Former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has been using the mantra, “now more than ever” ahead of his on/off now on again rematch with Tyson Fury. “Obsessed” with getting revenge and of “putting right” the decision loss he suffered last November, the 40-year-old has pointed out on Twitter how he is “vicious” when returning to the ring from a loss.
And Dr. Steel Hammer says he will be vicious on October 29, in his latest comeback.
“I’ve shown in the past that my comebacks are vicious. Watch me do it again October 29. eventim.co.uk#NowMoreThanEver,” Klitschko put out on social media.
Looking at Klitschko’s record, the former king who is 64-4(53) is right when he says he comes back from a defeat in fine style. Suffering his first pro defeat against the rock-chinned Ross Puritty in 1998 when he ran out of gas and was stopped late on, the young Wladimir came back to win his next 16 fights, all but one of them by stoppage. Unfortunately, Klitschko and Puritty never met again, but Wladimir had put the loss firmly behind him.
It was a real surprise when Corrie Sanders came out and stunned Wladimir to a 2nd-round defeat in 2003, this loss having nothing at all to do with the defending WBO champ running out of gas. Sanders simply ran right over Klitschko. Again, though he bounced back from the defeat, Wladimir had no return fight with his conqueror. But after two wins and then a shock defeat at the hands of another fighter who soaked up plenty of punishment before Klitschko wilted, in Lamon Brewster in 2004, Wladimir put together his most dominant run. Now with the great Emanuel Steward training him, Klitschko – who blamed all manner of things for his stoppage loss to Brewster – would not lose for another 11 years.
A brutal revenge win over Brewster (who had had eye surgery and was no longer the same force he had been in fight-one) was followed by ultra-dominant wins over the likes of Tony Thompson, Hasim Rahman, Ruslan Chagaev, Eddie Chambers, Sam Peter, David Haye, Alexander Povetkin and Kubrat Pulev. Klitschko, the world ruler, was at his peak and his three losses were now a distant memory. Many people felt Wladimir would never lose again, making the points defeat to Fury – the first non-stoppage defeat of his career – all the more surprising.
Klitschko has been able to return from a loss before, but he was a much younger fighter in 1998, 2003 and 2004. Can he do it again, as he says he will, at age 40? Repeat or Revenge? Fans and experts seem to be split down the middle as to October 29th’s outcome.