World Boxing Champion, two brothers from Ukraine: Who are Vitali and Vladimir Klitschko?

The elder Vitali, the younger Vladimir…

Two Ukrainian brothers…

Both are former world heavyweight boxing champions.

They stormed the rings between 2005-2015.

This 10-year period in world professional boxing is named after them as the "Klitschko era".

Their father, Vladimir Rodinovich Klitschko, was a helicopter pilot officer in the Red Army. He served in different parts of the vast Soviet geography. Therefore, Vitali, 1971 Kyrgyzstan; Vladimir was born in 1976 in Kazakhstan.

They started boxing at a young age as per the Soviet state policy, where every child was directed to a sport branch according to their ability at the beginning of school age. When successes came one after another and it became clear that they would become boxers, their mother Nadejda confronted her two sons and stipulated:

“You will never fight each other!”

Both Vitali and Vladimir remained true to this maternal wish, never hitting each other in the ring. On the contrary, while one was playing a match, the other was his assistant coach, he wiped his brother's sweat with a towel and made him drink water with his hands.

“Vitali President” has never been overthrown

Vitali Vladimirovich became the first Klitschko to wear the championship belt around his waist. He was a giant fighter with a height of 2.01. Of his 47 professional matches, he won 45 (41 by knockout). The reason for losing in the two games he lost was injury. While he was leading both times by points, he was declared defeated because he could not continue due to a shoulder injury to one and an open eyebrow to the other.

It has been talked about for years how he lost the match in which he smashed the English champion, Lennox Lewis, in 2003. As Lewis, who was on the verge of knockout, accidentally opened his eyebrow, he left the match in the 6th round with a doctor's decision. After this fight, which he won with his luck, Lewis quit boxing without confronting Vitali again and avoided losing the belt in the rematch.

His devotion to his brother was valid not only in the family environment but also in the ring. He avenged his brother by knocking out Ross Prutty and Corrie Sanders, who defeated the younger Vladimir by knockout.

He was one of the rare boxers who hadn't had a grog (i.e. didn't fall and count against the referee) during his professional boxing career.

In 2013, he ended his active sports life as a person who gained the respect of the whole world.

Besides being a fierce boxer, Vitali was a good intellectual...

Like every Ukrainian who lived in the Soviet Union, he spoke English and German in addition to the Russian he knew.

He had a doctorate. He was involved in the politics of the country.

As one of the important actors of the nationalist wind in Ukraine, which was experiencing the pains of post-independence, he dragged the crowds into the rallies and demonstrations. It was no surprise, therefore, that he was elected mayor of Kyiv. He was able to protect his title in politics as well as in the ring. He won the mayorship for the second time and is still in office.

Little Klitschko made history

Vladimir Vladimirovich was no less than his brother in the professional boxing arena, which he left shortly after. Vitali held the World Boxing Council (WBC) title until his retirement, while Vladimir remained the champion of other major organizations (WBA, WBO, IBF) for many years. In fact, he made history as the second boxer to hold the heavyweight boxing title for the longest time.

Like his older brother, he speaks Ukrainian and Russian, as well as English and German. He studied pedagogy at the university, and got his master's degree. He has a Ph.D. in sports sciences. Again, like his older brother, he is among the richest Ukrainian athletes with millions of dollars he earned in professional boxing. Together, the two gained recognition by spearheading many global aid campaigns.

Vladimir also reacted early to the Russia-Ukraine crisis. He returned from the United States in early February, when Putin threatened his country, before the war even started, and immediately joined the reserve army.

All for the resistance

Vitali and Vladimir are putting their popularity in the ring to the service of their country in these difficult days of Ukraine. At the beginning of the war, they took the first step online to announce the aggression of Russia and to get the support of the world. A video they shot together was watched millions of times in Europe and the USA and made a great impression.

As a responsible official, Vitali spends a lot of time on the defense of the capital Kyiv and the evacuation of civilians. His statements accusing Russia are also of great interest. Vladimir is not sitting idle either. Military units tour and boost morale, and photos of the Ukrainian people in uniform are published in order to revive the spirit of resistance.

They started others followed

Whether it was inspired by the Klitschko brothers or not, some other famous names raised by Ukraine began to follow them.

Vasiliy Lomackenko, a 34-year-old boxer who won the world championship in three different categories, announced on social media that he had joined the Ukrainian army with a photograph of himself in a military uniform.

Oleksandr Usyk, the world champion, who also distinguished himself as one of the most successful boxers of recent years, also announced that he joined the armed resistance.

Participation in the Ukrainian army from other sports branches came one after the other. Karpaty Lviv football player Vitalii Sapylo, 21, and top scorer Dmytro Marynenko, 25, from Gostomel, were the football world's first casualties in the war. While Sapylo was fighting in the ranks of the army, Marynenko was killed along with his mother during the bombing of his home, while his sister was badly injured.

Yevgeny Malyshev, one of the promising names of the biathlon sport, also fell victim to the bombs that fell on Kharkiv.

We read the statements of many athletes that they will boycott Russia on the field, even if they do not take up arms.

Controversial relationship with neo-Nazis

The incident of the Klichko brothers, who lit the first spark for the athletes to come to the aid of their country, has serious similarities with the general situation of Ukraine. Nationalism and patriotism go hand in hand with westernism and Euro-US admiration. Vitali and Vladimir are people who love their country very much, on the one hand, and on the other, move their wealth and their entire lives to the USA, in a way that contradicts their patriotism and nationalism. These criticisms of ordinary Ukrainians towards the two brothers are now being crushed by nationalist rhetoric, but some facts do not change.

Vitali lives in Ukraine due to his duty, but he also has a foot in Europe and the USA, like his money. Vladimir has already been living with his family in the USA for many years. Both of their children are US citizens. The luxurious habits of their wives, who look like they came out of fashion magazines, are getting on the nerves of the poor Ukrainian people.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali's relationship with neo-Nazi groups, which Putin counted among his reasons for the Ukraine attack, is a well-known issue. No one claims to be a member of them, but he did not hide his support for the fascist Azov, who has made a solid home in Ukrainian nationalism. His relationship with paramilitary groups is soft and the most discussed aspect…

https://klitschko.com/en