Wladimir Klitschko a.k.a Dr. Steelhammer: The Great Heavyweight For More Than A Decade!
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Photo by Senator2108, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Wladimir Klitschko is a Ukrainian former professional boxer known as "Dr. Steelhammer," a nickname that combines his punching power with his doctorate in sports science.
He was born on March 25, 1976, in Semey, in what is now Kazakhstan, according to Olympedia. He has a daughter, Kaya, with actress Hayden Panettiere.
Klitschko is known for his knockout power, built on a strong jab and left hook. His older brother, Vitali Klitschko, is also a former world heavyweight champion.
Since retiring, he has focused on business and on teaching his approach to success.
Photo by Karl-Ludwig Poggemann, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Career Background
Standing 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighing about 240 pounds (109 kilograms), he was a natural heavyweight.
The brothers Vitali and Wladimir were drawn to sports from a young age. When they took up boxing, they promised their mother they would never fight each other, a promise they kept.
Wladimir won the super heavyweight gold medal for Ukraine at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
He made his professional debut in November 1996.
Another fighter we like to follow is Walter "School Boy" Sarnoi, who started boxing at 12 and earned two degrees along the way.
Amateur Career
Klitschko followed his older brother into amateur boxing in Ukraine.
As a heavyweight, he won the 1993 European Junior Championships and took silver at the 1994 Junior World Championships.
As a super heavyweight, he won silver at the 1996 European Championships, then won Olympic gold in Atlanta that summer by beating Tonga's Paea Wolfgramm in the final.
Professional Career
Klitschko turned pro in Hamburg, Germany, with trainer Fritz Sdunek, and often fought on the same cards as his brother.
He started his pro career unbeaten, then suffered his first loss to Ross Puritty in Kyiv in 1998.
In March 2000, he faced Paea Wolfgramm again as a pro and knocked him out in the first round. Later that year he won the WBO heavyweight title, the first of his world championships.
Titles And Achievements
For about a decade, he was the most dominant heavyweight in the world.
Klitschko held the WBO title from 2000 to 2003. He won the IBF title in 2006, added the WBO title again in 2008, and was named WBA "Super" champion in 2011. He held multiple belts at once for most of the stretch from 2006 to 2015.
His full career record is on BoxRec.
He made 23 successful title defenses, according to Sports Illustrated. Some fans say he broke Joe Louis’ all-time record for heavyweight title defenses, but he did not: Louis made 25.
His reign ended in November 2015, when Tyson Fury beat him by unanimous decision.
Retirement
Klitschko announced his retirement on August 3, 2017, a few months after Anthony Joshua stopped him in the 11th round at Wembley Stadium in April. "As an amateur and a professional boxer, I have achieved everything I dreamed of," he said.
Wladimir Klitschko retired with a record of 64-5, with 53 knockouts.
Photo by http://maidan.org.ua/news/index.php3?bn=maidan_foto&key=1100774288&action=view, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Advice For Boxing Success
Wladimir always says that his success can be learned.
As a competitive athlete, Klitschko stressed getting the body and mind to work together, which includes getting into the best fighting shape, the same goal we focus on here at K2Promos.
He fought for and defended world titles over more than two decades as a pro, always preparing to be better than his next opponent. He believes willpower is a key ingredient for success.
Sources
- Former Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko Retires, Sports Illustrated
- Volodymyr Klychko (Wladimir Klitschko), Olympedia
