Amid speculation regarding a rematch with Anthony Joshua, Wladimir Klitschko announced that he has retired from boxing.
As late as yesterday, there was talk of a rematch with Joshua taking place in Las Vegas later this year.
The 41-year-old Ukrainian was knocked out in the 11th round of an all-time classic bout against the British fighter back in April.
An 11-year unbeaten run was ended in November 2015 by Tyson Fury when he upset the former world champion by unanimous decision in Dusseldorf.
Klitschko, who finishes with a record of 64-5, announced his decision in a statement released on Thursday morning.
I deliberately took a few weeks to make my decision, to make sure I had enough distance from the fight at Wembley Stadium. As an amateur and a professional boxer, I have achieved everything I dreamed of, and now I want to start my second career after sports. I would have never imagined that I would have such a long and incredibly successful boxing career. I´m very thankful for this. Thanks to everyone who has always supported me. Especially my family, my team and my many fans.
Klitschko's professional career began in 1996, just months after winning gold at the Atlanta Olympics in the super-heavyweight division.
Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
