Wladimir Klitschko - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Wladimir Klitschko (born 25 March 1976) is a Ukrainian

Ukrainians

Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...

heavyweight

Heavyweight

Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...

boxer

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

. Klitschko is the WBA (Super)

World Boxing Association

The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...

, IBF

IBF

IBF may refer to:*International Boxing Federation is one of several boxing organisations* International Bandy Federation former name of Federation of International Bandy , an international governing body for bandy...

, WBO Super, IBO

Ibo

-Alternate spelling:*Ibo or Igbo people, an ethnic group based in West Africa*Ibo or Igbo language, the language of the Igbo people-Abbreviation:IBO can stand for:* Intellectual Property Business Organization...

& Ring Magazine Champion. His older brother Vitali Klitschko

Vitali Klitschko

Vitaliy Volodymyrovych Klychko is a Ukrainian professional heavyweight boxer and the current WBC heavyweight champion. He is a leader of the political party Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform and a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the Congress of the Council of Europe. He previously...

is the current WBC

World Boxing Council

The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...

champion. Klitschko is the longest reigning Heavyweight Champion in history for the IBF, WBO & IBO heavyweight titles, both in measurements of defenses and time & the 7th longest reigning heavyweight champion of all time

Longest reigning heavyweight champions

Below is a list of longest reigning heavyweight champions in boxing, this is measured by the individual's longest reign. Career total time as champion does not apply.Green = Active champion-External links:*...

. As of 2011, Boxrec rates Klitschko as the number 2 pound-for-pound in the world. Ring Magazine currently rates Klitschko as the number six pound-for-pound

Ring Magazine pound for pound

The Ring Magazine Pound for Pound is the official list of the current pound for pound professional boxing rankings distributed by The Ring.-Top 10 rankings:-See also:* List of current world boxing champions* List of boxing weight classes...

boxer in the world.

Since 2005, Klitschko has been the dominant force in the heavyweight division, defeating a majority of the top heavyweights in the rankings. When Klitschko won the IBF title against Chris Byrd there were four separate heavyweight champions. Since then he has unified the IBF, IBO, WBO & WBA belts and defeated the WBA champion in recess. Following his win over Ruslan Chagaev, Klitschko was awarded the vacant Ring Magazine Heavyweight Title. He broke Tommy Burns

Tommy Burns (boxer)

Tommy Burns , born Noah Brusso, is the only Canadian born world heavyweight champion boxer. The first to travel the globe in defending his title, Tommy made 11 title defenses despite often being the underdog due to his size. Burns famously challenged all comers as Heavyweight Champion, leading to...

long held record of eight consecutive title defences by knockout. He works behind a strong left jab and possesses one of the strongest right crosses in boxing. Klitschko is a safety first fighter; however, he tends to methodically break down his opponents over a series of rounds. Emmanuel Steward, Klitschko's trainer, has also pointed out that Klitschko's ability to hurt opponents late on in fights (Tony Thompson, Samuel Peter, etc.) is a sign of his power. He has gone on to say that he feels Klitschko is one of the hardest punchers in heavyweight history.

Early life

Klitschko was born in Semipalatinsk (now Semey, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...

). Though a celebrity in his former adopted home of Germany, he moved with his older brother Vitali to Beverly Hills, California, USA, in 2004. Their father, Vladimir Rodionovich Klitschko (1947–2011), was a Soviet Air Force

VVS

VVS is a three letter acronym which may refer to:* Very Very Slightly Included, a way of describing the clarity of a diamond* Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome, a syndrome of vulvodynia associated with chronic disease* V. V. S...

major general

Major General

Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

and a military attaché

Military attaché

A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...

of Ukraine in Germany. He was also one of the commanders in charge of cleaning up the effects of the Chernobyl disaster

Chernobyl disaster

The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine , which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities in Moscow...

in 1986 and was afterward diagnosed with cancer. Their mother is Nadezhda Ulyanovna.

