Heavyweight Champion Vitali Klitschko Hints at Impending Retirement

"My sports career is nearing completion, but sport has always had a place in my heart and it always will have," heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, Ph.D. said in a recent interview.

As boxing fans, we hear similar statements being voiced all the time, and we have learned that most of the time they don't carry their meaning for a very long time. Fighters threaten retirement and may even officially go into one just to announce their comebacks soon after.

But in this case, I have a feeling that Klitschko would be a man of his word and would bow out for good.

Of course, the question is, how does he leave the sport?

In other words, who does Klitschko need to beat in order to leave with style?

David Haye, despite not being a very formidable opponent for Klitschko, would still put on a decent show and give millions of boxing fans certain satisfaction from watching the fight. Unfortunately, that might no longer be an option, as Haye is now scheduled for a showdown against Chisora.

Among the top-rated heavyweights, I don't see a potentially great fight for Klitschko. Neither Povetkin nor Helenius would pose too big a threat to the Ukrainian, leaving him with a weak exit out of his career.

To be perfectly honest, I think the only person who could possibly create some excitement against Klitschko is a fighter who has been beaten by him before.

Chris Arreola, in my opinion, would put up a good fight and show aggression for as long as he is still standing. It would not only give Arreola a shot at the title as well as redemption but it also would allow Klitschko to finish his career with a good battle, possibly one of the better ones of his career.