Modern heavyweight great Wladimir Klitschko takes a step closer to the record books when he faces top contender Kubrat Pulev at the O2 World Arena in Hamburg, Germany on Saturday night, the action scheduled to begin at 10 PM (GMT).
Klitschko will make the 22nd defenxe of the world heavyweight title when he takes on the IBF and The Ring Magazine’s No.1 contender Pulev in Hamburg, Germany on Saturday night.
The 38-year old (62-3, 52 KOs), originally from Ukraine but who now lives in the US and is engaged to American TV star Hayden Panattiere, is on target to break the records set by American legend Joe Louis in the 1930s and 40s of 25 title defenses and eleven years as champion. Klitschko reigned as WBO champion from 2000-2003, and began his second and current reign as champion in 2006.
For more than a decade the Klitschko brothers have been the dominant force in heavyweight boxing, but the seeming retirement of older brother Vitali, the former two-time WBC champion and now mayor of Kiev, Wladimir is left holding the family flag and despite his advancing years is still clearly the best heavyweight in the world, and by some considerable distance. A gold medalist in the super heavyweight class at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Klitschko is a superb technical fighter who knows how to maximize the advantages of his 6’7’’ height and 81” reach.
Klitschko has been beaten three times, all by stoppage. After racking up 24-straight wins, Klitschko was sensationally stopped in the 11th round by journeyman Ross Purity in 1998 after running out of gas. His first reign as WBO heavyweight champion ended when he was stopped in two rounds by the late South African puncher Corrie Sanders in 2003, and he was badly beaten in five rounds the following year by big-punching America Lamon Brewster. After the Brewster loss, Wladimir was urged by his brother Vitali to call it a day, and when he refused it resulted in a brief rift between the two.
Klitschko’s recruitment of Hall-of-Fame trainer Emanuel Steward in 2004 would prove to be the making of him, even though he suffered the Brewster loss on Steward’s watch. Steward initially turned Klitschko into a cautious, defensive counterpuncher, and once his confidence had been rebuilt, he became more aggressive, but always behind a tight defense. Klitschko proved his toughness by surviving two knockdowns to defeat an unbeaten Samuel Peter in 2005, and then began his second reign as world champion when he stopped Chris Byrd in seven rounds in 2006.
33-year old Kubrat Pulev (20-0, 11 KOs) theoretically could be the man to end Klitschko’s reign. The powerful Bulgarian is on paper at least as dangerous a challenger as Klitschko has ever faced. A shade under 6’5’’ and a solid 250 lbs. with excellent boxing skills and good power, Pulev takes a great shot as is surprisingly light on his feet for such a big man.
Klitschko will make the 22nd defenxe of the world heavyweight title when he takes on the IBF and The Ring Magazine’s No.1 contender Pulev in Hamburg, Germany on Saturday night.
The 38-year old (62-3, 52 KOs), originally from Ukraine but who now lives in the US and is engaged to American TV star Hayden Panattiere, is on target to break the records set by American legend Joe Louis in the 1930s and 40s of 25 title defenses and eleven years as champion. Klitschko reigned as WBO champion from 2000-2003, and began his second and current reign as champion in 2006.
For more than a decade the Klitschko brothers have been the dominant force in heavyweight boxing, but the seeming retirement of older brother Vitali, the former two-time WBC champion and now mayor of Kiev, Wladimir is left holding the family flag and despite his advancing years is still clearly the best heavyweight in the world, and by some considerable distance. A gold medalist in the super heavyweight class at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Klitschko is a superb technical fighter who knows how to maximize the advantages of his 6’7’’ height and 81” reach.
Klitschko has been beaten three times, all by stoppage. After racking up 24-straight wins, Klitschko was sensationally stopped in the 11th round by journeyman Ross Purity in 1998 after running out of gas. His first reign as WBO heavyweight champion ended when he was stopped in two rounds by the late South African puncher Corrie Sanders in 2003, and he was badly beaten in five rounds the following year by big-punching America Lamon Brewster. After the Brewster loss, Wladimir was urged by his brother Vitali to call it a day, and when he refused it resulted in a brief rift between the two.
Klitschko’s recruitment of Hall-of-Fame trainer Emanuel Steward in 2004 would prove to be the making of him, even though he suffered the Brewster loss on Steward’s watch. Steward initially turned Klitschko into a cautious, defensive counterpuncher, and once his confidence had been rebuilt, he became more aggressive, but always behind a tight defense. Klitschko proved his toughness by surviving two knockdowns to defeat an unbeaten Samuel Peter in 2005, and then began his second reign as world champion when he stopped Chris Byrd in seven rounds in 2006.
33-year old Kubrat Pulev (20-0, 11 KOs) theoretically could be the man to end Klitschko’s reign. The powerful Bulgarian is on paper at least as dangerous a challenger as Klitschko has ever faced. A shade under 6’5’’ and a solid 250 lbs. with excellent boxing skills and good power, Pulev takes a great shot as is surprisingly light on his feet for such a big man.
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