Wladimir Klitschko boxing news
Ranking fighters across different eras is a tricky business. Who was the greatest heavyweight of … read more
Imagine if all big fights turned out like this one. Imagine if this was the … read more
Four great fighters, all of them world champions, three of them at more than one weight class, retired from the sport this year: heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko, super-middleweight and light-heavyweight ruler Andre Ward, four-weight ruler Miguel Cotto and light-welterweight and welterweight champ Tim Bradley.
Fight fans the world over experienced a truly special night at Wembley on April 29 of this year. There have been some great fights this year, a number of them Fight of The Year candidates – Srisaket Sor Rungvisai-Roman Gonzalez, fight-one, Badou Jack-James DeGale and Gennady Golovkin-Canelo Alvarez being real highlights from 2017 – but the heavyweight rumble has to be the pick for FOTY.
But although there was no shortage of fan interest ahead of the two-belt showdown, some people did worry the fight might prove to be a dull affair. Klitschko, in the past, had given us some less than thrilling affairs, and some fans were concerned the hype would not be matched by the actual action once the 41 year old former champ got in the ring with new star AJ. No way were such worries necessary.
Muhammad Ali (56-5, 37 KOs) is widely viewed as the greatest heavyweight of all time. During his long and illustrious career, Ali has the unique distinction of being the only three time lineal heavyweight champion in the rich history of professional boxing.
Tyson Fury taunted Wladimir Klitschko quite relentlessly ahead of, during and after his November 2015 fight with him, and Fury is still hurling insults at the man he decisioned in Germany – even though “Dr. Steel Hammer” has retired. (Photo credit: Tyson Fury Instagram)
Fury, making serious noise about being serious about fighting again, stating he will come back after his now two-year absence and “destroy” Anthony Joshua, has penned an open letter to Klitschko, which he has posted on social media. In the letter, Fury informs Wladimir how he will “be haunting your nightmares forever.”
DeMarkus Jones – In the last few weeks we lost quite a few great boxers to retirement. Timothy Bradley, Tyson Fury (maybe) and two names sure to inspire debate amongst boxing fans. Juan Manuel Marquez and Wladimir Klitschko. Both had long stellar successful careers. Both are Hall of Fame worthy. However should they be remembered as two of the greats of this era. I shall provide the facts and let you guys decide.
Anthony Joshua wanted to do it again, and he hoped Wladimir Klitschko would, too. But, instead of taking the rematch he could have had with Joshua, 41 year old Klitschko decided instead to call it a career and retire from the ring.
The April fight the two giants gave us provided the heavyweight division with one massive buzz, the knockdown-filled Wembley fight full of action and switches in momentum. However, a sequel was not to be. AJ, now looking ahead to a mandatory title defence against Kubrat Pulev and then one against Luis Ortiz, admits he suffered “massive” disappointment over the news that Wladimir opted to call it quits instead of agreeing to rumble with him a second time.
Together they ruled the world as dominant heavyweight champions, realising a lifelong dream as they did so. Now, with Wladimir Klitschko’s retirement announcement coming yesterday, both “Doctors,” Wladimir and Vitali, have ceased operating.
Fight fans around the world have surely heard the news by now: heavyweight great Wladimir Klitschko has officially announced his retirement from boxing. At age 41, the former king who ruled for the best part of twenty long years – his unbeaten 2006 to 2015 run seeing the giant at his peak – announced how he had achieved his dreams and is ready to move on to his next career.