Vitali Klitschko was on the losing end of one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight boxing history.
In his esteemed career, ‘Dr Iron Fist’ cemented his status as one of the best fighters his division has ever seen.
With a formidable boxing IQ and a punishing jab, the gifted practitioner of the sweet science dominated his weight class.
However, while most fell short when they set foot in the ring with the power puncher, despite stepping in on just ten days’ notice, one determined competitor was able to overcome insurmountable odds.
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Vitali Klitschko lost to Chris Byrd after suffering an injury
On April 1, 2000, Vitali Klitschko went to war with Chris Byrd, inside the Estrel Hotel in Berlin, Germany.
Going into the contest, the Ukrainian was expected to destroy his opponent, having won his previous 27 contests by knockout.
However, when he went toe-to-toe with the American, he didn’t just lose his knockout streak, but his undefeated record as well.
In the early portion of the fight, Byrd proved to be an elusive target, making Klitschko miss a considerable number of his shots.
But as the bout progressed, the champion began to control the action, and looked en route to a comfortable victory.
Alas, disaster struck, at the end of round nine, the icon notified his corner that he’d hurt his shoulder, and his team threw in the towel.
Despite having won eight of the nine rounds on one of the judge’s cards and seven rounds with the other two, he’d lost his undefeated record, and Byrd was crowned the new world champion.
It was later revealed that Klitschko had suffered a torn rotator cuff.
Vitali Klitschko lost to Lennox Lewis after sustaining a gruesome injury
After his defeat to Byrd, Klitschko bounced back with a vengeance, winning his next five consecutive fights.
His tremendous run of form earned him a shot at WBC heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.
Like his clash with the American, the Ukrainian was winning the bout, giving the British-Canadian a run for his money with powerful shots.
But once again, things ended in disaster when Klitschko suffered a terrible injury against Lewis, which cost him the fight.