‘Dr. Ironfist’ can easily be considered one of the greatest modern heavyweights of boxing as he was nothing short of dominant in his career.
With a final career tally of 45-2, Vitali Klitschko has only lost to Lennox Lewis and Chris Byrd. Among his wins, 41 came by way of knockout.
The three-time heavyweight champion boasts wins over the likes of Derek Chisora, Shannon Briggs, and Corrie Sanders. However, one of his most impressive performances came in 2009.
Vitali Klitschko easily disposed of Chris Arreola in 2009
In his third reign as a world heavyweight champion, Klitschko claimed the WBC title from Samuel Peter in October 2008. Defending the title for the first time against Juan Carlos Gomez the following March, the Ukrainian now had a 38-2 record.
For his 41st professional fight, Klitschko would have his champion status challenged by Chris Arreola in September 2009. With a 27-0 record, the American was set to be one of Klitschko’s biggest tests.
Among his 27 wins, all but one came by way of knockout as Arreola proved himself to be a knockout machine. However, it was not to be for ‘The Nightmare’ against Klitschko.
With no real moments of success, Arreola was shown by Klitschko that he was not on his level as they met in Los Angeles. Keeping Arreola at a distance, Klitschko also appeared to be the sharper and more accurate fighter, outstriking the American.
Landing straight punches at will, Arreola wore significant damage on his face. After 10 completed rounds, the corner of Arreola had seen enough, as they stopped the fight.
Klitschko’s clinic against Arreola improved his record to 38-2, as the title challenger suffered his first loss.
Arreola would end his career with a professional record of 39-7-1. Among his notable losses are Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz.
Vitali Klitschko won the final seven fights of his career after Arreola victory
Klitschko would compete for another three years following his impressive win over Arreola. In this period, the Ukrainian fought seven times.
Among these seven wins, three victories came via the judges’ scorecards. These results account for 75% of the decision victories in Klitschko’s career.
The men who were able to take Klitschko the distance were Chisora, Briggs, and Kevin Johnson.
For his final career outing, Klitschko faced Mahmoud Charr (21-0), whom he defeated via fourth-round stoppage.