Former Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko Rescued from Burning Yacht

Former heavyweight champion boxer Wladimir Klitschko has been rescued from a burning yacht off the coast of Mallorca, Spain. 

The Ukrainian revealed the news via his official Twitter account after being rescued in the early hours of Monday morning:

The 43-year-old was aboard the luxury yacht while holidaying in the Mediterranean.

Klitschko has been retired since his 11th-round knockout by Anthony Joshua in 2017, which put his record at 64-5.

That fight was his first since his defeat to Tyson Fury in 2015, in which he lost his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, The Ring and lineal heavyweight titles.

In 2014, American boxer Shannon Briggs (60-6-1) knocked Klitschko into the water in Hollywood, Florida, after pursuing him in a boat while the latter was paddleboarding (warning: contains profanity):

According to BBC Sport, Briggs was hoping for a title fight with Klitschko, but the pair never faced one another in the ring.

The 47-year-old did face the champion's brother, Vitali Klitschko, in 2010, which was the sixth and final defeat of Briggs' career.