WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO

'Dr. Wladimir Wladimirowitsch Klitschko' (, ''Volodymyr Volodymyrovych Klychko''); born March 25 1976 in Solnechnoe, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan) is a Ukrainian heavyweight boxer, former WBO and the current IBF and IBO World Heavyweight Champion. Though a major celebrity in his former adopted home of Germany, in 2004 he moved with his older brother, former heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, to Beverly Hills. Their father, Wladimir Rodionovich, was a Soviet Air Force Colonel. Their mother is Nadezhda Ulyanovna. In the summer of 1996 Wladimir finished Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky Pedagogical Institute (Ukraine) and was accepted in the postgraduate study program of the Kyiv University. On January 18, 2001 in a conference hall of Kyiv University of physical science and sports, Wladimir presented his doctorate dissertation and was given a PhD in Sports Science.

Contents

Biography

Trivia

References

External links

Biography

Now known as "Dr. Steelhammer" Klitschko first achieved world attention at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He defeated Paea Wolfgramm in the finals for the Super-Heavyweight gold medal.
Standing in height^[1], Wladimir is tall, even for a heavyweight, and has a muscular frame, weighing 245 lbs (111 kg). He wears European size 48 shoes (US 15, UK 14).
Klitschko turned professional with Universum Box-Promotion in Hamburg, Germany under the tutelage of Fritz Sdunek. On October 14, 2000, in Cologne's Kölnarena (Germany), Klitschko won the WBO Heavyweight Championship from American Chris Byrd (who had won it from Vitali six months earlier). After five successful defenses of the WBO belt, Wladimir suffered an upset loss to South African Corrie Sanders on March 8, 2003 in Hannover, Germany. Wladimir was caught by a Corrie Sanders left hand in the first, and barely escaped the round. Wladimir was ultimately knocked down four times in total en route to a second round TKO loss.

After two minor bouts in Germany, and also obtaining the services of legendary boxing trainer Emmanuel Steward, Wladimir again fought for the vacated WBO Title on April 10, 2004 in Las Vegas against the then-lightly regarded American Lamon Brewster. For the first four rounds of the fight Wladimir easily outclassed Brewster, knocking Brewster to the canvas in the fourth round. However things turned around in the fifth when Brewster began landing heavy punches. Near the end of the round, Klitschko was floored by a heavy right hand. Barely beating the count, Klitschko fell to the canvas in exhaustion after the end of the fifth round and remained prone on the floor for several seconds. The fight was stopped by the referree when Klitschko appeared exhausted and non-responsive. Speculative accusations that Klitschko had somehow been drugged were never proven. At the hospital after the fight, low blood sugar levels were reported.
After defeating American DaVarryl Williamson on October 2, 2004 and the previously undefeated Eliseo Castillo on April 23, 2005, Klitschko faced Nigerian Samuel Peter on September 24, 2005 in Atlantic City, New Jersey in an eliminator match for the IBF and WBO number-one contender ranking. Despite being floored three times during the match, Wladimir went on to win an unanimous decision. However, it should be noted, that many people felt that Peter had used dirty tactics like "rabbit punching" and hitting on breaks. Clearly two of the knockdowns were from illegal blows to the back of Klitschko's head."
On April 22, 2006 in Mannheim, Germany, Klitschko again defeated Chris Byrd, this time by technical knockout, after a decidedly one-sided contest for the IBF and the previously vacated IBO world heavyweight championships. Referee Wayne Kelly stopped the fight in the seventh round after a punishing knockdown that severely lacerated and bloodied the face of Byrd.
In a decisive victory, Wladimir defeated Calvin Brock by knockout on November 11, 2006 at Madison Square Garden with a devastating right-hand in the 7th round. [1]
Wladimir Klitschko defeated mandatory challenger Ray Austin on March 10, 2007 at the SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany by a second-round knockout with four consecutive left hooks to Austin's head. Wladimir did not use his right hand once during the fight, doing all his work with his jab and left hook. It was Wladimir's second successful defense of the IBF heavyweight title. [2]
Wladimir avenged what some thought, was a controversial loss, as he defeated Lamon Brewster in a rematch, on July 7, 2007 in Cologne. Klitschko used his punishing jab to control the action from the first bell until 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.
After his impressive last several victories over ranked fighters, Wladimir is once again considered by many to be currently the best heavyweight boxer in the world, and the "man to beat" in the division.

Trivia

★ He studied sports science and philosophy and received a doctorate degree in sports science from the University of Kiev in January 2001.

★ Klitschko has appeared in a sparring match against Lennox Lewis in the motion picture ''Ocean's Eleven''.

★ Wladimir is an avid chess player.

★ Started and ended the televoting with his brother Vitali Klitschko at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Kiev.

★ He is actually known as "Dr. Steel Hammer" and is introduced as "The Steel Hammer, Dr. Wladimir Klitschko"

★ The Klitschko brothers have created their own design collection of men's sports and leather clothes with HUGO BOSS.

★ The Klitschko brothers have been involved in charitable activities dedicated to support the needs of schools, churches and children. In 2002, the Klitschko brothers announced that they had agreed to work specifically for the UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) which supports more than 180 projects in 87 countries.

★ Since 15 April 2007 (the defeat of WBA champion Nikolai Valuev), he has been the longest reigning ''current'' Heavyweight champion.

References

1. Boxing career of Wladimir Klitschko

External links

★ The Official Site of Klitschko Brothers

★ Wladimir Klitschko Fight-by-Fight Career Record

★ Boxing Record