Klitschko brothers

Wladimir (left) and Vitali (right) with every title in the heavyweight division, which they held from 2 July 2011 to 15 December 2013

Vitali Klitschko (born 19 July 1971) and Wladimir Klitschko (born 25 March 1976), known as the Klitschko Brothers, are Ukrainian former professional boxers. During their peak years between 2004 and 2015, they were considered the dominant world heavyweight champions of their era, and among the most successful champions in boxing history.[1][2] In 2011, they entered the Guinness World Records book as brothers with most world heavyweight title fight wins (30 at the time; 40 as of 2020).[3][4][5] In the years following the retirement of heavyweight titlist Lennox Lewis in 2004, the Klitschko brothers would eventually accumulate all four major world heavyweight titles.[2][6] Known for their exceptionally large physiques, speed, and punching power, they each developed a style that utilized their athleticism and arm reach to break down opponents.

In 2013, Vitali retired from boxing, relinquishing the WBC world title, and became a politician in his native Ukraine.[7] Wladimir continued to successfully defend the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring magazine titles until he was defeated by Tyson Fury in 2015.[8]

Both brothers hold doctorates in sports science.[9]

  1. ^ Mather, Victor (22 April 2015). "In This Corner, a Dominant Heavyweight Who Creates Much Less Buzz". The New York Times.
  2. ^ a b "The Klitschkos: Heavyweight boxing's brothers of destruction". 22 September 2015. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  3. ^ "Most boxing heavyweight world title fights won by brothers". Guinness World Records. 2 July 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Boxing legends Oscar De La Hoya Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather snag Guinness World Records at WBC convention". 12 December 2011.
  5. ^ "Klitschko brothers included in Guinness World Records". 2 October 2018.
  6. ^ "This Photo Explains Everything You Need to Know About The Heavyweight Division In Boxing". Business Insider.
  7. ^ "Vitali Klitschko: Ukraine's economic future". www.aljazeera.com.
  8. ^ Lutz, Tom (28 November 2015). "Tyson Fury beats Wladimir Klitschko: world heavyweight boxing – as it happened". The Guardian – via www.theguardian.com.
  9. ^ Mayorquin, Orlando. "What to know about Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, boxing champs fighting for Ukraine vs. Russia". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-02-19.