In the summer of 1996, Klitschko finished Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky Pedagogical Institute (Ukraine) and was accepted in the postgraduate study program of Kiev University

Kiev University

Taras Shevchenko University or officially the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv , colloquially known in Ukrainian as KNU is located in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is the third oldest university in Ukraine after the University of Lviv and Kharkiv University. Currently, its structure...

. On 18 January 2001 in a conference hall of Kiev University of physical science and sports, Klitschko presented his doctoral dissertation and was awarded a PhD in Sports Science

Sports science

Sport science is a discipline that studies the application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting performance...

. Klitschko speaks five languages: Ukrainian

Ukrainian language

Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....

, Russian, Polish

Polish language

Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...

, German and English. At the beginning of his professional career, he began using the German transliteration of his name, Wladimir.

Amateur career

In 1993, Klitschko won the Junior European Championships as a heavyweight. In 1994, he received 2nd place at the Junior World Championships in Istanbul

Istanbul

Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...

, Turkey. In 1995, he won the gold medal at the Military Championships in Ariccia

Ariccia

Ariccia is a town and comune in the Province of Rome, central Italy. It is in the Alban Hills of the Lazio region and could be considered an extension of Rome's southeastern suburbs...

, Italy, defeating Luan Krasniqi

Luan Krasniqi

Luan Krasniqi is a professional German boxer of Kosovo Albanian descent.On April, 2006, he was ranked #2 by the WBO, coming before other heavyweight contenders such as Lamon Brewster, Shannon Briggs, and Ruslan Chagaev....

, who he had lost to in the third round of the World Championships in Berlin, Germany earlier that year. In 1996, he captured 2nd place as a Super Heavyweight at the European Championships in Vejle, Denmark. He had an amateur record of 134–6.

Known as "The Steel Hammer," Klitschko first achieved world attention at the 1996 Summer Olympics

1996 Summer Olympics

The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....

in Atlanta, Georgia. He defeated Paea Wolfgramm to win the Super-Heavyweight gold medal

Olympic medalists in boxing

This is the complete list of Olympic medalists in boxing from 1904 to 2008.-Light flyweight:*1968 - : up to 48 kg.-Flyweight:*1904: up to 105 lb *1920-1936: up to 112 lb *1948-1964: up to 51 kg...

. He is now announced as "Dr. Steel Hammer," a name more in the vein of his brother, Vitali, who goes by "Dr. Ironfist."

Professional career

Klitschko turned professional with Universum Box-Promotion in Hamburg under the tutelage of Fritz Sdunek

Fritz Sdunek

Fritz Sdunek is a German professional boxing trainer and previously an amateur boxer. Sdunek is one of the most successful and famous boxing trainers. He trained, among others, such world champions as Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko and Dariusz Michalczewski....

.

He suffered his first setback after 24 bouts without a loss to journeyman Ross Puritty

Ross Puritty

Ross Puritty is a retired heavyweight professional boxer. A high-level journeyman and occasional heavyweight contender, Puritty is best remembered for his shocking upset of Wladimir Klitschko in 1998 that won him the WBC international Heavyweight title.- Professional Boxing career :Purrity made...

, who entered the bout with a record of 24–13–1.

First world title

On 14 October 2000, in Cologne

Cologne

Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...

's Kölnarena

Kölnarena

Lanxess Arena is an indoor arena, in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The arena opened in 1998 and can accommodate 20,000 people....

(Germany), Klitschko won the WBO

World Boxing Organization

The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. The organization is recognized as one of the four major world championship groups by the IBHOF alongside the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Council and the...

Heavyweight Championship from American Chris Byrd

Chris Byrd

Chris Cornelius Byrd is a retired and former professional boxer. He is the former WBO and IBF heavyweight champion. His nickname is "Rapid Fire".- Early life :...

