Russian heavyweight Klitschko more than just an average boxer

He has a doctorate, speaks four languages, writes books and plays chess.
By CARLOS ARIAS
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
LOS ANGELES -- Vitali Klitschko is not your typical heavyweight fighter.
He has a doctorate degree in sports science from the University of Kiev. He is an avid chess player. He and his brother, Wladimir, who also is a top heavyweight contender, co-authored a best-selling fitness book in Germany. He speaks four languages.
Born in the Ukraine and now living in Los Angeles with his wife and two children, Klitschko also is one of the most physically imposing heavyweights in the business, standing 6-foot-7 and weighing 248 pounds.
And Klitschko is a legitimate challenger to Lennox Lewis' title reign. He gets his chance to fight Lewis for the WBC heavyweight belt tonight at Staples Center on HBO (7 p.m. PDT).
4 1/2-1 underdog
He has the awkward style, strength, size and punching power to knock out anybody in the heavyweight division, including Lewis. But the odds-makers have made him a 4 1/2-1 underdog against Lewis.
"I know that most expect I am the underdog," Klitschko said, "but I will convince everybody [tonight] and become the next champion of the world."
Klitschko held the lightly regarded WBO heavyweight title. He is 32-1 with 31 KOs, but that one loss is the biggest reason he comes in as the underdog.
His defeat came against Chris Byrd, who holds the IBF heavyweight belt. Klitschko was ahead on all the scorecards when he quit on his stool after the ninth round because of a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder. It was a serious injury that required surgery and 14 months of rehabilitation.
Klitschko said the injury happened in the third round, and he fought as long as he could before the pain took over and he could not continue.
His ability
The decision brought up many questions about Klitschko's heart and ability to face adversity.
"I explained about this many times," Klitschko said. "That was just one of many fights for me. I won all rounds, and I tore my ligament in my shoulder. I can't fight anymore because it was painful. I can't see my opponent (because of the pain). I can't fight. I'm trying to make the right decision. When I am healthy, I can fight anyone."
So what happens if Klitschko is put in that position against Lewis? How will he react?
"I never think about that," Klitschko said. "I don't want to think about injuries or some problems in the fight. I don't think about that at all. When you drive a car, do you think in 2,000 yards I'll have an accident? You never think about that, and you don't want to think about that. Yeah, it can happen. It happens in sports every day. You try to do it the right way."
Legacy
Klitschko believes the right way for Lewis should have been retirement after he destroyed Mike Tyson last year in Memphis. It was the kind of fight that stamped Lewis' legacy as one of the best heavyweights of his era and earned him a multi-million-dollar payday.
"It was a great finish," Klitschko said. "He could retire a great champion. In my opinion, it was big mistake (to continue fighting)."
But Klitschko is glad Lewis (40-2-1, 31 KOs) decided to keep fighting because now he gets a chance at the title. It is a fight Klitschko expected to get in November, but he jumped at the opportunity when Lewis' original opponent, Kirk Johnson, pulled out two weeks ago because of a torn pectoral muscle.
"I see this fight as wonderful chance to show the American audience who I am and how good I am," Klitschko said. "I know that Lennox Lewis is considered the world's top heavyweight. He has great experience in title fights, and he is a very skilled fighter. But nobody is perfect, and I have seen some weaknesses."
Different
Klitschko's younger brother, Wladimir, always seemed like the bigger threat to Lewis because he had better technical skills. But Vitali was always bigger and stronger and had more of a mean streak.
"People say I am better than Vitali, but they are wrong," Wladimir said. "He is unorthodox, and people don't understand his strength. I know it."
Wladimir said he and his brother used to spar a lot, and their dream is to hold world titles at the same time, but they would never fight each other.
"It would kill our mother," Wladimir said. "There are three different versions of the title, and we can both be champions."