I’m not a big fan of boxing. The blood. The brutality. The sometimes life-changing injuries these athletes suffer. So this is just not a sport I can get into, if you know what I mean.
But, the other day after I had a minor office procedure done, I was home channel surfing and ended up stopping on the HBO documentary of the Klitschko brothers, a pair of Ukranian heavyweight boxers. Both brothers are over 6’7″ and each have a reach of over 80-inches.
Photo Source: Amazon
“A documentary portrait of boxing brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko who between them have held all of the World Heavyweight titles. The sons of a Russian Air Force general, the brothers spent their early years on military bases, before moving to Germany in 1996 where they began their rise to boxing superstardom. Friends and family members offer a revealing insight into the brothers’ lives, charting their political aspirations, their academic achievements, and the effect the Chernobyl disaster had on their family.” (Source: Amazon UK)
There was not a narrator, just interviews with the brothers, their mother and father (who sadly, passed away in 2011), their trainers, as well as other boxers (aka, their opponents), and sports journalists.
Both brothers hold PhDs in Sports Science. Vitali’s nickname is Dr. Ironfist and Wladimir’s is Dr. Steelhammer. I think these nicknames give you an idea of how powerful their punches are. In fact, I read that when Wladimir fought Ray Austin in 2007, that Wladimir never used his right hand, that he only threw left jabs and left hooks. Austin was ultimately knocked out in the second round. Amazing!
Wladimir Klitschko (Photo Source: Optix Agency)
Check out this documentary, as well as their website, Klitschko. The Klitschko brothers jointly run the professional boxing promotion companies “K2 Promotions” and “K2 East Promotions“, as well as the “Klitschko Brothers Fund“, a charity organization. (Source: Wikipedia)
Photo Source: Zimbio
We will never see these two brothers in the ring together, as they both promised their mother that they would not fight against each other. But they are supportive of each other’s fights and training sessions. The oldest, Vitali, has since retired from boxing and is currently serving as the mayor of Kiev, Ukraine. He is married to former model, Natalia Egorova, and together they have three children. The youngest, Wladimir, won a gold metal in the 1996 Olympics and is currently engaged to Nashville star, Hayden Panettiere. Together they have one child.
Have you seen either of these brothers fight? I’m sure it would be an amazing experience to watch either of them in the ring. This documentary may not have changed my mind about the sport as a whole, but these two gentle giants now have my respect and my attention!
Have a great day!
