On This Day In Boxing History

1971: Vitali Klitschko Was Born!

Vitali Klitschko  

Born: July 19th, 1971

Birth Name: Vitali Volodymyrovych Klychko

Birth Place: Belovodskoye, Kyrgyzstan

Nationality: Ukrainian

Residence: Kiev, Ukraine

Pro-Debut: November 16th, 1996

Alias: Dr. Ironfist

Division: Heavyweight

Stance: Orthodox

Height: 6′ 7″  

Reach: 79″  

Record: 45-2, 41Ko’s         

Bouts: 47

Rounds: 235

Ko’s: 87%

Career

Klitschko won 195 of 210 amateur bouts.

1994: Ukrainian Super Heavyweight representative at the World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand.

Super Heavyweight Silver Medalist at the Military World Championships in Tunis, Tunisia.

1995: Super Heavyweight Silver Medalist at the World Championships in Berlin, Germany

Super Heavyweight Gold Medalist at the Military World Championships in Ariccia, Italy

Doping Suspension

Klitschko tested positive for a banned substance in 1996, received a two-year suspension and was thrown off the Ukrainian boxing team for the Atlanta Olympics. He had planned to box at super heavyweight while his younger brother, Wladimir Klitschko, planned to compete as a heavyweight. Wladimir, who was struggling to make weight, took over the super heavyweight slot and went on to win the gold medal.

Klitschko revealed in his 2004 autobiography that he turned to steroids after aggravating an old leg injury he had sustained in a kickboxing tournament. He said he went to a Ukrainian doctor who gave him something that would heal it, but he didn't check the doping list.

WBO Heavyweight Champion

1999 Jun 26 – 2000 Apr 1 

WBC Heavyweight Champion

2004 Apr 24 – 2005 Nov 9

WBC Heavyweight Champion

2008 Oct 11 – 2013 Dec 16

International Boxing Hall of Fame – Class of 2018

July 19th

1919: Georges Carpentier KO8 Dick Smith.

1940: Tony Zale KO13 Al Hostak

1958: Azumah Nelson Was Born in Accra, Ghana

1967: Joe Frazier TKO4 George Chuvalo

1971: Vitali Klitschko born in Belovodskoye, Kirghiz SSR, Soviet Union

1972 Muhammad Ali KO11 Al Lewis.      

1981: Hwan Jin Kim KO13 Pedro Flores

1986: Tim Witherspoon KO11 Frank Bruno

Paul Hodkinson debuts KO2 Mark Champney

1987: Jose Luis Ramirez W12 Terrence Alli

Seung Hoon Lee KO5 Leon Collins

1990: Robert Daniels W12 Craig Bodzianowski

Lindell Holmes KO 9 Carl Sullivan

1991: Mike Tyson is accused of the rape of Desiree Washington, in an Indianapolis, Indiana, hotel room. February 1992, Tyson was convicted received a six-year sentence.

1997: Willam Guthrie KO3 Darrin Allen

Tim Austin KO8 Mbulelo Botile

Frankie Liles W12 Zafarou Ballogou

Naseem Hamed TKO2 Juan Gerardo Cabrera

2002: Juan Lazcano TKO5 Benito Rodriguez

2006: Sarah Goodson W8 Sandra Ortiz

Ryoichi Taguchi debuts TKO1 Tomohiro Seo

2013: Yesica Yolanda Bopp W10 Anastasia Toktaulova

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai TKO2 Joan Imperial

2014: Guillermo Rigondeaux KO1 Anusorn Yotjan

2025: Oleksandr Usyk KO5/12 Daniel Dubois

Lawrence Okolie W10 Kevin Lerena

Sebastian Fundora RTD7/12 Tim Tszyu

Mario Barrios DMD12 Manny Pacquiao

Brandon Figueroa W12 Joet Gonzalez