In a world where endless possibilities seem to be the only permanent thing, former Ukrainian professional boxer turned politician, Vitali Klitschko – aka Dr. Ironfist puts faith in the given. He first came into contact with politics in 2005 while still active in the ring and finally retired in 2013. He is a former leader of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc and a former member of the Ukrainian Parliament. Klitschko is currently mayor of Kyiv.
He is ranked among the greatest heavyweight fighters of all time, known for having exceptional dominance in the ring. The three-time world heavyweight champion has had a record 15 title fights and is the only heavyweight boxer to have reigned as world champion in three different decades. He also has an undefeated record which adds to his resume as the second reigning WBC heavyweight champion of all time. In 2016 he was named The Eternal World Heavyweight Champion by the WBC.
Vitali Klitschko Bio (Age)
Born Vitali Volodymyrovych Klitschko on July 19, 1971, he is one of two children fathered by his parents, a father who was an air force major general for the Soviet and a mother who was a homemaker. His birthplace was a city known as Belovodskoye, Kyrgyz SSR, but now called Kyrgyzstan.
Vitali attended Pereiaslav-Khmelnytsky Pedagogical Institute from where he went to Taras Shevchenko National University. He also attended the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine where he obtained his doctorate in sports sciences.
He first ventured into the boxing arena in the 1990s and dominated as an undefeated champion in a short time, along with his younger brother. Klitschko recorded 34-2 with 22 knockouts as an amateur kickboxer and was also a two-time kickboxing world champion. Moreover, he won the championship four times as a professional. In 1995, he won the super heavyweight gold medal at the World Military Championships in Ariccia, Italy, and broke an amateur boxing record of 195 wins with just 15 losses.
Klitschko turned pro in 1996 and went on to win his first 24 fights by knockout. He also put pen to paper in a deal with German athlete promotion company Universum alongside his brother, who also turned pro the same year after a gold medal win at the Atlanta Olympics. In line with fan expectations, he won his 25th fight against British boxer Herbie Hide, winning the WBO Heavyweight title which he successfully defended twice before suffering his first loss to American Chris Byrd in April. 2000.
Although recorded as his first loss, VitaliKlitschko actually threw in the towel after suffering a serious shoulder injury in the ninth round. However, he made up for the loss by recording five wins in a row, in turn earning a shot against WBC heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, although Lewis won by technical knockout. He faced Corrie Sanders in a fight where he won the WBC and The Ring heavyweight titles dropped by Lewis when he retired in 2004 and then Danny Williams. In November 2005, Vitali retired from professional boxing, relinquishing his WBC title. “Champion Emeritus” status was conferred on him with the assurance that if and when he decided to return, he would become the mandatory challenger.
He returned in 2008 and reclaimed his title by fighting reigning champion Nigerian boxer Samuel Peters in October at O2 World, Berlin. With the win, he joined the few men to ever hold a three-time version of the World Heavyweight Championship: WBO (1999-2000), WBC (2004-2005) and WBC (2008-2012). He then faced many other important fighters of his era and successfully defended his title for 9 consecutive times.
He defended his title at age 40, joining George Foreman as the only heavyweight boxer in history to defend a world title after turning 40. Vitali Klitschko finally ended his career in December 2013 and turned entirely to politics. He was announced champion emeritus upon his retirement. Klitschko set a record 45 wins in 47 fights, 41 of which were by knockout. The only two losses in his career were to a shoulder injury and a deep cut above his eye and in both cases it was recorded as stoppages rather than knockouts and he was also at the top of the judges’ scorecards.
political rally
From 2004 he became a playerUkrainian political sphere, first as a supporter of the candidacy of Viktor Yushchenko together with his brother. Then, in 2006, he placed second in the race for mayor of Kyiv and founded the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform (UDAR) in 2010. Two years later, he was elected to Parliament as a party flag. He is now mayor of Kyiv after winning elections on May 25, 2014, and was re-elected on November 15, 2015, under the Petro Poroshenko Bloc after his party merged with the former. Moreover, he was the leader of the Bloc and has been the head of the Kyiv City State Administration since June 2014.
His net worth
Vitali Klitschko is not only a successful boxer only by records and fight victories, his net worth also reflects the fact. His fortune is estimated at $80 million, ranking him among the richest boxers in the world.
His brother, his wife
Klitschko’s younger brother, Wladimir Klitschko is also a famous boxer. He held the WBC, WBO, IBF and WBA titles with a record of 64 wins out of 69 fights, 53 of which were by knockout. The brothers dominated heavyweight boxing for nearly a decade (2006-2015), a period dubbed the division’s Klitschko Era
Vitali Klitschko is married to former athlete and model Natalia Egorova. They have been husband and wife since 1996 and share three children; Yegor-Daniel, Elizabeth-Victoria and Max.
Vitali Klitschko Height
Standing at 2.01 meters (6 feet 7 inches), Klitschko weighs 112 kg or 247 pounds. He adopts an orthodox stance and has a reach that measures 203 cm (80 inches), as well as a very strong chin.
