Wladimir Klitschko
Wladimir Klitschko
Wladimir Wladimirowitsch Klitschko (born 25 March 1976) is a Ukrainian former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2017. He is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having held the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and Ring magazine titles. He is the longest-reigning WBA (Super) heavyweight champion, having held the title for 12 years and 8 months. He also holds the record for the most consecutive heavyweight title defenses, with 18.
Klitschko began his professional boxing career in 1996, and quickly rose through the ranks. He won his first 22 fights, including victories over former world champions Axel Schulz and Chris Byrd. In 2004, he challenged Lennox Lewis for the WBC heavyweight title, but lost by knockout in the sixth round.
After the Lewis fight, Klitschko rebounded with four consecutive victories, including a win over Samuel Peter. In 2006, he defeated Chris Byrd to win the IBF heavyweight title. He defended the title successfully six times, before losing to Lamon Brewster in 2007.
Klitschko returned to the ring in 2008, and defeated Sultan Ibragimov to win the WBO heavyweight title. He defended the title successfully twice, before unifying the titles by defeating David Haye in 2011. Klitschko defended the unified titles successfully nine times, before losing to Tyson Fury in 2015.
Klitschko retired from boxing in 2017, after losing to Anthony Joshua. He finished his career with a record of 64-5, with 53 wins by knockout.
Klitschko is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He is known for his size, power, and technical skills. He is also a respected figure in the boxing world, and is known for his sportsmanship and fair play.
Personal life
Klitschko was born in Semipalatinsk, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union. His father, Wladimir Rodionovich Klitschko, was a Soviet Air Force officer and later a major general. His mother, Nadezhda Ulyanovna Klitschko, was a schoolteacher. Klitschko has an older brother, Vitali Klitschko, who is also a former world heavyweight champion.
Klitschko speaks fluent Ukrainian, Russian, German, and English. He is married to actress Hayden Panettiere, and they have a daughter together.
