Wladimir Klitschko

Wladimir Wladimirowitsch Klitschko[a] (Ukrainian: Володимир Володимирович Кличко, born 25 March 1976) is a Ukrainian former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2017. He held the world heavyweight championship twice, including the unified WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and Ring magazine titles. A strategic and intelligent boxer, Klitschko is considered to be one of the best heavyweight champions of all time. He was known for his exceptional knockout power, using a strong jab, straight right hand and left hook, as well as great footwork and mobility, unusual for boxers of his size.

He started boxing at the age of 13. In 1994 he won the title of European Junior Boxing Champion. In 1995 he won a gold medal at the First World Military Games in Italy, and in 1996 - a silver medal at the European Championships. In the same year he achieved the highest result in his amateur career, winning a gold medal at the XXVI Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Volodymyr has won the title of Ukrainian boxing champion five times.

He began his professional career after winning the 96 Olympics, joining his older brother with the German club Universum Box-Promotion. He trained under Fritz Zdunek.

From 2004 to 2012 he trained with the famous American specialist Emanuel Steward. After the latter's death, he trained under the guidance of a pupil of Steward, an active boxer who was 6 years younger than Vladimir himself, Jonathan Banks.