. Byrd 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

Corrie Sanders

Cornelius "Corrie" Johannes Sanders is a South African former professional boxer. In 2003 he became the WBO heavyweight champion by defeating Wladimir Klitschko via a second-round knock out that is considered one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight boxing history and won Ring Magazine upset of...

. Sanders battered Klitschko for two rounds knocking him out on 8 March 2003, in Hannover, Germany.

Third loss

After winning two minor bouts in Germany and enlisting the services of legendary boxing trainer Emmanuel Steward, Klitschko again fought for the vacated WBO title on 10 April 2004, in Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

, against Lamon Brewster

Lamon Brewster

"Relentless" Lamon Tajuan Brewster is a retired American professional heavyweight boxer, and former WBO heavyweight champion. He won the silver medal as an amateur at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata....

. Klitschko sent Brewster to the canvas in the fourth round; however, things turned around in the fifth when Brewster's punches began backing him up. Not defending himself and leaning into ropes for support, Klitschko took a standing eight count. On unsteady legs, Klitschko went to his knees after the bell and the referee stopped the fight for his safety.

Return to form

Following his loss to Brewster, Klitschko began his journey back towards the top of the heavyweight division. First, he defeated DaVarryl Williamson

DaVarryl Williamson

DaVarryl Williamson is an American boxer originally from Washington, D.C., but later a resident of Aurora, Colorado. His ring nickname is "Touch of Sleep". He has a current professional record of 26-6, 22KO...

by technical decision. He then knocked out undefeated Eliseo Castillo

Eliseo Castillo

Eliseo Castillo is a professional boxer. He is the younger brother of Heavyweight boxer Elieser Castillo.-Amateur career:...

. Klitschko then signed to fight undefeated power puncher Samuel Peter

Samuel Peter

Samuel Okon Peter , nicknamed "The Nigerian Nightmare," is a professional heavyweight boxer and the former WBC heavyweight champion....

in an 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. He even rocked Peter in the final round. The win against Peter showed that Klitschko was capable of defeating power punchers.

IBF world champion

On 22 April 2006, in Mannheim

Mannheim

Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....

, Germany, Klitschko again defeated Chris Byrd, this time by technical knockout, in a contest for the IBF & IBO Heavyweight Championship. Referee

Referee (boxing)

The referee in the boxing is the individual charged with enforcing the rules of that sport during a match.-The role of the referee:Referees have the following roles:*Gives instructions to both boxers before the fight...

Wayne Kelly 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

Ray Austin (boxer)

Ray Austin is an American professional boxer.-Professional career:Nicknamed "The Rainman", Ray Austin is a heavyweight boxer. Austin has drawn with other notable heavyweights Lance Whitaker, Larry Donald, and Sultan Ibragimov...

on 10 March 2007, at the SAP Arena

SAP Arena

SAP Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Mannheim, Germany. It is primarily used for ice hockey and handball, and is the home arena of the Adler Mannheim ice hockey club and the "Rhein-Neckar-Löwen" handball club. Inaugurated in 2005, the arena has a capacity of up to 15,000 people.More than a...

in Mannheim, Germany by a second-round knockout

Knockout

A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...

with four consecutive left hooks to Austin's head. Klitschko did not use his right hand once during the fight, doing all his work with his left jab

Jab

A jab is a type of punch used in the martial arts.Several variations of the jab exist, but every jab shares these characteristics: while in a fighting stance, the lead fist is thrown straight ahead and the arm is fully extended...

and left hook

Hook (boxing)

A hook is a punch in boxing. It is performed by turning the core muscles and back, thereby swinging the arm, which is bent at an angle near or at 90 degrees, in a horizontal arc into the opponent...

. Klitschko then avenged one of his previous losses as he defeated Lamon Brewster on 7 July 2007, in Cologne, Germany. Brewster's corner asked the referee to stop the fight at the end of the sixth round. It was later revealed that Klitschko fought most of the fight with a broken middle finger on his left hand.

