Do we like them?

Do we like Wladimir Klitschko?

Our score: 8 out of 10. Decent record and on the right side of the things we checked, but we could only open search listings, so we're not giving him a 9 or 10.

Wladimir Klitschko is one half of the Klitschko brothers, who ruled heavyweight boxing for the best part of a decade. He's a big, thoughtful Ukrainian with a reputation as the brainy one of the pair, and he fought out his career in a heavyweight division that was largely his. In 2014 he beat Kubrat Pulev by knockout in Hamburg to defend his IBF belt, a fight that came wrapped in a legal spat between the two camps.

On the harm check more broadly, we found nothing from Klitschko himself that targets LGBTQ+ people, women, migrants or the planet. His public statements that turned up are about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. We also found no sign he's been making films or content with anyone who pushes conspiracy theories. One caution: his brother Vitali has made separate comments of his own, and we haven't held those against Wladimir.

When Russia invaded in 2022, Klitschko didn't stay quiet on the sidelines. Reports at the time had him joining Ukraine's reserve forces in Kyiv alongside his brother, and he spoke out loudly against Russia's invasion. Where you land on the war itself is your call, but putting your own safety and name on the line is the sort of cost the good-person test looks for.

The good stuff is real. He and Vitali founded the Klitschko Foundation, which backs young people in education and sport, and UEFA's children's charity teamed up with it in 2018 on a project for Ukrainian kids. That's a long-running habit rather than a PR splash, which counts for more than a one-off photo op.

Honest gaps: the site we use to open full articles was knocked offline during this check, so we're leaning on search listings rather than full reads. That's why there's nothing in the court or allegation boxes below. The 2014 legal spat with Pulev was a promoter dispute rather than a finding against Klitschko, and the old boxing-world feuds don't change the picture.

So, would we support him? Yes. Fighter turned fundraiser, who called out a sexist, anti-gay rival and then pulled on a reservist's uniform for his country, is an easy bloke to cheer for. Our only reservation is how thin the verified record is, not anything we found against him.