By David P. Greisman
Reports from overseas news services this morning state that Vitali Klitschko has announced his retirement at the age of thirty-four.
In a statement released by manager Bernd Boente, Klitschko lamented that his recent injuries have outnumbered his opponents, and thus he has made the tough decision to end his career and open the way for successors.
Klitschko had not fought since December of last year, his 2005 beset by a series of injuries that delayed a mandatory title defense against Hasim Rahman four different times.
Originally scheduled to face Rahman in April, that date was pushed back to June due to a thigh injury, to July when rehabilitation had not progressed as expected, and then to November because of back surgery.
The Nov. 12 Klitschko-Rahman pay-per-view, titled “Seek and Destroy,” was canceled this past weekend, with the Ukrainian beltholder suffering from a torn meniscus.
During the summer, Rahman’s promoter Don King successfully lobbied the World Boxing Council (WBC) to have an August bout between Rahman and Monte Barrett contested for the sanctioning body’s interim title. Rahman outpointed Barrett for a unanimous twelve-round decision.
Details are yet to be fleshed out, but it appears that Klitschko’s retirement makes Rahman a heavyweight champion for the second time, the first coming in 2001 when the Baltimore native upset Lennox Lewis. Later that year, Lewis would avenge his knockout loss to Rahman with one punch, resuming his throne until his retirement in 2003.
Coincidentally, Klitschko received his shot at the WBC heavyweight title – the belt that he will now abdicate – through Lewis’ retirement.
Klitschko lost a sixth round technical decision to Lewis in June 2003 when the ringside physician stopped the fight on cuts.
Although Klitschko received the loss, he garnered massive fan support with his valiant effort and desire to continue despite disfiguring injury. He had demonstrated an inclination contrary to his quitting against Chris Byrd in 2000, when he cited a shoulder injury and retired from the fight despite his owning a decisive lead on all three scorecards.
In December 2003, Klitschko knocked out Kirk Johnson in less than two rounds, but his calls for a rematch with Lewis were left unanswered when the London native called it a career.
Four months later, Klitschko put Corrie Sanders away in eight rounds to gain the vacated WBC championship, simultaneously earning revenge for younger brother Wladimir’s loss to the South African southpaw a year prior.
Klitschko retained the belt last December with a voluntary defense victory over Danny Williams, like the Sanders fight an eighth-round technical knockout.
Klitschko retires with a record of 35 wins and 2 losses, 34 of his victories coming by way of knockout.
