Mayor Vitali Klitschko?? It Could Happen

Yea that's right, the former WBC Heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko is running for mayor of Kiev, Ukraine. Amazingly enough, this isn't the first time he has tried this. In 2006, he finished in 2nd place, taking 25% of the popular vote for the mayoral candidacy. This year, running on an anti-corruption campaign, he's hoping for a better showing.

As he campaigns again for the post in an election scheduled for May 25, Klitschko is gaining more support, according to a recent poll by an analytical research center in Kiev, Institut Goroda. A total of 29.8 percent of those polled said they would vote for him, while 14.6 percent said they would choose [the current mayor] Chernovetsky. Another 9 percent said they would vote for Olexander Omelchenko, who held the post for 10 years before the 2006 election.

“There is too much political corruption in Kiev, which is hurting this city in terms of development," [Klitschko said] We need to bring Kiev up to proper European and American standards. But legitimate businessmen cannot invest money here, because the only deals made with this government are made under the table with their family and friends."

“We are a young democracy in need of many strategies for development, including the development of buildings and roads, and we need to make sure that the people of Kiev can afford to pay for medicine, food, water, gas and other necessities.”

Lets hope for Klitschko's sake his glass jaw doesn't extend to politics, he'll be takin it on the chin a lot it seems...in more ways than one. He'll have a big fight on his hand to clean up the corruption going on over there. Klitschko has at least one supporter here in the good ole US of A though, Roy Jones Jr. is keeping tabs on this overseas political contest:

“If a movie star can be the governor of California,” Jones said, referring to the current governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, “why can’t a boxer be the mayor of Kiev?”

Yea, Roy Jones is making some sense here! We need this man in public service somewhere too! Sign Roy Jones up to be the next mayor of Pensecola , Florida or maybe he'll be Roy Jones Jr. (D) FL in the house some day. Vitali just needs to pave the way. The Ukraine is strong.

From NY Times