Detroit boxing promoter Dmitry Salita discusses sacrifice, war taking place in his beloved native land of Ukraine
(CBS DETROIT) - Boxing promoter Dmitry Salita knows more than a few things about fighting.
A former professional boxer, Salita knows about sacrifice and the war that is taking place in his beloved native land of Ukraine.
As he looks on from Detroit as tensions escalate, he knows the right decision to seek a better life in America was his blessing.
"I'm Jewish. Immigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union, now Odessa, Ukraine, he said. "I knew that my family immigrated here from the Soviet Union because Jews were prosecuted and didn't have the same rights as everybody else."
It's a familiar narrative that Salita knows all too well.
He struggles with the divisions of war in Ukraine that he believes are draped in the quest for freedom and independence.
"Certainly terrible to see communities destroyed," Salita said. "All you can do is support them and pray for a peaceful and amicable resolution on both sides."
All eyes will be watching Salita's next event at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, June 3, when Flint native Claressa Shields takes on Hanna Gabriels for the undisputed women's world middleweight championship.
"To do a fight in Ukraine, even though boxing seems to be like controlled violence. However, it brings people together, it sheds light on important issues," Salita said. "For me, someone who has immigrated from there and came to this country and was on welfare and food stamps and went through the whole process … to come back there and to promote a fight would be like a script. That would be incredible."