Unifying the belts

Klitschko defeated WBO Heavyweight Champion Sultan Ibragimov

Sultan Ibragimov

Sultan-Ahmed Magomedsalihovich Ibragimov, is a retired professional boxer and a former WBO heavyweight champion. He is of Avar Dagestani Muslim descent...

at Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...

in New York City 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. He backed Ibragimov into a corner and proceeded to push down Ibragimov's glove with his left hand so he could not throw a punch. Though Klitschko won every single round the crowd in New York began booing after the second round. The boos and jeers increased as the fight progressed in the same fashion. Ibragimov's corner was almost silent from the sixth round onwards unable to give their man any meaningful advice.

On 12 July 2008, at the Color Line Arena

Color Line Arena

O2 World is a multi-purpose arena in Hamburg, Germany. It opened in 2002 and can hold up to 16,000 people. It is located adjacent to the football stadium Imtech Arena and the new Volksbank Arena in the Bahrenfeld district...

in Hamburg, Klitschko defeated Tony Thompson

Tony Thompson (boxer)

Tony Thompson is a professional boxer from Maryland, nicknamed "the Tiger".-Professional career:After his first four wins he lost against undefeated prospect Eric Kirkland on points over four rounds in 2000...

by eleventh round knockout.

Klitschko was scheduled to defend his titles against Alexander Povetkin

Alexander Povetkin

Alexander Vladimirovich Povetkin is a Russian boxer. He is the current holder of the WBA heavyweight title. His height is . Because of his amateur success, as well as his early pro accomplishments, he is seen as a leading contender in professional boxing's Heavyweight division...

later in 2008, but on 25 October, Povetkin withdrew from the fight due to an ankle injury. Instead, Klitschko faced Hasim Rahman

Hasim Rahman

Hasim Sharif Rahman is an American professional boxer. Rahman is the former Lineal, WBC, IBO, & IBF heavyweight champion...

on 13 December 2008 and won by TKO. This was the third time Klitschko fought at the SAP Arena

SAP Arena

in Mannheim

Mannheim

Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....

, Germany. He dominated the fight, winning every round while making good use of his left jab. From the first bell the difference in physical strength was profound. Rahman seemed unable to withstand Klitschko's punch power. The referee finally called a stop to the one-sided contest in the 7th round after Rahman failed to respond to a series of good shots.

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

IBF

, WBO, IBO

International Boxing Organization

The International Boxing Organization is a for-profit organization that sanctions professional boxing matches and awards world and subordinate championships.- Origins :...

world heavyweight titles and also won the vacant Ring Magazine heavyweight title by defeating replacement opponent and Ring #3 ranked Ruslan Chagaev

Ruslan Chagaev

Ruslan Chagaev born October 19, 1978 in Andijan, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union) is an Uzbekistani former WBA heavyweight boxing champion of Tatar ethnicity...

when Chagaev retired after an onslaught of punches towards the end of the ninth round. As Chagaev was WBA

World Boxing Association

champion in recess, 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

Eddie Chambers

Edward "Eddie" Chambers is an American heavyweight boxer fighting out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Professional career:Eddie started boxing professionally in 2000 at the age of 18...

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 five seconds before the end of the final round. He was criticized between rounds by his trainer Emanuel Steward

Emanuel Steward

Emanuel Steward is an American boxing trainer, commentator and inductee of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.-Life and career:...

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.

Klitschko vs. Peter II

Following the match with Chambers, a unification fight between Klitschko and David Haye

David Haye

David Deron Haye is a retired English professional boxer,Haye is the former WBA heavyweight champion. He is also the former unified world cruiserweight champion, holding the WBA, WBC, WBO, and The Ring cruiserweight titles, and also the former European cruiserweight champion.- Amateur :Haye...

