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[Garou]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/40811881

Wladimir Klitschko retires and will not fight Anthony Joshua in rematch

"I have achieved everything I dreamed of, and now I want to start my second career after sports," said Klitschko.

The two-time former champion, who held the unified title from 2006-2015 before losing to Joshua's fellow Briton Tyson Fury, ends his career with a record of 64 wins and five defeats.

"I would have never imagined that I would have such a long and incredibly successful boxing career," he added.

Klitschko won Olympic super-heavyweight gold at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, before turning professional later that year.

He built an unbeaten 24-0 record before losing to American Ross Puritty in 1998 in his only fight to take place in his native Ukraine.

After claiming the WBO belt with victory over American Chris Byrd in 2000, Klitschko was upset by South Africa's Corrie Sanders and American Lamon Brewster in 2003 and 2004 respectively.

He then went 11 years unbeaten, until losing the WBA, IBF and WBO titles to Fury in November 2015.

The Germany-based fighter announced his retirement on a video posted on his website, with so many people trying to access it that the server crashed.

In his video statement, Klitschko said: "Twenty-seven years ago I started my journey in sport. It was the best choice of a profession I could have made. Because of this choice I have travelled the world, learned new languages, created business, built intellectual properties, helped people in need.

"At some point in our lives we need to switch our careers and get ourselves ready for the next chapter - obviously I am not an exception to this.

"I am expecting and hoping my next career, which I have already been planning and working on for some years, will be at least as successful as the previous one, if not more successful."

Official statement

 

[Glass Rebel]

Impressive career, wish he had retired earlier.

 

[Monochromaticx]

I dont even follow boxing but know how amazing he was.

 

[Turin]

A lot of respect to him. Great fight to retire off of.

 

[Tom_Cody]

The end of an era. The Joshua fight was a great way to go out.

 

[Majine]

Is he the one who’s with Hayden Panettiere?

 

[Opus Angelorum]

One of the best modern boxers.

A shame his 11 year streak was ended by a fraud, he should have retired years ago.

 

[Aiii]

Is he the one who’s with Hayden Panettiere?

yes

 

[Simply Sami]

Him and his brother got a lot of stick.

I think his brother would have beaten Lewis.

Considering he was 42 and close to beating Joshua shows it would have been a mismatch if he was in his prime.

 

[Majine]

yes

He has achieved everything.

 

[Timedog]

Is this the woman beater guy?

 

[Simply Sami]

Is this the woman beater guy?

No, why would you say that?

 

[Imp the Dimp]

Him and his brother got a lot of stick.

I think his brother would have beaten Lewis.

Considering he was 42 and close to beating Joshua shows it would have been a mismatch if he was in his prime.

He lost to Lewis fair and square lol

 

[overcast]

Pretty much achieved everything and is old now. Good time to retire.

 

[Moze]

Impressive career, wish he had retired earlier.

But then we wouldn't have got one of the greatest boxing matches of all time. He retired on a high.

 

[Mesousa]

Damn was looking forward to a Joshua rematch.

 

[Timedog]

No, why would you say that?

I thought it was. Guess it wasn't.

 

[DogDude]

He kind of killed the hw division if were being honest. Not that it was really his fault. But yeah he was incredible.

 

[Moze]

I thought it was. Guess it wasn't.

He is the opposite of what you thought he was. He is a ridiculously respectful man who rarely even has anything bad to say about his opponents. Idiots call him boring for a reason.

 

[GeoNeo]

Tyson in his prime would have made this man nothing more than a highlight reel knock out.

 

[Thornton Reed]

super happy with his decision to do this. No point getting in the ring with AJ again, not when he doesn't need to.

I wonder who AJ fights now instead as i thought the vegas rematch was nailed on

 

[DeadOnions]

super happy with his decision to do this. No point getting in the ring with AJ again, not when he doesn't need to.

I wonder who AJ fights now instead as i thought the vegas rematch was nailed on

He has to fight Pulev which isn't a particularly interesting fight and one that surely can't take place in Vegas now.

 

[Spinoff90]

I thought it was. Guess it wasn't.

Maybe you are thinking of the former Los Angeles King Vyacheslav "Slava" Voynov? ¯\_(&#12484_/¯

With the size difference between Hayden and Wladimir plus the fact that he is/was a boxer I am glad he isn't that kind of guy.

