Wladimir Klitschko
Wladimir Klitschko
Wladimir Klitschkois a Ukrainian professional boxer. He is a former world heavyweight champion of four sanctioning bodies, having held the titles of the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO, in addition to holding the lineal championship, and being recognized by The Ring magazine as its world heavyweight champion. A highly strategic boxer, Klitschko is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time, and is also thought to be among the hardest punching knockout artists in the history...
NationalityUkrainian
ProfessionBoxer
Date of Birth25 March 1976
CitySemey, Kazakhstan
CountryUkraine
I've fought everybody without ducking anyone. I have beaten 10 undefeated guys, and I never was comparing myself to the greatest in the sport. I was not thinking of breaking any records. I'm just enjoying my time in boxing.
My goal is not getting hit and to knock the other guy out. Some people might complain because they want to see boxers beat up on each other, but you cannot last long in professional boxing if you take a lot of punches.
Politics is comparable to boxing. The only thing is that in politics there are basically no rules. In boxing, you can get a black eye, but in politics you can get poison in your food or a bullet in the head. It's definitely rougher and tougher than other sports.
It is up to the people and boxing fans to give me the respect I deserve once I have finished my career. I personally do not think about my legacy.
Mental strength is really important because you either win or lose in your mind. And I'm not solely talking about sporting matches, boxing events - anything you do, you do it first with your mental strength. And you can actually train and develop it, and I am responsible for what I'm saying because I have experience with that.
I learned in my Ph.D. the discipline I needed to be successful. Most boxers are not that disciplined. They have talent, but the self-organization - the ability to schedule yourself and your priorities - is lacking. My studies were about the control of training on both the psychological and the physical side.
I love to iron. The first thing I do whenever I get to a hotel is borrow an iron. No one else ever touches my shirts.
I had to learn what it's like on the other side.
I've been many times to Dubai and the U.A.E., and I have friends that live there. It would be exciting to stage world heavyweight championship fights in the Arab world. It's something Muhammad Ali achieved when he fought in Zaire or the Philippines. It's absolutely exciting to fight in countries where you have never fought.
This is the day of days in my sporting career.
My height is an advantage, if I want to use it. Short guys have short hands and short feet and they come up quick. Taller guys, they use their advantage. Everyone tries to use their advantages. He's going to have trouble with me. I'm going to win the fight.
I can fight 12 rounds, no problem, as you can see. I enjoyed the fight.
I have a Ph.D. in philosophy and sports science. At 14, I went through this really tough Soviet training system. A lot of my roommates got psychologically broken or physically injured. Either you came through, or you were out. I made my Ph.D. work in the field of young athletes aged 14-19 because at this age any human is changing.
My grandmother always told me: 'If you're a man, it's enough if you look a little bit better than an ape.'