Ukrainian Boxing Legend Turns Billionaire Politician Braces for Battle with Russia, Years after Defeating Nigerian World Champion

Dipo Kehinde/

When the name Vitali Klitschko is mentioned, most Nigerians will remember the WBC heavyweight boxing champion with a Ph.D. who came back from retirement to snatch the world title from ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ – Samuel Peter on October 11, 2008.  

Known as ‘Dr. Ironfist’ (a reference to his knockout power and his Ph.D.), 50-year-old Vitali Klitschko, who is worth $80million (N44.8Billion) is the Mayor of Ukraine’s capital city – Kyiv, and he is ready to fight again.

This time, the gloves are off. Klitschko has taken up arms and he is heading for the battlefield to stop Russia’s invasion of his country – Ukraine.

Satellite pictures have shown a Russian convoy stretching over 40miles (64 kilometers) on the way to Kyiv for a decisive battle.

Klitschko, who said he was ready to die for his country, announced yesterday that the city is holding out with food and supplies, but the humanitarian catastrophe is worsening as “the infrastructure is destroyed to deliver food and medication”.

He was beaming with pride as his city survives six days of the Russian onslaught.

Klitschko became a heavyweight world champion in 1999 but famously lost to Lennox Lewis in Los Angeles in 2003, one of only two defeats. Despite a long career spanning three decades, he was never knocked down.

Klitschko had graduated from the Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky Pedagogical Institute. In 2000, he presented his doctoral thesis on “talent and sponsorship in sports” and earned his Ph.D. in Sports Science.

Watch Klitschko’s historic fight with Nigeria’s legendary boxer and police officer, Samuel Peter:

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