Vitali Klitschko will retire at the end of 2010
by Scott Christ on Feb 19, 2010 1:27 AM EST
in Boxing News Analysis
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Vitali Klitschko has announced that 2010 will be his final year as an active boxer, surprising almost nobody who has followed the careers of the Klitschko brothers.
And the WBC heavyweight titlist really only has one fight on his mind: David Haye.
In typical ice-cold Klitschko fashion, Vitali said, "I only have one belt left to win. So this year, I will hang up my boxing gloves. And I’ll stop visiting different cities to beat somebody’s face in."
The only belt in the heavyweight division that isn't controlled by Vitali or his brother Wladimir is the WBA title currently held by David Haye, who faces John Ruiz on April 3. Should Haye beat Ruiz, the money is going to be there to stage Vitali-Haye, especially with the idea that it could be Vitali's final fight. Unless Haye is genuinely afraid to fight Vitali, there's no way he could pass up the money and the chance to retire one of the best heavyweights of the last 20 years.
Vitali (39-2, 37 KO) was recently in negotiations to face Russian giant Nikolai Valuev, but that went sour pretty quickly when the Valuev side (led by Sauerland Event and Don King) felt slighted in the money department and began making pretty outlandish demands meant only to end the negotiations outright.
The Ukrainian -- who turns 39 in July -- fought three times last year, bashing Juan Carlos Gomez and Cristobal Arreola, and winning a nightmarish 12-round decision in an all-time stinker of a heavyweight title fight against the woeful Kevin Johnson in December.
Vitali-Haye could be an enormous fight in London or in Germany, and I think it would even do very well at Madison Square Garden, though obviously it wouldn't draw the same money it would in London or Germany. I hope if Haye beats Ruiz, it happens, because otherwise Vitali will leave the sport fighting guys everyone knows he's going to beat.
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The Klits are great, really. They probably deserve more all time consideration than they do when mentioning greats. With that said, I’m ready to move on. The division desperately needs a more solid title lineage to follow and that just can’t happen if they are both around. If Vitali retires, we can clearly label Wlad as undisputed champ and go from there.
If Vitali retires, we can clearly label Wlad as undisputed champ
I really have no problem calling Wladimir “champion” and calling Vitali “titleholder.” Wladimir was plowing through the contenders while Vitali was out injured for four years.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Feb 19, 2010 1:49 AM EST up reply actions
I do. Vitali was considered the better of the two by the time he stepped out and every time I match them in my head, I can’t see Wlad winning. Yet, as you’ve said, Wlad has done much more recently. We have a two-headed championship in the division.
Yeah, the better of the two when he stepped out, but he stepped out for a substantial period of time and for very legitimate reasons. I’ve been shocked by how effective an old, injury-affected Vitali has been since his comeback though. He hasn’t taken a single “easy” fight, and he’s made all of them look easy.
Two-headed monster is how I look at it, too, I’m just comfortable calling Wlad “champ.” I try to respect the Ring belt more than a lot of people do, though, even though he won it beating Ruslan Chagaev, which is…not exactly Vitali Klitschko.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Feb 19, 2010 1:59 AM EST up reply actions
I’m going to file this one away in the “I will retire” category of boxer comments.
Boxing writer: "Iran, what are you going to do when you retire?"
Iran Barkley: "Rob your house"
I expected last year that this would be Vitali’s final year, especially when he took the Johnson fight so quickly after dispatching Arreola. Actually if he doesn’t retire after this year and it’s not because he fights Haye in early 2011, I’ll be a bit surprised, and no fighter not retiring surprises me.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Feb 19, 2010 2:50 AM EST up reply actions
C'mon man
That can’t be a real quote
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
It probably sounded less Ivan Drago-ish before translation, but I like it the way it is.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Feb 19, 2010 12:26 PM EST up reply actions
As it’s worded, it sounds like he’s beating the same guy’s face in over and over again by following him around to different cities.
If only.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Feb 19, 2010 4:09 PM EST up reply actions
WHAT??
“otherwise Vitali will leave the sport fighting guys everyone knows he’s going to beat”, does that imply that you think Haye has a chance to defeat Vitali? Based on what, the courageous way he engaged and subsequently dismantled Valuev over 12 brutally exciting rounds? Hmm I don’t see anyway,.. short of Dave bringing a large caliber handgun in the ring hidden in his trunks that he will defeat Mr. Vitali Klitschko. I don’t even see him getting IN the ring with VK, better to just let him retire and maybe fight the winner of the box-off between the top two contenders,..maybe he could decapitate one of them. Peace!!
I think that he has the skills to concievably beat
A Klitschko but lacks the correct tactics and approaah.
"Honey i forgot to duck" - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Feb 19, 2010 11:02 AM EST up reply actions
Yes, I think he has a chance to beat Vitali.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Feb 19, 2010 12:25 PM EST up reply actions
I dont think he will beat Ruiz
Making a fight with VK never happen. I do Ruiz fighting VK so there is still a chance for him to get all the belts. Haye wants nothing to do with the Klitschko’s he used them for publicity.
A win over Ruiz and he’s in a much better negotiating spot than he was last year with nothing but a win over Monte Barrett and no belt. Especially now that Vitali has basically said, “I need that fight.”
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Feb 19, 2010 12:44 PM EST up reply actions
Plus, if Klitschko-Valuev has really fallen through
Haye will need to rematch Valuev before he can even get to Klitschko. That would give him three pretty solid wins, and some name recognition in Germany.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
NEGOTATIONS ASIDE
I was speaking of his ability to defeat VK,.. IF you get Haye the ring with a Klitschko, c’mon guys he backed outta Wlads fight and nobody knows why. Pretty much the same thing with Vitali, the man 2 chances to face a Klit and found a way out both times. Ya’ got a shot at a title ya’ may never get again,..and ya’ don’t take it,..for the Worlds Heavyweight Championship, and ya’ don’t take it? Hmmm, I don’t think the man has the confidence that he can win, hell if that was a title winning effort against Valuev,…he is in deep s#it wit Vit. Peace!!
IF you get Haye the ring with a Klitschko, c’mon guys he backed outta Wlads fight and nobody knows why.
He backed out because Setanta went under and there was no money for him to fight Wladimir. He claimed injury, and then Wladimir took the fight with Chagaev instead of waiting for Haye to “get healthy” / land the deal with Sky that he has now.
Pretty much the same thing with Vitali, the man 2 chances to face a Klit and found a way out both times. Ya’ got a shot at a title ya’ may never get again,..and ya’ don’t take it,..for the Worlds Heavyweight Championship, and ya’ don’t take it?
He said the contract to fight Vitali was too heavily sided with the Klitschkos. If he beat one, he had to fight the other, or a rematch, or both, or whatever he claimed. His claim was essentially that if he beat Vitali he would have been locked into fighting Klitschko brothers for the next 18-24 months.
And now he holds a recognized world title (as lame as it is), and is in a much better bargaining position. I’m not saying he for sure will fight either of them, because I have my doubts too, but realistically it’s probably more business than anything.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Feb 19, 2010 2:23 PM EST up reply actions
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