Don King invoked Russian President Vladimir Putin and ‘President Donald Trump’ while promoting the next heavyweight battle between two top active fighters, Alexander Povetkin (30-1, 22KOs) and Bermane Stiverne (25-2-1, 21KOs).

King, a longtime friend to the Republican Presidential Candidate, said Tuesday that Putin is also his friend:

“I would love to make the fight between Stiverne, the WBC’s No. 2 contender and Povetkin, who’s No. 1,” King said to BoxingScene.com. “We could do the fight in Russia, the U.S. even Africa. I’m friends with Russian President Vladimir Putin and I’m a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, who I’ve known a long time. Maybe the Presidents could sit together at ringside, President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump. Can you imagine?”

The two boxers are mandated by the WBC to fight in an upcoming heavyweight bout.

King is preparing what Boxing Scene is calling a “worldwide boxing series” in honor of the late Muhammad Ali, looking to promote fights comparable to the epic Thrilla in Manilla, the third and final match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in the Philippines, and the Rumble in the Jungle, the historic fight between Ali and George Foreman in Zaire, Africa.

“It’s the 41st anniversary of ‘The Thrilla in Manila’, the 42nd anniversary of ‘The Rumble In The Jungle’. We could take George Foreman, Larry Holmes, go to Mexico for Julio Cesar Chavez, Panama for Roberto Duran, Puerto Rico for Felix “Tito” Trinidad, and just go around. The possibilities are endless,’’ he said.

The former heavyweight champion, Bermane Stiverne, is a Haitian-born boxer who was raised in Canada but has trained out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He says “I represent the country I was born in, Haiti, and then Quebec [Canada], but I also love the United States.” It wouldn’t naturally be a USA vs Russia bout.

But Povetkin and Stiverne are both battling for a chance to fight the undefeated U.S. heavyweight champion of the world, Deontay Wilder, who is currently injured and will likely not fight until as late as Spring 2017.

Samuel Maxime is a Haitian-American writer, journalist and Editor-in-Chief of the Haiti Sentinel.