VITALY KLITSCHKO: ?I LOVE MANILA?
By Alex P. Vidal
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 16 Nov 2007
MANILA -- As one of the only few most prominent towering figures both literally and figuratively that graced the 45th World Boxing Council (WBC) World Boxing Convention at the Manila Hotel from Nov. 11-17, comebacking heavyweight champion Vitaly ?Dr. Iron Fist? Klitschko easily got noticed by boxing fans both attending the convention and hotel personnel wherever he went.
As they mobbed him for souvenir shots and autograph signing, the 6 feet and 7 inches behemoth from Ukraine gamely responded with a smile and never showed any sign of irritation or discomfort.
?I love Manila; I love the Philippines,? volunteered the WBC heavyweight king in 2002-2005 when asked of his reaction to the avalanche of requests for autographs and picture-taking.
When he was fitted and awarded a WBC belt as lifetime champion emeritus by President Don Jose Sulaiman Chagnon in the gala night at the Intramuros hosted by the Department of Tourism Nov. 12, the 36-year-old holder PhD doctor of philosophy in Sports Science at the Kyiv University, vowed to pursue his dreams and that of his younger brother, Wladimir, the current IBF and IBO heavyweight champion, to become world champions together at the same time.
?When I was a young boy, I watched Mike Tyson fight and I told myself that someday I will be like him,? said Klitschko who knocked out 34 of his 35 victims since he began terrorizing the heavyweight division in 1996.
Originally a professional kickboxer, Vitaly was a boxer and won the Super Heavyweight Championship at the first World Military Games in Italy in 1995. In the same year, he won the silver medal at the 1995 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Berlin, where he was defeated by Russia's Alexei Lezin in the final. He began his professional boxing career in 1996, winning his first twenty-four fights by either early knockout or technical-knockout (TKO).
He and Wladimir were hot prospects, and signed with the German athlete-promotion company Universum. With both brothers holding Ph.D.s and being multilingual, their charismatic, refined and articulate personalities made for mainstream marketability when they moved to Germany and Universum; in time, they became national celebrities in their adopted home country. In his 25th pro fight, on June 26, 1999, Klitschko won the World Boxing Organization Heavyweight Championship from Herbie Hide (of the UK) via 1st-round KO.
He defended the title twice before losing it on April 1, 2000 to American Chris Byrd; complaining of intense shoulder pain, Vitaly and his corner decided not to continue the fight after the ninth round. Vitaly was ahead on all three judges' scorecards (89-82, and 88-83 twice), but the way he ended this match brought international criticism, and resulted in a reputation at least partially as a quitter.
Top photo: Former world heavyweight champ Vitaly Klitschko of Ukraine (R) poses with the author, Alex Vidal, during the recent WBC Boxing Convention in Manila.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Alex P. Vidal.
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