Wladimir Klitschko Quotes & Sayings

Nobody is born as a champion. You have to earn it through hard work. Get started! — Wladimir Klitschko

The reality of growing up is we changed schools so many times, my brother was my best friend. We have a five-year age gap, and my brother inspired me. He started boxing, and I just want to show that I could do things better than him. — Wladimir Klitschko

I'm going to give him a pizza face. — Wladimir Klitschko

Exactly this type of people like you, at the beginning you're gonna be shy but later on you're gonna jump on a chair and you will scream hit him! — Wladimir Klitschko

I'm quite shocked by the recent British media stories about an alleged brawl between myself and Dereck Chisora. I am a professional prize fighter and let my fists do the talking only inside the ring. I don't want to comment on Chisora's psychological issues. — Wladimir Klitschko

In the old days, when Muhammad Ali was fighting Ken Norton, Joe Frazier and George Foreman, there was a lot of excitement in the heavyweight division, I have to admit it. — Wladimir Klitschko

You can take your fitness seriously, but not yourself. That's the most difficult part: not to relax. That's the most difficult challenge I'm facing every fight. — Wladimir Klitschko

I know he's retired, but I'm a big fan of Shaquille O'Neal, his game and his personality. I have a pair of his shoes in my office. You see the size of his shoe and think, 'This is not real, this couldn't belong to a human being.' But he is human! — Wladimir Klitschko

Aggression means emotions. Emotions means you're gonna get off your plan and that means you'll lose the fight. — Wladimir Klitschko

You lose or you win the fight - and anything in life - in your mind. I can look at how the person walks, how he speaks, his expressions. It's a wisdom. Eyes are the mirror of the soul. So you can read a lot. — Wladimir Klitschko

I always train and prepare with highest concentration and focus on my next opponent. To me, it does not matter what his name is. — Wladimir Klitschko

The challenge for me is his size because, for the first time in my career, I'll be meeting an opponent who is taller than me and has a longer reach. — Wladimir Klitschko

After Chernobyl, thousands and thousands of people, if not millions, were given a death penalty and had to pay the price, our father among them. — Wladimir Klitschko

Sometimes it's boring because it takes time, but it's enjoyable. So beating up people for a living is really fun. — Wladimir Klitschko

I don't like to get hit, who likes it? I probably wouldn't do this sport if I was getting hit that much. — Wladimir Klitschko

On your way to the top, you always get some chriticism. Criticism is a great motivation. — Wladimir Klitschko

I think we have tremendous media covering the sport of boxing, even if boxing is a little bit lost in popularity with MMA sports. And I think that with the show 'Lights Out' it's going to get more attention to the sport, and it's going to put more attention to the problems that athletes in general have. — Wladimir Klitschko

That's the most terrible mistake you can make: to relax. It's difficult to become a champion, but it's more difficult to maintain it for many years because you're getting too comfortable. — Wladimir Klitschko

I don't care where people come from. It is not important to me. If you are good people will like you, if you're not, they won't. It is simple. — Wladimir Klitschko

He's been an inspiration for me since the Olympics 1996. — Wladimir Klitschko

It's not my place to compare myself to greats like Tyson, Frazier or men like that. But I would look at a fighter like Evander Holyfield. He's a great heavyweight who worked his way up through the weight classes to become champion and had to beat bigger men along the way. — Wladimir Klitschko

I'm trying to keep the face of my opponent more or less not damaged but eventually to execute the plan and knock him out. — Wladimir Klitschko

Radiation doesn't recognize borders. A meltdown in Japan or India, say, is a danger to the whole world. Wind circulates the radiation everywhere. Water quality is affected. We all eat the same fish. We use products from all over the world - if something is contaminated, it will cause harm. — Wladimir Klitschko

I'm boring but effective. — Wladimir Klitschko

I should say that mental strength is No. 1, experience [is] No. 2, physical strength is No. 3, and genetic ability that you're getting from Mother Nature probably comes after. — Wladimir Klitschko

I have a Ph.D. in philosophy and sports science. At 14, I went through this really tough Soviet training system. A lot of my roommates got psychologically broken or physically injured. Either you came through, or you were out. I made my Ph.D. work in the field of young athletes aged 14-19 because at this age any human is changing. — Wladimir Klitschko

My height is an advantage, if I want to use it. — Wladimir Klitschko

When you're successful for so many years, the scariest part is that you're getting too comfortable because you've had so much success. — Wladimir Klitschko

I've been many times to Dubai and the U.A.E., and I have friends that live there. It would be exciting to stage world heavyweight championship fights in the Arab world. It's something Muhammad Ali achieved when he fought in Zaire or the Philippines. It's absolutely exciting to fight in countries where you have never fought. — Wladimir Klitschko

