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WBC No. 1 Contender: Vitali Klitschko
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Biography | Statistics
The doctor did not need x-rays to convince him there was a serious problem. He knew he was hurting and in extreme pain. So Vitali Klitschko, a proud, educated man with a doctorate in sports science and philosophy, did what he felt was a most intelligent thing. He quit on his stool in a World Boxing Organization title defense against Chris Byrd on April 1, 2000, in Berlin, Germany.
Klitschko was comfortably ahead at the time by the scores of 89-82 and 88-83 twice, and needed only to survive three more rounds to win a decision and retain his WBO title a third time. He could not come out for the 10th round, however, after tearing the rotator cuff in his left shoulder earlier in the bout. "From the fourth round on, Vitali's left shoulder was hurt,'' his trainer, Fritz Sdunek, said.
No type of perceived surrender, legitimate or not, is accepted in the macho, roughest of all sports, boxing. Fight fans and mainstream boxing media expect their fighters to work past adversity. Vitali was heavily criticized and many questioned his heart and will to win. Others figured that there was no way Klitschko would ever be able to live it down.
Klitschko, who does not buy into any of the criticism, has proved his detractors wrong - so far. Since the injury, he has gone 4-0, winning the bouts impressively.
"People are entitled to their opinion,'' he said. "They can believe me when I say I was very hurt, or they don't have to, but I fought as hard as I could for as long as I could. I did not want to stop. I had to. If I had continued my shoulder could have been irreparably damaged and my career seriously threatened. Then what do I do? Because we are boxers does not make us super human. We suffer injuries, too. I believe after a couple more good wins all the people will be on my side again."
Days after the Byrd bout, Klitschko underwent surgery on the shoulder. He was back in the ring seven and a half months later, but with a new sense of urgency.
"I am 31. I cannot fight my entire life so I must make another move now," Vitali said. "Time is running out. By the end of 2002 or early 2003, I absolutely want to fight Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield or John Ruiz. Along with my brother, Wladimir, those are the names that count most in my division. Everybody has heard of them. I want to defeat them all. They are the past. My brother and I, we are the future."
In his first comeback fight, Vitali regained the European heavyweight title on a lopsided 12-round decision over previously undefeated German champion Timo Hoffmann (22-0 going in) on Nov. 24, 2000, in Hannover, Germany. Dominant throughout, Klitschko pounded the game Hoffmann and won by the scores of 120-108 twice and 119-109. What made his performance after a lengthy layoff more noteworthy was that Klitschko fought the last four rounds with a right eye that began to swell after a clash of heads in the eighth.
As impressive as he was against Hoffmann in the bout for the vacant European title, Klitschko quickly opted to relinquish the belt.
"My promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl and I had a discussion in which we decided to give up the title," he said. "All the contenders for the European title are below me in the world rankings so it would be silly for me to go on defending it. A victory over them will not give the results boxing fans expect of us. I could defend it against the best boxer in Europe, but it would not change my position in the world rankings. You should go forward. That is why we made the decision.''
In his second outing after the injury, Klitschko won the World Boxing Association (WBA) Intercontinental title with a first-round TKO over former world champion Orlin Norris on Jan. 27, 2001, in Munich, Germany. Vitali decked Norris twice in the opening 69 seconds and that was that.
"Winning this title gives me the right to meet boxers of the upper class," Vitali said. "By getting victories over them, I will be able to continue to raise myself in the world ratings.''
In a near career-best performance on Dec. 8, 2001, Klitschko successfully defended his WBA Intercontinental title, got sweet revenge for his brother and became the mandatory challenger for the winner of the Lewis-Tyson fight by dominating Ross Puritty en route to winning by 11th-round TKO at Oberhausen, Germany.
Making his first start in 10½ months, Klitschko maintained a strong, steady pace throughout and won every round before 12,500 fans at Oberhausen Arena. Klitschko cut a battered and bruised Puritty over the right eye in the 11th round and the one-sided bout was stopped at 1:16.
"I am very pleased and satisfied with the way the fight went," Klitschko said. "I trained very hard. My preparation was such that I knew I could go 12 rounds. Puritty has an iron chin and takes a good punch. Because this was my first fight since January, I think he expected me to weaken as the first progressed, but instead I got stronger. I know I was hurting him with my punches throughout.
"This was an important fight for me and the victory really motivates me for 2002. Now, I plan to work even harder. I will be at my best when I get to fight the winner of Lewis and Tyson.''
