| Real name |
Volodymyr Volodymyrovych Klychko |
|---|
| Nickname(s) |
Dr. Steelhammer |
| Rated at |
Heavyweight |
| Height |
1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) |
| Reach |
206 cm (81 in) |
| Nationality |
 Ukraine |
| Born |
March 25, 1976 |
|
| Stance |
Orthodox |
| Total fights |
62 ( 59 W, 50 KO, 3 L ) |
|---|
Biography
The 8th pound for pound in the world of boxing
, Wladimir Klitschko is a professional boxer and a pretty reputed one at that. He hails from Ukraine and was born in Semey. He was born on the 25
th
of March in the year 1976. His brother Vitali is also a professional
boxer and this duo is pretty popular all over the boxing circles. His
father was in the military and held an important rank; he was entrusted
with the management of the Chernobyl Blast site and was later diagnosed
with cancer after with their family shifted to California. Wladimir went
to the Kiev University and he holds a doctorate degree in sports
medicine. He is not only an established sportsperson but also a scholar.
What sets apart
Wladimir Klitschko from the other
boxers is the ability to inflict serious injury on his opponent. He is
solidly built and looks a boxer from every inch. He works hard and
trains hard in the gym to keep him fit and in top shape. Fitness is the
key to success and he always strives to remain fit, fitness is even more
important in boxing to that serious injuries are avoided. His amateur
career started in 1993 when he participated in the European Amateur
heavyweight championship. He won the heavyweight title and simply
destroyed his opponents with his heavy blows and swift movements in the
ring.
Wladimir Klitschko is also nicknamed the steel
hammer for his punches and deadly body blows. He came to international
fame when he took part in the Moscow Olympics and won gold in the
heavyweight division. Representing one’s country in the Olympics is
tough enough for any athlete and winning gold in the Olympics is a dream
altogether. He received a lot of support from the international scene
and people became interested in his life and fighting abilities.
Wladimir Klitschko did not like to stay in the
limelight and he always avoided publicity, whenever he got time from
boxing, he used to practice medicine and even carried on some research
work in his field. He even presented is PhD paper after taking up boxing
and the paper was accepted by the medical board. His brother has also
enjoyed a very successful career as a professional boxer and he now
finds time to coach budding young boxers and provides them with useful
tips. Wladimir has also tried his hand at movies and he appeared in the
famous move Ocean’s eleven.
Professional Career
Klitschko turned professional through the Universum Box-Promotion in Hamburg under the tutelage of Fritz Sdunek.
He suffered his first setback after 24 bouts without a loss to journeyman Ross Puritty,
who entered the bout with a record of 24–13–1. Wladimir Klitschko's
coach, Fritz Sdunek, jumped into the ring and stopped the fight.
On 18 March 2000, Wladimir fought Paea Wolfgramm,
whom he fought previously in the 1996 Super Heavyweight Olympic Finals.
In their professional rematch, Klitschko knocked Wolfgramm out in the
first round.
Klitschko vs. Byrd I
On 14 October 2000, Klitschko won the WBO Heavyweight Championship from American Chris Bryd had previously upset his elder brother Vitali (who pulled out injured during their bout).
After five successful defenses of the WBO belt, Klitschko suffered an upset loss to Corrie Sanders. Sanders battered Klitschko for two rounds before knocking him out on 8 March 2003, in Germany.
Following his loss to Brewster, Klitschko began his journey back
towards the top of the heavyweight division. First, he defeated Da Varryl Williamson
by technical decision. The fight was stopped due to a Klitschko cut
caused by an accidental headbutt. He then knocked out undefeated Ellisio Castello.
On April 22, 2006, in Mannhaim, Germany, Klitschko defeated Chris Byrd for a second time, this time by technical knockout, in a contest for theIBF&IBO Heavyweight Championships. The referee
stopped the fight in the seventh round after a
knockdown—Byrd beat the count, but his face was battered and bloody, and
the fight was waved off. Klitschko then defeated mandatory challenger Ray Austin 10 March 2007, at the in Mannheim, Germany by a
Klitschko vs. Peter I
Klitschko then signed to fight undefeated power puncher Samuel Peter for the IBF eliminator. The much anticipated bout proved to be hugely
entertaining. It went some way towards redeeming Klitschko in the
heavyweight division. Though Peter scored three knockdowns (two in round
5, one in round 10) Klitschko withstood the Nigerian's power and went
on to dominate for long periods.
Klitschko vs. Ibragimov
Klitschko defeated WBO Heavyweight Champion Sultan Ibragimov at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA on 23 February 2008 to unify the IBF, IBO & WBO Heavyweight titles.
The Klitschko-Ibragimov fight was the first heavyweight unification
since Holyfield-Lewis in 1999. The unification clash with Ibragimov
proved to be a huge disappointment for fans. Klitschko was very dominant
from the first bell.
Klitschko vs. Chagaev
Klitschko was scheduled to face David Haye
,
who pulled out within weeks of the fight complaining of a back injury.
Salvaging the 20 June 2009 date and venue, Klitschko instead retained
the IBF, IBO, & WBO Heavyweight titles and also won the vacant Ring Mgazine heavyweight title by defeating replacement opponent and Ring #3 ranked Ruslan Chagaev when Chagaev retired after an onslaught of punches towards the end of the ninth round. As Chagaev wasWBA
Champion, the title was not on the line. Klitschko's win over Chagaev
was seen as one of his most impressive performances in the ring. He
controlled the tempo of the fight from the very beginning and hit
Chagaev at will with the jab. He hit Chagaev with several hard right
crosses and never allowed him to build momentum. Towards the end of the
second round Klitschko caught Chagaev off balance and sent him to the
canvas. Chagaev recovered but was dominated thereafter. This win had
added significance because even though the WBA title was not on the
line, many saw Klitschko as the rightful champion.
Klitschko vs. Chambers
On 9 December 2009, Klitschko's management group, K2 Promotions confirmed that a bout with Eddie Chambers has been agreed to take place in Germany on 20 March 2010. This
mandatory title defense, originally scheduled for December 2009 had to
be delayed due to a hand injury that
Klitschko sustained in training
that required surgery. Klitschko defeated Chambers by knockout in five seconds before the end of the final round. He was criticized between rounds by his trainer Emmanuel Stewart
for not fighting aggressively enough despite having won all prior
rounds and Chambers only fighting back weakly. Klitschko began punching
more often during the final round than he had done before which
eventually led to his left hook hitting Chambers to the forehead. The
punch made Chambers fall forwards and lost consciousness for an extended
period of time. The referee stepped in and called an end to the contest
instantly.
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