Vitali Klitschko had one of the all-time great heavyweight runs to finish his decorated career.
Finishing his career with 13-straight victories, Klitschko was able to leave the sport of boxing on a high.
As Klitschko suffered his first defeat to Chris Byrd, Lennox Lewis would be the only other man to best the Ukrainian. Retiring with a professional record of 45-2, ‘Dr. Ironfist’ is a modern great.
In one of his most impressive stoppages, he was able to defend his world title in style.
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Vitali Klitschko dominated title challenger Danny Williams in 2004
As Klitschko reclaimed the world heavyweight title in 2004, he looked to make his first defense of the title in his second reign against Danny Williams.
The Englishman Williams was coming off of a knockout win over Mike Tyson as the two met in December 2004 in Las Vegas.
However, fighting for a world title for the first time in his career, Williams would have a brutal outing.
In a completely dominant display, Klitschko would score knockdowns in rounds one, three, seven, and eight against the title challenger. Even in rounds when Williams did not hit the canvas, Klitschko still led the dance between the pair.
The one-sided beating would come to an end in the eighth round. A right hand would send the Englishman to the canvas once again, as the referee waved off the challenger.
The win improved Klitschko’s record to 35-2, as he successfully retained his heavyweight title.
Vitali Klitschko was only taken the distance by four men in his career
Finishing his career with an impressive 45 wins, 41 of his victories came by way of knockout. In his 47 professional fights, Klitschko only heard the final bell on four occasions.
The first time Klitschko was taken the distance was in 2000, as he defeated Timo Hoffman via unanimous decision.
In 2009, Kevin Johnson survived Klitschko’s power in his world title challenge but was bested on points.
Shannon Briggs lost a decision to Klitschko in 2010, as he was unable to use his trademark power to win the bout.
Finally, Derek Chisora would hear the final bell with Klitschko in 2012, in what would be the penultimate outing for ‘Dr. Ironfist.’