Last Updated on September 7, 2024
Wladimir Wladimirovitsch Klitschko is a Ukranian former professional boxer more known as Dr. Steelhammer.
Born on the 25th of March 1976 in Semey, Kazakhstan, Klitschko is now 44 years old and is currently residing in Kyiv, Ukraine with his Hollywood actress fiance Hayden Panettiere and their five-year-old daughter Kaya Evdokia Klitschko.
Klitschko is known for his incredible knockout power done with a strong jab and a left hook. He is also the brother of a former WBC, WBO, and Ring magazine heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko.
Aside from being a professional boxer, he is also a passionate golfer and a former adjunct professor at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.
Wladimir believed that a proper diet is essential for success, which is why he built Wyllit Co. A food brand that he is currently focused on managing. Wyllit offers organic teas, bars, and on-the-go lunches. The brand also offers challenges, recipes, and advice from Wladimir himself.
Career Background
Standing 6 feet and 6 inches tall and weighed over 240 pounds (109 kilograms), easily brought him to the heavy division.
At a young age, the two brothers Vitali and Wladimir showed exceptional interest in athletics. And when they both finally got into amateur boxing, they made a promise to their mother to never fight each other.
Which they’ve kept, until now.
Wladimir’s career started when his brother Vitali was incapable of competing for Ukraine in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games due to steroid use. Klitschko then took his brother’s spot and immediately earned a super heavyweight gold medal.
He professionally debuted on November 16, 1996.
Another one among our favorite fighters who started young is Walter "School Boy" Sarnoi. Judging from how he's fondly called, we can almost give an impression of how young he got started. But there's a lot more to know about him and his life.
Amateur Career
As he followed his brother into amateur boxing, Klitschko trained in the Brovary Olympic Reserve School. He was also coached in Poland’s Gwardia Warszawa club where he and his brother allegedly “demolished boys”.
As a heavyweight, he won the Junior European Championships of 1993 and won second place in the Junior World Championships of 1994. He also won the gold medal at the Military Championships the next year.
As a super heavyweight, Klitschko won second place at the European championships. And finally won the Super-Heavyweight gold medal by knocking out Paea Wolfgramm in 1996.
Professional Career
In Hamburg, Klitschko was made professional under the tutelage of Fritz Sdunek. He was commonly featured beside his brother on fight cards.
He built this unbelievable undefeated record of 24-0, with 21 of it being Knock-Outs. However, his first loss occurred in his first professional fight against Ross Puritty in Ukraine.
In March 2000, Wladimir had a professional rematch with Paea Wolfgram knocking him out in the first round of their match and remaining to be the Super-heavyweight champion.
Titles And Achievements
For a complete decade, he was remarkably the most dominant heavyweight in the whole wide world.
Aside from being the third greatest heavyweight of all time, he was also the second greatest European pound-for-pound fighter. In addition, he is the eighteenth greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time and the 10th greatest since 1990 too.
WBA recognized Wladimir as one of the best heavyweight champions of all time and also one of their “Super Champions”. He was the world heavyweight champion for more than four thousand days or almost twelve years which gave him the title of the longest cumulative heavyweight reign of all time.
He was also ranked as the world’s best active pound-for-pound boxer by BoxRec and the lineal champion by The Transnational Boxing Rankings Board itself.
He held the world championship twice defeating 23 opponents, which broke Joe Louis’ all-time record of the most opponents any heavyweight boxer in history has ever defeated.
He was also featured in the Guinness World Records book along with his brother Vitali as the pair of brothers who had the most heavyweight title fight wins in the whole world. Which was 30 at that time, but as of 2020, the record has risen to 40.
Retirement
As all things come to an end, Klitschko officially announced on the third of August 2017 that he’ll be retiring from his boxing career. His statement was posted on his official website on social media platforms.
Wladimir Klitschko ended his career with a record of 64/69 wins, 53 of them being knockouts. He also remarkably beat nine world champions in less than three decades.
Advice For Boxing Success
Wladimir always says that his success can be learned.
As a competitive athlete, Klitschko understood the essence of body and mind coordination, which of course, includes getting into the best fighting shape - like how we, here at K2Promos keep it as our goal. He stated that making them work together creates exceptional strength. And all his awards, achievements, and success itself proves that statement right.
Wladimir had to contest in title fights and prepare for duels for more than twenty years. His focus was solely on preparing to be better than his own opponent. He believes that willpower is an important ingredient for success.