By thoroughly whipping Puritty and improving to 3-0 since coming back from shoulder surgery, Klitschko squared matters with his brother Wladimir, who's only loss came against Puritty. Wladimir captured the WBO heavyweight title by whipping Chris Byrd. Vitali's lone setback came in a WBO title defense against Byrd in a bout on April 1, 2000, in which Vitali suffered a torn rotator cuff.
"I have never seen my brother fight so well for so long," Wladimir said. "He was quite impressive. I am very happy for him and his performance.''
In his last outing and lone start in 2002, Klitschko retained his WBA Intercontinental title with a dominant 11th-round TKO over Vaughn "Shake And Bake" Bean on Feb. 8 in Braunschweig, Germany.
"He was the most awkward fighter I have ever fought," Klitschko said. "I am very happy with the result. I knew Bean can take a good punch and is always dangerous so I did not want to push it and just try for a knockout. I had trained to go 12 rounds.''
Klitschko won every round in impressive style before the referee stopped the one-sided proceedings at 1:40 of the 11th. The best moments for Bean (42-2, 32 KOs going in), whose only other losses were on points to then-IBF champion Michael Moorer and then-WBA-IBF champion Evader Holyfield, came in the eighth round when he landed two solid hooks flush on Klitschko's chin. But Klitschko roared back to win the round and continued to press the action thereafter. At bout's conclusion, both of Bean's eyes were badly swollen.
"I have never seen my brother fight so well for so long," Wladimir said. "He was quite impressive. I am very happy for him and his performance.''
Before turning pro, Vitali compiled an excellent record of 119-15 with 80 knockouts in the amateurs, while winning numerous titles, including the 1995 Military Championship. He also was a six-time kick-boxing world champion. His prowess and potential in the ring caught the eye of several pro promoters, including Hall Of Famer Don "Only In America" King. King invited the brothers to Las Vegas, but they declined his offer and signed with Kohl and Universum Box-Promotion.
Vitali made his eagerly anticipated pro debut at the age of 25 on Nov. 16, 1996, and knocked out Tony Bradham in the second round in Hamburg, Germany. His first 10 fights lasted two rounds or less. In his 19th start, he captured the World Boxing Organization (WBO) International title with a fifth-round TKO over former British Commonwealth champion Julius Francis on April 18, 1998. The following Aug. 11, he made his United States debut and first start outside of Germany and registered a first-round TKO over Ricardo Kennedy in Miami, Fla.
The unbeaten Klitschko registered his 21st consecutive knockout and captured the European heavyweight title with a second-round TKO over Mario Schiesser on Oct. 24, 1998, in Hamburg, Germany. In his first defense the following Dec. 1, he fought in his hometown of Kiev for the first time and recorded a first-round TKO over Italy's Francisco Spinelli. After retaining his title on a second-round TKO over Ismael Youla of France on Feb. 20, 1999, in Hamburg, Klitschko challenged Herbie Hide for the WBO title. In a career-best performance, Klitschko demolished Hide (31-1 going in), knocking him out at 1:27 of the second round on June 27, 1999, in London. Klitschko knocked down Hide twice. He connected with two right hands to floor Hide the first time. He ended matters with another right that put Hide down, out and unable to beat the referee's count.
The following Oct. 10 in Oberhausen, Germany, he moved closer to a showdown with top heavyweight competition in the U.S. with a third-round TKO over Ed Mahone. Making his initial WBO title defense, Klitschko assumed command from the outset. He punished Mahone with lefts and rights in the first round, and spun the challenger around with a shot to the head in the second. A right floored Mahone early in the third. Klitschko continued to unload with both hands and closed the show by dropping Mahone to a knee. After the second knockdown, the referee stopped the bout at 1:15.
Klitschko returned to Hamburg on Dec. 11, 1999, and retained his title with an impressive ninth-round TKO over Obed Sullivan. In a match that went three rounds farther than any of Vitali's previous 26 starts, Klitschko used Sullivan as a human punching bag and dominated every round. Sullivan, with both eyes badly swollen and nearly shut and bleeding from a cut over his left eye, could not answer the bell for the 10th round.
"I have often heard that I can only fight one or two rounds," said Klitschko, whose previous seven starts had ended inside three rounds "I proved this is not true. I was prepared to go 12 rounds. I did not put too much pressure on him in the beginning because I wanted to be patient and box. I knew he could take a hard punch.''
Vitali and his wife, Natalia, have one child, Egor-Daniel, who was born in Los Angeles. His hobbies include politics and listening to music. He likes to relax by playing chess. "I started playing chess when I was seven," he said. "In some ways, chess is a lot like boxing. You need to think and try different tactics. In both, you need to use your head."
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