Wladimir Klitschko Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics

Wladimir Klitschko is a Ukrainian former professional boxer who used to compete from 1996 to 2017. He has held several titles such as WBA (Super), IBF, IBO, and WBO. He is best known for his exceptional knockout power, using a strong jab, quick hand speed, and straight right hand and left hook. He has participated in a variety of tournaments such as Copenhagen Cup, World Military Championship, Strandzha Cup, World Championship, and many more. In 2021, Wladimir was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Born Name

Wladimir Wladimirowitsch Klitschko

Nick Name

Steel Hammer, Dr. Wladimir

Sun Sign

Aries

Born Place

Semipalatinsk (now Semey), Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union (now Kazakhstan)

Residence

Hamburg, Germany

Nationality

Education

Wladimir went to the Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky Pedagogical Institute from where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts/Science degree.

He later received a doctorate degree from Kiev State University.

Occupation

Former professional boxer

Family

• Father – Vladimir Rodionovich Klitschko (Military attaché of Ukraine in Germany and former Soviet Air Force major general)
• Mother – Nadezhda Ulyanovna
• Siblings – Vitali Klitschko (Older Brother) (Ukrainian Politician, former professional boxer, and Mayor of Kiev)
• Others – Rodion Klitschko (Paternal Grandfather), Tamara Efimovna Etinzon (Paternal Grandmother)

Manager

Wladimir is represented by Hamburg-based Klitschko Management Group GmbH.

Build

Athletic

Height

6 ft 5½ in or 197 cm

Weight

109 kg or 240 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Wladimir has dated –

1. Aleksandra (1996-1998) – Wladimir got married to a woman named Aleksandra in 1996. However, their marriage didn’t last long as they separated in 1998. Due to his inclination to speak little about his first marriage to media, the reason for their separation isn’t known, neither are other details about their relationship. However, it has been claimed that by the time, they got married, Aleksandra who was a year older than her husband was already pregnant with another man’s child.
2. Marina Hernandez – Towards the end of 1999, he had started going out with private airline pilot Marina Hernandez. In 2000, they were reported to be living out together in Hamburg.
3. Diana Kovalchuk (2000-2002) – Wladimir started dating Ukrainian model, Diana Kovalchuk in 2000. They were spotted together on numerous occasions including boarding flights as part of his around the globe lifestyle. He was also spotted spending time with her in New York City, where she is based. They decided to go separate ways in 2002.
4. Yvonne Catterfeld (2007) – Klitschko is reported to have dated German singer and actress Yvonne Catterfeld in 2007. They were spotted getting cozy and close on a couple of occasions by the German press.
5. Karolina Kurkova (2008) – Wladimir first met Czech model Karolina Kurkova at a New York Rangers game at Madison Square Garden. However, the things didn’t heat up between them until they worked together for a Vanity Fair photo shoot. It was also claimed that he had taken her as his date for Power Child Gala and she had joined him for Oktoberfest celebration as well.
6. Lucy Liu (2008) – According to reports, Wladimir was drawn towards actress Lucy Liu due to their mutual love of art. He had bought one of her paintings for €20,000 at an art exhibition held in Munich. He had claimed that looking at her artwork was like getting a mental massage.
7. Alena Gerber (2008-2009) – Wladimir started going out with German model and actress Alena Gerber towards the end of 2008. However, about a year later, she was left heartbroken as the world heavyweight champion had turned his attention to actress Hayden Panettiere.
8. Hayden Panettiere (2009-2011; 2013-2018) – As per the American media, he met actress Hayden Panettiere at a party hosted by a mutual acquaintance. Whereas, the German media claimed that they had met in September 2009 at his brother’s boxing bout against Chris Arreola. In September 2010, she was present ringside to cheer him in his knockout victory against Samuel Peter. However, in May 2011, she revealed that they had broken up as they found it difficult to handle the long-distance nature of their relationship. However, after a brief break, they realized that they still had feelings for each other and got back together. In October 2013, she confirmed that they had got engaged and in December 2014, she gave birth to their daughter Kaya Evdokia Klitschko. In August 2018, the news of their separation started surfacing the internet.
9. Jessica White (2011) – Wladimir was linked with model Jessica White in July 2011 after they were pictured on a date at a New York restaurant. It was also claimed that they had been spotted making out.
10. Nazan Eckes (2011) – Klitschko was rumored to have hooked up with German TV personality in October 2011.

Race / Ethnicity

White

Hair Color

Dark brown

Eye Color

Hazel

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

• Towering height
• Hazel colored eyes
• Strong and prominent jawline

Brand Endorsements

Wladimir Klitschko has brand endorsement deals with the following brands and products

• SAP
• Porsche
• Mercedes-Benz
• Strellson
• Warsteiner
• Deutsche Telecom
• McFit

He has appeared in TV commercials for –

• Schauma Schwarzkopf (alongside his brother Vitali Klitschko)
• Kinder Milchschnitte.

