for the first time and innocently showed him his third SB ring which had his name engraved on it. 

Vladimir Putin tried the ring on and said, “I could kill someone with this ring.” Nervous laughter enthralled the American group as Kraft expected the ring back. But instead of returning the ring, Putin calmly put the ring in his pocket and walked away. When media mogul Rupert Murdoch told Kraft to ask for the ring, he politely said, “Oh I couldn’t do that.” Now, 19 years have passed, and Kraft doesn’t seem to have moved on from the incident.

Robert Kraft demands his SB ring back from Vladimir Putin 

Robert Kraft didn’t hold back this time around, as he did when he first met Vladimir Putin. In the Netflix Live Roast titled The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady, Kraft sent a message to the Supreme Leader of Russia. made one thing clear for the Russian president who has still not returned his Super Bowl ring. “And one more thing, in case you’re watching, Vladimir Putin, give me my f**king ring back!” said Kraft, as the crowd went berserk.

Kraft had previously admitted his connection with the ring and his displeasure at Putin in possession of it when he said, “I really didn’t [want to]. I had an emotional tie to the ring, it has my name on it. I don’t want to see it on eBay.” So much to his discontentment, he had to issue a public declaration. That arises the question – Is the Russian president still in possession of the ring? 

Where is Robert Kraft’s SB ring now? 

The news became a major headline garnering lots of attention and even intervention from the White House who called Robert Kraft and told him, “It would be good for US-Soviet relations if you meant to give them the ring as a gift.” So, to maintain the relationship between the two nations, Kraft had to make a public statement.

In the statement, he said, “President Putin, a great and knowledgeable sports fan, was clearly taken with its uniqueness. I decided to give him the ring as a symbol of the respect and admiration that I have for the Russian people and [his] leadership.” As for the ring, CNN reported that it lies at the Kremlin’s library for display. Was it just a roast, or is Kraft really bitter about losing his precious ring to this day? What are your thoughts on Kraft’s message to Putin? Tell us in the comments below.