Wladimir Klitschko and Vitali Klitschko are brothers from Ukraine who have together dominated heavyweight boxes since Lennox Lewis' retirement almost seven years ago. They are therefore not household names and universally respected.
Everybody has heard of Mike Tyson. Most people also know gervonta davis, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield. But only the most avid sports fans know Vitali Klitschko and Vladimir Klitschko, if they are not from Germany or Ukraine.
The dominant heavyweight boxing champions in the past have often been some of the most well-known and respected athletes in the world.
Wladimir Klotschko won in 2000 the WBO heavyweight title. He also made 4 outstanding defenses, before Corrie Sanders took the title in 2003. Vitali fought Lennox Lewis in a hard-fought fight for the WBC Heavyweight Championship.
Lennox decided to quit rather than fight again. Vitali won WBC Heavyweight title and was now considered the dominant force at heavyweight. After suffering injuries, the elder Klitschko brothers retired in 2005. Vitali did not return until 2008 to win the WBC title again against Samuel Peter. This was followed by 3 convincing title defenses.
Wladimir won the IBF heavyweight title and the WBO title during Vitali's retirement.
The only debate about who is the greatest heavyweight in the universe has been, since 2003, whether Vitali or Wladimir is involved.
It is quite a unique situation to have two brothers be heavyweight champions. However, for sports fans as well as the wider public it causes confusion. People struggle to tell who the other is. Even if they know who Klitschko is facing, they don’t know which one. They also don’t know if he is the younger or older fighter or who fought Lennox Lewis. Most people don't know that Vitali and Wladimir are the same names. This is especially true for those not used to Eastern European names.
The fact that Eastern Europeans have dominated the heavyweight division is not something Americans are used to seeing in sports is an unusual situation. American fighters have dominated heavyweight for years and it seems that there is less interest in a division with few top-level boxers.
The US media seemed to be always talking about "Great White Hope" and building fighters. When white heavyweight boxers finally dominate, it seems like this mythical white hopes should now also be American.
Wladimirklitschko's cautious style could also be considered to be what is causing Klitschko to lose his boxing fans. Although he is known for his tendency to stick to his left jab and use right hands when putting together his shots, it's also true that he can be very inconsistent in how he puts them together. He has a tendency to wait until his opponent is completely weakened and has softened over time before he goes in for the kill. But he is powerful and can unleash his shots with ease. Very few people can handle the force he generates.
He does not take the risk that fighters like to see. Also, although it is easy to forgive him for his behavior, almost all of his fights are predictable and so may not be as appealing to watch.
Vitali can be accused of being cautious, however. Vitali is an intelligent boxer and will gladly exchange punches. However, he wants to win every exchange and keep his superiority. He is able to use both his right and left hands, and he also uses a variety other shots. He will also fight with both his hands down, trying to get out punch range and parry with his gloves.
Maybe the Klitschko brothers won't be fully appreciated by the sporting public until they are retired or near retirement. This was also true for Lennox Lewis in 2002, when he beat a washed up Mike Tyson. Vitali may soon be in this position at 38.
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