Vitali Klitschko Vacates Belt To Focus On Politics

Former heavyweight titlist Vitali Klitschko is saying “nee” to Boxing and “tak” to politics–that’s Ukrainian for “no” and “yes”, respectively. According to the Associated Press, the 42-year-old WBC heavyweight titlist vacated his title this week to focus on being an opposition leader in his native Ukraine.

It’s a turbulent time for Ukrainian politics; President Viktor Yanukovych has signaled that he would prefer to strengthen ties with Russia instead of the European Union. Ukrainian citizens who oppose Yanukovych’s decision have been protesting 24 hours a day, despite freezing weather. Klitschko, a lawmaker and chair of opposition party Udar has rallied others to push for democracy while he angles for Yanukovych’s job.

In case politics doesn’t work out, Klitschko’s status as a WBC Champion Emeritus provides an opportunity to return to the Sweet Science with his alphabet title waiting. Whether he would do so is in serious doubt; Klitschko is 42 and has shoulder problems, in addition to the knee injury that forced him to retire from 2005-07.[[MORE]]

According to the WBC, Bermane Stiverne and Chris Arreola will fight a rematch for the title, which of course means nothing. The real heavyweight champ is Vitali’s brother Wladimir, who secured his heavyweight crown by defeating top challenger Alexander Povetkin this year in a depressing reminder of how far heavyweight boxing has fallen.

Vitali had previously fallen out of the Transnational Boxing Ranking Board heavyweight top-ten due to inactivity, the only rankings that matter. Should he ever return, he will likely be slotted somewhere among the top contenders, assuming his form has fallen too far. Even if he doesn’t return, Vitali is a Hall of Famer and one of the finest heavyweights of the post-Holyfield/Bowe/Tyson era. Aside from Lennox Lewis, he can lay claim to being the sport’s finest big man in the 21st century, with only his brother giving serious competition.

If Lewis had given Vitali a rematch instead of retiring, we might be describing Dr. Ironfist as the greatest heavyweight since Larry Holmes. But all of this is trivial compared to the struggle facing Klitschko’s homeland right now, which is what makes his decision all the more admirable, and understandable. Whatever he does, it seems clear that Vitali Klitschko will remain a formidable contender.