, who as of May 2009 held the WBA

World Boxing Association

title, appeared to be in the offing. Klitschko called out the Briton on YouTube in April, 2010, stating, “I want to send this message to boxing fans and directly to David Haye. David, you've bitched out on fighting both Klitschko brothers twice already and now's the time to make it happen. On behalf of the boxing fans around the world, I am officially calling you out to fight me. You can't run away from me forever and you need to follow through with this fight if you want to be respected. I'm ready. What're you waiting for?". Haye's trainer Adam Booth has indicated that Haye would be willing to accept the challenge. Both sides began negotiations for a potential fight and the bout was targeted for September. As the negotiations continued to move forward, the unification fight between Klitschko and Haye was expected to take place in Germany rather than England. The IBF set a deadline to end negotiations on 17 May. A few days before the 17 May deadline to make the unification bout, Haye said he was interested in fighting the older Klitschko, Vitali

Vitali Klitschko

, rather than Vladimir.

The fight did not materialise and Klitschko took on mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin

Alexander Povetkin

. On 17 May 2010, the 30-day period of negotiation began for Klitschko to defend his championship against Povetkin. Within this period, discussions to make a fight with Haye were still ongoing. At first, the bout between Klitschko and Povetkin was tentatively scheduled to take place in Frankfurt

Frankfurt

Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...

, Hessen, Germany, on 11 September 2010. In July 2010, it was confirmed that the bout would be taking place in Frankfurt. However, Povetkin, under trainer Teddy Atlas, backed out of the $2 million purse fight. Samuel Peter replaced Povetkin for the scheduled fight. Peter fought Klitschko on 11 September 2010, for the Ukrainian's IBF, WBO & IBO heavyweight titles. Klitschko won again, by knocking out Peter in the 10th round. Peter weighed in at 241 pounds, two pounds lighter than their first fight. Klitschko came in at a career heavy of 247 pounds. Both fighters had promised knockouts in the pre-fight build up. Peter started the fight very aggressively and caught Klitschko with a good left hook in the opening minute although Klitschko ended the round well. Peter was caught with three hard right-hands in the second round, one of which seemed to stun him. Peter tried to duck under the Klitschko jab, but was being tied up on the inside. After four rounds the fight became one-sided in Klitschko's favour. Peter's right eye was closing and he was taking heavy punishment. After the ninth round, Peter's trainer Abel Sanchez said he would give him one more round. Emmanuel Steward also implored Klitschko to be more aggressive. Peter swung wildly in the tenth and Klitschko put him down with a concussive combination. Referee Robert Byrd did not start a count and waved the fight off, awarding Klitschko the win by knockout.

Klitschko was set to fight Dereck Chisora on 11 December, but the fight was later called off on 8 December due to Klitschko tearing a muscle in his abdomen.

On 5 January 2011, it was announced that Dereck Chisora would get his fight with Klitschko. This enraged David Haye's trainer Adam Booth who described the move as a "disgrace" on a heated live phone-in with Sky Sports News. Booth alleged Haye had met every single one of Klitschko's demands
The fight against Dereck Chisora was rescheduled for 30 April 2011, and was going to take place in SAP Arena

SAP Arena

, Mannheim

Mannheim

Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....

. However, on 4 March, it was announced Klitschko pulled out of the fight due to not being fully recovered from a torn abdominal muscle. On 5 March, it was instead announced that the highly anticipated fight against David Haye will take place on 2 July 2011. The fight was contingent on Klitschko's recovery from a torn abdominal muscle injury. The contract was written so that if Klitschko is not fully healed, then Haye would fight his brother, Vitali.

Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye

Klitschko fought David Haye

David Haye

in a heavyweight unification fight for the WBA (Super)

World Boxing Association

, WBO

World Boxing Organization

, IBF

International Boxing Federation

The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...

, IBO

International Boxing Organization

The International Boxing Organization is a for-profit organization that sanctions professional boxing matches and awards world and subordinate championships.- Origins :...

& The Ring heavyweight titles. The fight took place at the Imtech Arena, Hamburg, Germany on 2 July 2011. Klitschko dominated the fight, statistically recording one knockdown and outlanding Haye nearly 2 to 1. Klitschko won by unanimous decision.