 

[The Chosen One]

I was a huge boxing fan during his early days and during his downfall against Corrie Sanders and Brewster. I stopped following boxing regularly in the mid/late 2000s. I didn't realize he had built up a 11 year unbeaten streak to 2015. It's a shame boxing has had such a decline the last 10-12 years. He might have been bigger otherwise. Pretty much all the marquee fights these days involve fighters who got their start 15-20 years ago, just not enough new blood to generate excitement. All the heat is with MMA/UFC these days.

 

[lightskintwin]

I was a huge boxing fan during his early days and during his downfall against Corrie Sanders and Brewster. I stopped following boxing regularly in the mid/late 2000s. I didn't realize he had built up a 11 year unbeaten streak to 2015. It's a shame boxing has had such a decline the last 10-12 years. He might have been bigger otherwise. Pretty much all the marquee fights these days involve fighters who got their start 15-20 years ago, just not enough new blood to generate excitement. All the heat is with MMA/UFC these days.

Wladimir played a significant part in the mainstream losing interest in the Heavyweight Division. He would have never gotten bigger.

The decline of Heavyweight Boxing is directly due to the decline of African American Heavyweights.

 

[Sato Koiji]

So its over. The biggest bore in HW boxing decides to go in 2017. Wlad didnt really continue the excitement of 90's HW boxing to the point where the american audience just didnt care at all about the heavyweight belts.

His last fight was good but the amount of stinkers outnumber the good fights.

 

[Leunam]

Tyson in his prime would have made this man nothing more than a highlight reel knock out.

Tyson would have been jabbed to death.

 

[Auctopus]

Did BBC really have to head the article with a photo of him getting absolutely walloped?

 

[lightskintwin]

Tyson would have been jabbed to death.

Maybe, but I don't know, because Klitschko would react scary anytime a fighter got in on him and started hitting him.

Honestly, Wladimir looked his best, in terms of standing firm in the face of adversity, against Joshua in his last fight.

Did BBC really have to head the article with a photo of him getting absolutely walloped?

LOL I thought the same thing.

 

[Moze]

So its over. The biggest bore in HW boxing decides to go in 2017. Wlad didnt really continue the excitement of 90's HW boxing to the point where the american audience just didnt care at all about the heavyweight belts.

His last fight was good but the amount of stinkers outnumber the good fights.

It's an issue with the heavyweight division rather than Wlad. You act like there was a wealth of talent that Wlad was dodging through his whole career. That was not the case at all. There has especially been a an issue with talented American heavyweights for years. Tony Thompson lel. Perhaps look at somebody like Wilder if you want to blame somebody. An absolute embarrassment to the division.

Tyson in his prime would have made this man nothing more than a highlight reel knock out.

Prime Tyson against Wlad before he sorted out his defence? Possibly. Otherwise, no. Prime Tyson would have problems with prime Wlad. Tyson is abit of a meme, really. He never beat god level opposition. And when he started gettign destroyed, he had the benefit of people saying ''He is not in his prime anymore.''

 

[Turin]

Tyson in his prime would have made this man nothing more than a highlight reel knock out.

And Evander would have always beaten the shit out of Tyson. Doesn't matter.

 

[Sato Koiji]

Prime Tyson against Wlad before he sorted out his defence? Possibly. Otherwise, no. Prime Tyson would have problems with prime Wlad. Tyson is abit of a meme, really. He never beat god level opposition. And when he started gettign destroyed, he had the benefit of people saying ''He is not in his prime anymore.''

There are alot of factors that you need to consider when judging Tyson. Starting from where he fired his original staff that made him the champ and go from there.

 

[Donos]

Tyson in his prime would have made this man nothing more than a highlight reel knock out.

Friend posts constantly highlight reels of young Tyson in his prime on Facebook. Holy shit, he was so explosive that i'm not sure anything would have stopped him.

 

[lightskintwin]

It's an issue with the heavyweight division rather than Wlad. You act like there was a wealth of talent that Wlad was dodging through his whole career. That was not the case at all. There has especially been a an issue with talented American heavyweights for years. Tony Thompson lel. Perhaps look at somebody like Wilder if you want to blame somebody. An absolute embarrassment to the division.

