Saying goodbye to a truly class act
Goodbye to one of the classiest champions of them all
HEAVYWEIGHTS who endure the kind of hammerings that Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster delivered to Wladimir Klitschko at the start of the century have no business going on to become Wladimir Klitschko.
While the Ukrainian didn’t walk away after those retched stoppages, despite advice from his brother to do exactly that, the form that followed – the 11-year unbeaten run and the unforgettable war with Anthony Joshua – should be regarded as one of the finest comebacks in boxing history. It is rare in this modern age, where losses decorate records like nails in a coffin, for a fighter – particularly a heavyweight – to be reborn so magnificently.
Following the Brewster defeat, our front page hollered ‘Broken Man’ alongside an image of Klitschko on all fours: bloodied, beaten and indeed completely broken – or so it appeared. Wladimir used the damning message as motivation to undertake the mother of all rebuilds; the success of which should be contributed to Klitschko’s astonishing strength of mind, and that it also goes down as some of legendary and muchmissed trainer Emanuel Steward’s finest work, speaks volumes for the heights scaled. One could imagine Steward looking down and nodding in approval last week as Klitschko, amid reported negotiations for a return with Joshua, announced his retirement at exactly the right time. While the prospect of a sequel was appealing enough, the likelihood of revenge was minimal for a 41-year-old who gave all he had and then some at Wembley Stadium in April. Going back to the mill, particularly at his age, would have done nothing for his chances of avoiding the hangover that affects so many ex-fighters later in life.
Despite promoter Eddie Hearn indicating that a rematch was nigh, the Ukrainian made no such noise. He spoke about the agony of defeat being eased by contentment that he had, at last, achieved widespread acceptance. No excuses were given – only praise offered to his conqueror. Which is another reason why the timing of Klitschko’s goodbye couldn’t have been better.
When a great fighter retires on the back of a stoppage reverse, it is nearly always a sad exhibition of ageing. That he lost – when for periods victory was his – evidenced deterioration, but there was no sadness; in fact, it was glory all around. The slugfest with Joshua allowed Klitschko to finally put an end to accusations that he couldn’t take a punch or engage in war. Exposing the warrior within was essential for his legacy and for him to truly retire a happy man. And his performance also allows Joshua to welcome a new era without accusations of merely defeating an old man, accusations that blighted Rocky Marciano and Larry Holmes after they thrashed the bare remnants of Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali respectively.
At his peak, Klitschko was unbeatable among his peers and, regardless of the quality of his rivals, very few fighters in history can boast that. After all, the only unquestionable barometer for a boxer’s standing is how they fared in their own time. No he wasn’t often exciting, yet he won at a canter almost every time, nor was he flawless, and America disliked him, poking fun at his style – hurt, perhaps, that the king of the heavyweight division was not one of them. Klitschko didn’t seem to mind, the only language he really cared about was winning; and aside from Floyd Mayweather, no other fighter in his generation was as fluent in it.
Through it all, he behaved impeccably outside the ring at a time when bad taste oozed from the mouths of his contemporaries and reminded his rivals – most famously David Haye – that the boxing ring is the most sensible place to talk. History will be kind to him and so it should; Wladimir Klitschko, the so-called flawed robotic giant, became Wladimir Klitschko, one of the classiest and most intelligent heavyweight champs of them all. Perhaps the biggest compliment to be paid is that so many boxing fans who only a few years ago wished he would just go away, missed him the moment he confirmed he was gone.