After Haye

On October 6, 2011 Wladimir Klitschko announced his next fight. It will be on December 10, 2011 against the former cruiserweight

Cruiserweight

Cruiserweight is a weight class in boxing between light heavyweight and heavyweight. Before the advent of the current cruiserweight class, "light heavyweight" and "cruiserweight" were sometimes used interchangeably in the United Kingdom....

champion, French Jean-Marc Mormeck. The fight will take place at Esprit Arena, Düsseldorf.
This will be Wladimir's first title defense of the WBA (Super)

World Boxing Association

belt, he won against David Haye

David Haye

. The fight is billed Alle Gürtel. Ein Champion. (All belts. One Champion).

Other interests

Klitschko appeared with Lennox Lewis

Lennox Lewis

Lennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE is a retired boxer and the most recent British undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship...

in the motion picture Ocean's Eleven
Ocean's Eleven (2001 film)
Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American comedy-crime caper and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was...

. He is an avid chess player, kite-surfer, golfer, and humanitarian. Both Klitschko brothers have been involved in charitable activities dedicated to supporting the needs of children around the world. Both brothers have formed their own charities that contribute to children in need in Africa and South America. They won humanitarian awards for their "Fight For Peace" and "Sport for Good" projects in 2002 and 2007. In 2002, the Klitschko brothers announced that they had agreed to work specifically for UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

(the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), which supports more than 180 projects in 87 countries. Klitschko is also a passionate golfer and was seen playing in the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. The tournament was played over three courses in 2008 including St Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns in Fife and Angus. Klitschko was named curator of the Ukrainian pavilion at the 2009 Venice Biennale

Venice Biennale

The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...

. Klitschko starred in the music video for Chris Cornell's song "Part of Me

Part of Me (Chris Cornell song)

Part of Me is a song by American singer-songwriter Chris Cornell, from his third solo studio album, Scream. Part of Me is the first official single for Canada and Europe and was released as a digital download on October 12, 2008 in Canada and Germany. There is no indication of a release in the US...

" in 2008, alongside rising dancer Carlos Kerr Jr. and Method Man.

Personal life

Some media reported that Klitschko had been previously dating Yvonne Catterfeld

Yvonne Catterfeld

Yvonne Catterfeld is a German singer, actress and TV host.-Biography:Catterfeld was born in Erfurt, Thuringia, then in East Germany, in 1979. At the age of 15 she started playing the piano and the flute, simultaneously taking first dance and vocal lessons...

; the relationship was played up in German comedies Keinohrhasen
Keinohrhasen
Keinohrhasen ,lit: No Ear Rabbits, is a 2007 German romantic comedy film, written, produced and directed by Til Schweiger...

and Zweiohrküken
Zweiohrküken
Zweiohrküken is a 2009 German romantic comedy film, written, produced and directed by Til Schweiger...

. After Vladimir's photo session held for Vanity Fair magazine with Karolína Kurková

Karolína Kurková

Karolína Isela Kurková is a Czech model, best known as a former Victoria's Secret Angel, and an aspiring actress. Mario Testino said of Kurková, "The proportions of her body and her face, as well as her energy level, make her a model who could fit almost into any moment." Vogue editor Anna...

she also claimed to have a romantic relationship with the boxer. Alena Gerber

Alena Gerber

Alena Gerber is a German model, actress and TV host.- Life :Gerber was born in Baden-Württemberg and was discovered by a German model agency at the age of 13. She participated in regional beauty contests...

was once his girlfriend.

In 2009 Klitschko began dating American actress Hayden Panettiere

Hayden Panettiere

Hayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...

. Panettiere appeared at ringside at some of Klitschko's fights, including at Klitschko's 10th round KO victory over Samuel Peter. The couple broke up in May 2011.

