by Christopher Lettera: Wednesday, July 4th. Heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (44-2), Dr. Iron Fist, the first pro boxing champion to earn a Ph.D, a current mayoral candidate in the 2012 Kiev mayoral election, was, along with fellow protesters, sprayed with tear gas in his home city. Vitali, head of Ukraine’s liberal UDAR party, stood against a bill passed by parliament that made Russian rather than Ukrainian the official language in many formal settings in Ukraine. This was not a fight fought for a purse or for a belt but for cultural preservation.
Friday, July 6th.
Vitali resumes training alongside brother champion Wladimir who defends in a rematch with Tony Thompson this weekend. Vitali defends against Manuel Charr on September 8th. Time rolls on in its way. The Brothers Champion continue their dominance. There’s fans.
There’s detractors.
The following question has been posed in various forms in any good boxing discussion or website: is it the Klitschkos’ fault that matchups with prime versions of historic or recent heavyweight greats can only exist in fan imagination or on EA Sports’ “Fight Night”? In Germany, in Ukraine, the Brothers Champion are big draws. From where I’m looking and talking and writing in the American Midwest, fan reaction is politely indifferent, as if the sheer size of Vitali and Wladimir coupled with the lack of a dangerous standout like the Iron Mike of 90s yore renders the results of their fights a foregone conclusion.
Viewed with optimism and an appreciation for master craft, any televised fight involving a Klitschko is an opportunity to enjoy the performances of two brothers who have married their genetic gifts with hard work and hard-earned experience. The Wladmir who fell to fatigue against Lamon Brewster in 2004 no longer exists. The younger of the Klitschkos, long under the tutelage of Emmanuel Steward, has matured over the years into a fighter who consistently displays superb ring generalship, underrated footwork, and the biggest right hand in the sport. Big brother Vitali, now forty – is easily the toughest big man around. When he went to war with Lennox Lewis – when he shrugged off uppercuts that sounded like thunder-cracks against his jaw, when he rallied in spite of a cut that literally left his skull exposed, he proved his mettle beyond any and all necessary measure. That he’s overcome a plethora of injuries and 2005 retirement announcement to re-enter the sport and chop down brave and game guys like Arreola and Adamek is no accident.
Vitali and Wladimir are fighters, yes, but they’re also an era, and through dedicated physical and mental preparation, they’ve earned that status.
As always, “One man’s coffee is another man’s tea. One man’s whiskey . . .” (for the dedicated, there’s this author’s obligatory Springsteen reference). Gatti and Ward the Brothers Champion are stylistically not. What can’t be denied is the lesson that many pros – both stateside and across the pond – can learn from Vitali and Wladimir. Elite level fighters, whether they like it or not, are public figures. Why not publically work such a position for the good of the sport, for the good of those in need?
There’s recent examples both inspiring (Andre Berto walking away from a lucrative fight with Mosley to assist relief efforts in Haiti; middleweight champ Sergio Martinez recording an “It Gets Better” video; Nonito Donaire taking a stand and volunteering for random drug testing) and disappointing (master PR manipulator Mayweather ensuring the 24/7 cameras are turned towards his philanthropy for purposes of image recovery). The Klitschkos’ humanitarian efforts, especially their charitable efforts to improve the lives of children around the world, are not a reflex but a way of life. Both brothers have supported UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) projects in Namibia and Romani to aid underprivileged children. Wladimir auctioned off his Olympic gold medal for one million dollars to benefit “the dreams of thousands of Ukranian children” (the buyer returned the medal out of respect for the Klitschko family). Most recently (as he did in his unification bout with Ibragimov), Wladimir reached out to fans to print their names on his robe and trunks, which would be auctioned for charity. Check out the Klistchko’s Facebook page. They’re interested in a dialogue with their fans. They’re dedicated to, as Wladimir said at his medal auction, “the wellbeing of the people.”
It’s time that the Klitschkos be recognized here in the States for who they in this particular moment: big-hearted warriors with integrity, talented and charitable men who use their long reach in and out of the ring. Klitschko-Thompson II might not be Ali-Frazier III (or even Klitschko-Thompson I), but if actions and not words (I’m looking your way, Chisora and Haye) define athletes and men, these guys are good.
East Side Boxing Universe – what’s your call for Klitschko-Thompson? If the fight has aired prior to your reading here, what’s next for Wlad? For Vitali after Charr? Does it matter what kind of man a fighter is outside the ring or is it only the fight action we tune in for?