Wladimir Klitschko Agrees to 5-Fight Extension with TV Partner RTL
Reigning heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has no plans to retire. The 39-year-old Ukrainian announced a new, five-fight agreement with television partner RTL on Thursday that will ostensibly keep him fighting well into his 40s.
"My previous contract expired after [the] Jennings fight, so now I have another five-fight deal with RTL. I never thought about the exact time of my retirement, but for some reason people are trying to retire me sooner than later," Klitschko told ESPN.com's Dan Rafael.
Klitschko announced the agreement as part of a news conference promoting his Oct. 24 bout with Tyson Fury. Fury, a 26-year-old Brit, is perhaps Klitschko's toughest challenger in recent memory. He heads into the fight with a 26-0 career record with 18 knockouts, and he has drawn a ton of press attention for his brash public comments.
“It’s a personal mission for me to rid boxing of a boring person like you,” Fury said, per the Guardian. “I’m interested in all of them belts you’ve got on there. I’m interested in breaking your face in. You’re boring, I want to rid you out of the heavyweight division."
Klitschko is the second-longest-reigning heavyweight champion in history, behind only Joe Louis. His 18 title defenses without a loss are the third-most ever, with Louis' 25 and Larry Holmes' 20 coming out ahead. If he's able to retain the championship through the end of his RTL contract, Klitschko will be within striking distance of snapping Louis' all-time marks.
Overall, Klitschko has not lost a bout since his 2004 TKO defeat by Lamon Brewster. RTL will be banking on him staying at the top of his game for the next few years as this contract plays out. Given his recent rate of work, it's likely this deal will not expire until early 2018.
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