Professional boxing record

David Haye

Samuel Peter

Samuel Okon Peter , nicknamed "The Nigerian Nightmare," is a professional heavyweight boxer and the former WBC heavyweight champion....

Eddie Chambers

Edward "Eddie" Chambers is an American heavyweight boxer fighting out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Professional career:Eddie started boxing professionally in 2000 at the age of 18...

Ruslan Chagaev

Ruslan Chagaev born October 19, 1978 in Andijan, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union) is an Uzbekistani former WBA heavyweight boxing champion of Tatar ethnicity...

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|
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|Win
|52–3
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Hasim Rahman

Hasim Sharif Rahman is an American professional boxer. Rahman is the former Lineal, WBC, IBO, & IBF heavyweight champion...

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|
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|Win
|51–3
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Tony Thompson

Tony Thompson (boxer)

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|
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|align=left|
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|Win
|50–3
|align=left|

Sultan Ibragimov

Sultan-Ahmed Magomedsalihovich Ibragimov, is a retired professional boxer and a former WBO heavyweight champion. He is of Avar Dagestani Muslim descent...

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|
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|align=left|
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|Win
|49–3
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Lamon Brewster

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|
|align=left|
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|- align=center
|Win
|48–3
|align=left|

Ray Austin

Ray Austin (boxer)

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|
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|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|47–3
|align=left|

Calvin Brock

Calvin Vance Brock is a retired professional heavyweight boxer.Following his loss to fellow American Eddie Chambers, Brock was forced to retire from the sport of boxing, after receiving retinal damage in his right eye.- Biography :Brock is known not only for his boxing skills but also for his...

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|
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|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|46–3
|align=left|

Chris Byrd

Chris Cornelius Byrd is a retired and former professional boxer. He is the former WBO and IBF heavyweight champion. His nickname is "Rapid Fire".- Early life :...

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|- align=center
|Win
|45–3
|align=left|

Samuel Peter

Samuel Okon Peter , nicknamed "The Nigerian Nightmare," is a professional heavyweight boxer and the former WBC heavyweight champion....

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|align=left|
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|Win
|44–3
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Eliseo Castillo

Eliseo Castillo is a professional boxer. He is the younger brother of Heavyweight boxer Elieser Castillo.-Amateur career:...

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|Win
|43–3
|align=left|

DaVarryl Williamson

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|
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|align=left|
|- align=center
|Loss
|42–3
|align=left|

Lamon Brewster

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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|42–2
|align=left|

Danell Nicholson

Danell Nicholson was an American Olympian and a boxer in the heavyweight division.-Amateur career:Nicholson was a member of the 1992 United States Olympic Team as a Heavyweight...

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|Win
|41–2
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Fabio Eduardo Moli
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Loss
|40–2
|align=left|

Corrie Sanders

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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|40–1
|align=left|

Jameel McCline

Jameel “Big Time” McCline is a professional heavyweight boxer notable for his speed, strength, and size at 6'6" and 269 lbs. Currently ranked at number 9 in the WBCworld heavyweight ratings...

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|
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|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|39–1
|align=left|

Ray Mercer

"Merciless" Ray Mercer is an American professional boxer, former Olympic Gold Medalist and WBO heavyweight title holder who resides in Fayetteville, North Carolina...

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|
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|align=left|
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|Win
|38–1
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Francois Botha

Francois Botha , also known as Frans Botha, is a South African boxer, nicknamed the "White Buffalo". Botha won the vacant IBF heavyweight title in 1995 when he outpointed Axel Schulz in Germany...

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|align=left|
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|Win
|37–1
|align=left|

Charles Shufford

Charles Shufford is a professional boxer.He had 35 amateur fights at superheavyweight and in 1996 beat Lance Whitaker but lost to Joe Mesi and Lovy Page....

