Injured Klitschko gives no thought to retiring

FORMER world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko says he is not contemplating retirement despite having seen three title bouts fall through this year.

“I’ve never thought about stopping, not once, after the defeat and losing my belts,” Klitschko, who lost his IBF, WBO and WBA titles to Tyson Fury last November, told German daily Bild. “As long as I can perform in the ring, am fit and motivated, I’ll keep going.

“I want to box in March or April against IBF world champion Anthony Joshua. That’ll be the biggest heavyweight fight for years and hopefully it’ll be for three titles.”

Hamburg-based Klitschko, who turns 41 next March, has endured a frustrating 2016.

His rematch aga inst Fur y had been set for July 9, only for an injur y to force t he Briti sh f ig hter out . Fu r y t hen pul led out of a second bout scheduled for t his Saturday as he batt les depression.

Earlier this month, Fury’s licence to box was suspended by the British Boxing Board of Control.

Fury has vacated the World Boxing Organisation ( WBO) and World Boxing Association ( WBA) titles he still held to focus on his recovery.

K l itsch ko had pla nned to fight on December 10 against Joshua, who holds the Internat iona l Box i ng Federat ion (IBF) belt, but both camps say t hat t he f ig ht wi l l now not ta ke place.

The Ukrainian has picked up a calf injury and the WBA has not confirmed whether the vacant belt would be on the line.

But Klitschko should meet British star Joshua in March or April next year.

“[The ca lf injur y] isn’t t he reason why I won’t fight again t his year,” Klitschko said.

His manager Bernd Boente sa id t hey were si mply r un- ni ng out of t i me to get t he Joshua fight set up for December 10.

“For the planned date, we’re simply out of t ime,” Boente said. “Fight contracts would have to be negotiated, tickets sold a nd t he T V pa r t ner s needed to publicise t he f ight accordingly.”

But Klitschko remains determined to fight again. “There will be a couple of big, spectacular fights with me in the ring,” he said.