Boxing story by Vinnie Mitchell, Wed, 09 Nov 2005 19:16:00 GMT


FRANKFURT, Germany - WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko has decided to hang up his boxing gloves after failing to recover from a knee injury that has seen him postpone Saturday's title defense against Hasim Rahman.

Klitschko tore knee ligaments in training and after consultations with doctors came to know that the injury would take up to six months to heal. The 34-year-old decided that it was time to bid goodbye, "Recently I've spent more time battling injuries than my opponents," Klitschko said in a statement. "It's a hard decision to take but I'd like to go out at the top and, with my departure, open the way for my successors."

The World Boxing Council (WBC) title defence against Hasim Rahman was set for November 12 in Las Vegas and was the third time that the Germany-based Ukrainian had to pull out. Last year, thigh and back problems had forced Klitschko to cancel bouts against Rahman and after the third try today, he decided to put an end to the agony. With his retirement, Klitschko becomes only the third reigning world heavyweight champion to voluntarily step down. Rocky Marciano and Lennox Lewis are the other two.

"I want to thank my team, the media and the fans for their cooperation and their support. I seek new social and political challenges in my home country the Ukraine," Klitschko said in the statement. He has a proud record of 35 victories and two defeats and an astounding 34 knockouts.

He had won the WBC title in April last year after beating South African Corrie Sanders.

It is expected that the WBC will declare Rahman as the 'interim' champion until a challenger can be found. It is reported that it could probably be Turkey's Sinan Samil Sam.

More Sporting Stuff