W. KLITSCHKO ENDS CHAMPION BOXING CAREER

Former heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko announced his retirement from boxing Thursday. The decision ends an era when the Klitschko name alone could guarantee one of the biggest fights of the year. At their peak, Klitschko and his brother Vitali held all the major heavyweight titles between them. Klitschko, who retired with a 64-5 record, lost his titles to Ty-

son Fury in 2015 and failed to regain the WBA and IBF belts in April, when Anthony Joshua beat him by an 11th-round technical knockout. An amateur star in his youth, Klitschko turned pro in 1996 after he won the Olympic gold in Atlanta. He never fought his brother, saying that would break a promise to their mother.