Vitali Klitschko retired with just two losses out of 47 fights, and, as his nickname, ‘Dr. Ironfist’ suggests, was responsible for 41 stoppage wins, including one over a man who dared to dream.
Vitali Klitschko lost to Chris Byrd in 2000 after a shoulder injury prevented him from continuing the fight, and lost again in 2003 as a cut meant Klitschko could no longer continue a fight he was winning against Lennox Lewis.
Despite these losses, Klitschko was a formidable force for any heavyweight, including one man who hoped to become Poland’s first heavyweight champion in 2010.
Vitali Klitschko stopped 45-2-1 Albert Sosnowski before calling out boxing’s tallest fighter
In 2008, Klitschko returned from a four-year layoff to defeat Samuel Peter to reclaim his heavyweight world title.
He had three successful defenses, including a win over Kevin Johnson, the man who took Daniel Dubois the distance, before facing Sosnowski.
Sosnowski had lost just once in the past nine years ahead of his fight with Klitschko, and aimed to become the first Polish heavyweight world champion.
Klitschko was too much for Sosnowski, and after punishing pressure, was able to stop him in the tenth round.
He said after the win that he wanted a fight with either David Haye, who would go on to fight his brother Wladimir Klitschko, or Nikolai Valuev, the tallest boxer in history, who stands at seven feet tall.
Klitschko and Valuev, who beat Evander Holyfield, never did come face to face.
Vitali Klitschko beat a British icon using just one hand
In his penultimate fight, Klitschko faced and beat Derek Chisora in a lopsided unanimous decision.
Klitschko suffered a torn ligament in his shoulder in the third round, and was forced to use just his right hand for the majority of the fight.
Dan Rafael of ESPN wrote: “The injury also left him unable to use his best weapon — the jab — with any serious impact. Instead, Klitschko took Chisora apart with right hand after right hand.”
Klitschko had just one more fight after the Chisora win, beating Mahmoud Charr by fourth round stoppage.