This is a terrible excuse. There are plenty of dominant champions in less talented, weak divisions but nobody questions them because they decimate their opponents like they're supposed to do.

People judge Wladimir on how he looked in his fights against these weaker opponents. Wladimir is in the unique position of typically having almost every physical and skill advantage over most of his opponents by being the bigger, stronger, faster, harder puncher, and more technically skilled fighter and yet he's going life and death with fighters like the smaller, crude Samuel Peter or scared to through a right hand against the smaller, weaker, non threatening Sultan Imbragimov.

For the record, I like Wladimir and believe he was a good ambassador for the sport and respect putting together a Hall of Fame career despite his glass jaw being exposed.

However you have to put things in perspective and judge them accordingly, and Wladimir is the reason why Wladimir isn't as respected as his record suggests he should, and no one else.

 

[BotoxAgent]

Dude seems like a legit nice guy.

 

[Hands of Stone]

The last of disciple of Manny Steward, Wlad (imo) cements his legacy as a top 10 HW of all time.

 

[Always-honest]

He's a good fighter and a nice guy.
But i still have a feeling it was mostly a lack of true talent that made it possible for him to shine.
Sorry. I know i'm doing him short with this comment because he's extremely good.
Still, an amazing career.


Edit: yeah Tyson in his prime was Boxing in its prime.

 

[lightskintwin]

The last of disciple of Manny Steward, Wlad (imo) cements his legacy as a top 10 HW of all time.

See this is nonsense. He's a top 20 at best. The overrating of Wladimir really grinds my gears. LOL

 

[Hands of Stone]

See this is nonsense. He's a top 20 at best. The overrating of Wladimir really grinds my gears. LOL

Gimme your list of 19 better HW's.

 

[lightskintwin]

Gimme your list of 19 better HW's.

I don't have to, I watched most of Wladimir's fights. He's not a top 10 Heavyweight. Like it's so obvious.

 

[Vestal]

Friend posts constantly highlight reels of young Tyson in his prime on Facebook. Holy shit, he was so explosive that i'm not sure anything would have stopped him.

Yeah people don't seem to remember how scary Tyson truly was under Cus.. Once Don King got his paws on him it was all over.

I'd say Prime Tyson is just before the Spinks fight. There are reports that he was not 100% into training for that fight. But he still murdered the fuck out of Spinks.

As far as Wlad is concerned. Mad props to him. He re-invented himself and became a legend in boxing. Sure people call his style boring, but why would he back off a proven method?

 

[Stormhammer]

I don't have to, I watched most of Wladimir's fights. He's not a top 10 Heavyweight. Like it's so obvious.

who be your top 10?

 

[RecRoulette]

I was one of the folks that thought he should've retired earlier, but his fight against Joshua proved me wrong.

Hell of a career.

 

[lightskintwin]

who be your top 10?

Damn, ya'll really going to make me have to go through my rankings and assess my Top 10 heavyweights. LOL

I haven't thought about it in a while now.

 

[cpp_is_king]

He is the opposite of what you thought he was. He is a ridiculously respectful man who rarely even has anything bad to say about his opponents. Idiots call him boring for a reason.

He's probably thinking of Mayweather

 

[CopperPuppy]

See this is nonsense. He's a top 20 at best. The overrating of Wladimir really grinds my gears. LOL

I don't have to, I watched most of Wladimir's fights. He's not a top 10 Heavyweight. Like it's so obvious.

Damn, ya'll really going to make me have to go through my rankings and assess my Top 10 heavyweights. LOL

I haven't thought about it in a while now.

 

[Wallach]

I don't have to, I watched most of Wladimir's fights. He's not a top 10 Heavyweight. Like it's so obvious.

the kind of opinion you have to scrape of the underside of your fuckin' boots

 

[lightskintwin]

the kind of opinion you have to scrape of the underside of your fuckin' boots

No the kind of opinion that has been watching Boxing for over 30 years and have watched most of Wladimir's fights. It's like most of ya'll just look at his record but don't put it in context of his generation and his level of competition, and how he won and lost.

 

[Hands of Stone]

His resume may not be the greatest but his H2H abilities are up there.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Is this the woman beater guy?

Love the classy drive by post.


Good for him, he had an incredible career, hope he's successful in what he does next.