Vladimir Klitschko Officially Withdraws from Candidacy for World Boxing President
Former heavyweight world champion and one of the most prominent boxers of modern times, Vladimir Klitschko, has not been included in the official list of candidates for the presidency of World Boxing, the organization established to restore Olympic status to the sport of boxing worldwide.
The Ukrainian icon announced in his Instagram story that, following discussions with the organization’s leadership, he is not a candidate for this position, at least for now, meaning ahead of the upcoming elections.
It is known that the first president of World Boxing, former Dutch boxer Boris van der Vorst, decided not to seek a second term.
The elections are scheduled for November this year, during which a new leadership team will be chosen to potentially revitalize Olympic boxing.
This development is particularly significant given that earlier in 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) excluded the International Boxing Association (IBA) from its list of recognized federations due to conflicts involving the federation’s leadership and governance issues.
Notably, the IBA’s president, Russian Umar Kremlyov, allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete under their national flags, despite sanctions, and the federation had sponsorship agreements with Russian energy giant Gazprom.
Consequently, the IOC demanded the creation of a new international boxing federation to reintroduce the sport into the Olympic program.
As a result, in 2023, World Boxing was established by representatives from numerous countries, including the USA, Germany, and Great Britain, marking a key step towards reinstating boxing at the Olympics.
Ukraine officially joined World Boxing in September.
Vladimir Klitschko retired from professional boxing in 2017 after suffering consecutive losses to Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
During his illustrious career, he won 23 fights and held the WBA, IBF, and WBO heavyweight titles, surpassing the records of legends like Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali, who each had 21 title defenses.
Klitschko’s reign as world champion lasted a total of 12 years, an unprecedented record in the sport.
Ukrainian fans and sports analysts continue to view his career as a benchmark of excellence in boxing.
Recent reports also highlight that Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk has lost his top ranking in the world, yet he remains one of the most talented and promising figures in contemporary professional boxing, exemplifying Ukraine’s deep-rooted boxing tradition.