Best Known For

• Being one of the most popular and successful heavyweight champions. He was twice the world heavyweight champion and held IBF and WBO titles, WBA (Super), as well as the Ring magazine, IBO, and lineal titles.
• His intelligent and strategic boxing style, which he combined with the exceptional knockout power to devastating effect.

First Boxing Match

In November 1996, Wladimir made his professional boxing debut in a fight against Mexican boxer Fabian Meza. He went on to win the match via knockout.

First Film

In 2001, Wladimir made his theatrical film debut in the crime thriller movie, Ocean’s Eleven.

First TV Show

In August 1998, he made his first TV show appearance as himself in the sports TV series, ESPN Top Rank Boxing.

Personal Trainer

In preparation for his fight against Anthony Joshua, Wladimir was hitting the gym for three days in a week. And, during those workout sessions, he focused on lifting generous amount of weight to make sure that his famous power and explosiveness was maintained at an optimum level. He also includes bodyweight exercises in his workout to improve his conditioning.

On two of his best days, he was going for 45 minutes swim session. He felt swimming was a better option than running for cardio as it is less harsh on the joints. Overall, he shadowboxed almost every day and sometimes, to make it bit more challenging, he grabs light dumbbells.

He did shadowboxing before morning’s pad work session and before sparring session in the afternoon.

Even, after retiring from boxing in August 2017, he has maintained his fitness standards and still looks as buff as ever. He has turned to his favorite outdoor activities to keep himself fit and in great shape. He likes to go for skiing and also enjoys surfing.

Wladimir Klitschko Favorite Things

• Childhood Heroes – Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Lee, Muhammad Ali, and his brother Vitali Klitschko
• Food – Italian, Japanese, Chinese, French, and Desserts
• Breakfast – Cottage Cheese and strawberries
• Ice Cream Flavor – Vanilla
• Boxing Fights – Vitali Klitschko vs Lennox Lewis, Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman, and Thomas Hearns vs Sugar Ray Leonard
• Greatest Sports Moment – Winning gold medal at 1996 Olympics
• Movies – Midnight Express (1978), The Matrix (1999), The Mummy (1999), Titanic (1997), Rocky (1976), The Terminator (1984), The Running Man (1987)
• Musicians and Singers – Mozart, Beethoven, Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tina Turner
• Soccer Club – Bayern Munich

Source – Boxing Insider, IMDb

Wladimir Klitschko Facts

1. Before he started earning a generous amount of money from boxing, he used to work as a school teacher for financial support. He taught physical culture and biology.
2. He holds the distinction of being the first professional boxer to have 29 heavyweight title fights. He is also the first fighter to have defeated 12 boxers with an undefeated record.
3. By the time he retired in August 2017, he had participated in 69 professional boxing fights and had managed to win 64. He had won 53 fights via a knockout.
4. In 2002 and 2007, Wladimir and his brother were awarded humanitarian awards for the social activism and charitable work done through their Sport for Good projects.
5. He loves to play golf in his free time and has been a regular participant in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.
6. He never faced his older brother Vitali in a professional boxing fight because their mother had made them promise that they will never face each other.
7. In March 2012, he auctioned his gold medal which he had won at the 1996 Olympics at the event held in Kiev. The medal fetched $1 million but the winning bidder returned the medal to Klitschko as he felt the medal should remain with his family.
8. With 23 successful title defenses, he is the second most successful heavyweight boxer after American boxer Joe Louis, who had successfully mounted 25 title defenses.
9. He also holds the world record for the longest combined world championship reign in boxing history, which stands at 4,383 days.
10. In September 2015, Wladimir was ranked as the world’s best active boxer, pound for pound by the popular boxing publication, BoxRec.
11. In October 2015, he was hired as an adjunct professor at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. He was tasked with teaching master’s students.
12. Klitschko and his brother have done charity work for UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).
13. He has partnered with his brother Vitali to establish the Klitschko Foundation, which runs youth and children-centered initiatives and work for the development of sports and education facilities.
14. He has collaborated with his brother and boxing manager Tom Loeffler to start K2 Promotions, which has successful fighters such as Gennady Golovkin, Mike Perez, and Afolabi Ola on its roster.
15. Wladimir and his sibling are the owners of a Kiev-based boutique hotel 11 Mirrors (11mirrors-hotel.com) and have also started a film distribution company Klitschko Film (klitschko-film.de).

Featured Image by Michael Schilling / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0