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|
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|- align=center
|Win
|36–1
|align=left|

Derrick Jefferson

Derrick Lavon Jefferson is a heavyweight turned boxer.-Amateur:Jefferson became the 1994 National Golden Gloves Super Heavyweight Champion handing Michael Grant his only amateur loss in the semifinals.-Pro:...

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|
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|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|35–1
|align=left|

Chris Byrd

Chris Cornelius Byrd is a retired and former professional boxer. He is the former WBO and IBF heavyweight champion. His nickname is "Rapid Fire".- Early life :...

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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|34–1
|align=left|

Monte Barrett

Monte Barrett is an American professional heavyweight boxer. He was regarded by many as a tough gatekeeper and was a former WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion and current WBO Asia Pacific Heavyweight and WBO Oriental Heavyweight champion...

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|
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|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|33–1
|align=left|

David Bostice

David Bostice, born April 3, 1972 in Los Angeles, CA, is a heavyweight boxer. Nicknamed "The Boss", Bostice is known for being a regular fighter on ESPN fight cards, and is a heavyweight clubfighter who fought several significant fighters of his era....

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|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|32–1
|align=left|

Paea Wolfgramm
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|31–1
|align=left|

Lajos Eros
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|30–1
|align=left|

Phil Jackson

Phil Jackson (boxer)

Phil Jackson, born May 11, 1964 in Miami Beach, FL, was a professional heavyweight boxer, best known for challenging Lennox Lewis for the WBC Heavyweight Title in 1994.-Pro career:...

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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|29–1
|align=left|

Axel Schulz

Axel Schulz is a retired German heavyweight boxer.-Amateur career:From 1982 Schulz boxed for the army sports club Vorwärts in Frankfurt , later becoming the East German youth champion...

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|
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|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|28–1
|align=left|

Joseph Chingangu
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|27–1
|align=left|

Tony LaRosa
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|26–1
|align=left|

Everett Martin

Everett Wayne Martin , also known as Bigfoot Martin is a former professional boxer. He is a journeyman heavyweight best known for his performances against more notable contenders.-Pro Boxing Career:...

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|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|25–1
|align=left|

Zoran Vujecic
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Loss
|24–1
|align=left|

Ross Puritty

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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|24–0
|align=left|

Donnell Wingfield
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|23–0
|align=left|

Eli Dixon
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|22–0
|align=left|

Steve Pannell
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|21–0
|align=left|

Carlos Monroe
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|20–0
|align=left|

Najee Shaheed
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|19–0
|align=left|

Cody Koch
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|18–0
|align=left|

Everett Martin

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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|17–0
|align=left|

Marcus McIntyre
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|16–0
|align=left|

Derrick Lampkins
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|15–0
|align=left|

Ladislav Husarik
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|14–0
|align=left|

Jerry Halstead

Jerry "Wimpy" Halstead was a professional boxer in the heavyweight division from 1985 until 1997. Along the way Halstead fought such prominent pugilists as Greg Page, Tony Tubbs, Buster Douglas, Pierre Coetzer, Tommy Morrison, Ray Mercer, Alex Stewart, Herbie Hide, Brian Nielsen, Jeremy Williams,...

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|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|13–0
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Marcos Gonzalez
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|12–0
|align=left|

James Pritchard

James Pritchard (boxer)

James Pritchard, , was a heavyweight professional boxer who won the USBA heavyweight title and challenged for the IBF world title.-Amateur:...

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|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|11–0
|align=left|

Biko Botowamungu
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|10–0
|align=left|

Gilberto Williamson
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|9–0
|align=left|

Salvador Maciel
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|8–0
|align=left|

Paul Ashley
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|7–0
|align=left|

Mark Wills
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|6–0
|align=left|

Mark Young
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|5–0
|align=left|

Carlos Monroe
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|4–0
|align=left|

Troy Weida
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|3–0
|align=left|

Bill Corrigan
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|2–0
|align=left|

Exum Speight
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|1–0
|align=left|

Fabian Meza
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|align=left|
|align=left|
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External links

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The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.