From nothing to everything is a long way, from everything to nothing is one stop. — Wladimir Klitschko

In Soviet times, the border was closed, so we couldn't get out of the country, and I had been reading Robinson Crusoe. I wanted to see the ocean, I wanted to see boats, I wanted to see black people, because we didn't have that in the Soviet Union. I was all excited by that stuff. — Wladimir Klitschko

The man without a chin, no stamina, dead man, broken man, whatever. On your way to the top, you always get some criticism. Criticism is a great motivation. Failure is not an option to me. — Wladimir Klitschko

I train six days a week for four to five hours a day. I like to keep the same schedule when I'm in camp for every fight. — Wladimir Klitschko

It's such a gift in my life to be able to compete - to have the health. — Wladimir Klitschko

I think that boxing is actually not as dangerous as the politics. In boxing, you're gonna get a bloody nose or a black eye. In politics you can obviously get either dioxin in the food or bullet in the head. — Wladimir Klitschko

I never fought in my life outside of a ring. — Wladimir Klitschko

The whole key is to be honest with yourself, find the weak spots, work on it, get it done. — Wladimir Klitschko

I've fought everybody without ducking anyone. I have beaten 10 undefeated guys, and I never was comparing myself to the greatest in the sport. I was not thinking of breaking any records. I'm just enjoying my time in boxing. — Wladimir Klitschko

I have decided to make a personal message to David Haye. I want him to fight me, to be a man. I wish there will be enough excitement, pressure and courage for David Haye to fight me. — Wladimir Klitschko

These nuclear plants are more dangerous than people realize. — Wladimir Klitschko

Who's gonna win between two brothers? The Klitschko mother's gonna win because she said it won't happen. — Wladimir Klitschko

I run, but boxing conditioning is different, so you have to get used to running in the ring. Boxing movements are very different. Swimming is one of the best because every single muscle is working. I swim a lot. I train very hard at things that mimic boxing. I have to do mostly sport-specific training, such as lots of sparring. — Wladimir Klitschko

Politics is comparable to boxing. The only thing is that in politics there are basically no rules. In boxing, you can get a black eye, but in politics you can get poison in your food or a bullet in the head. It's definitely rougher and tougher than other sports. — Wladimir Klitschko

It is incredibly difficult to adjust to such a little fighter. Mormeck is similar to Mike Tyson, he is just a little still faster. — Wladimir Klitschko

I heard that I am crazy for taking this fight but I'm very excited about this chance. His manager is saying that I'm a 'dead man walking' but 'dead men' cannot have 'nightmares'. — Wladimir Klitschko

If he goes down, he is to get up, and continue to fight, until I finish the process. — Wladimir Klitschko

I would say that Roger Federer is pretty amazing. And Manny Pacquiao - he's such a tiny, little lightweight guy, but the way he fights makes people so excited. — Wladimir Klitschko

Mental strength is really important because you either win or lose in your mind. And I'm not solely talking about sporting matches, boxing events - anything you do, you do it first with your mental strength. And you can actually train and develop it, and I am responsible for what I'm saying because I have experience with that. — Wladimir Klitschko

There's certain things that you cannot cross, no matter who you are, what you're doing or where you're coming from. — Wladimir Klitschko

All the champions - you go and ask Mike Tyson or Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Lennox Lewis and myself included, and I'm sorry for putting myself in line with all the other great names - but the champion's attitude is it doesn't matter who is in front of me, I am going to conquer this person and win the fight and knock the person out. — Wladimir Klitschko

My brother is a doctor and he will take care of post-traumatic stress. I think he'll do it for free. — Wladimir Klitschko

The man wannabe actually ... a wannabe. David Haye's a wannabe. — Wladimir Klitschko

When people are tipsy, they're really encouraged and they wanna prove they can do something to the Heavyweight champion. — Wladimir Klitschko

He [Tyson Fury] will be difficult opponent to adjust to, because of his style of fighting and physical conditions. Fans will certainly not be bored. — Wladimir Klitschko

All of my fights are planned. I study my opponents from A to Z. How he walks, how he looks, how he speaks, gestures of the human body, which is a certain language that provides you lots of information if you have the ability to read it. You just need to pay attention to it and gain experience over the years. — Wladimir Klitschko

I think a fight with David Haye, even if he is not American, is going to give positive vibes about the heavyweight division for the American fans and fans worldwide. — Wladimir Klitschko

You can train your mental strength just like you train your body. If your body looks fit or ripped, it looks strong, and you can flex your muscles. So, physically, you have a certain strength. Mentally, it's the same thing. You can train your psychological strength. — Wladimir Klitschko

There is no money in this world that will make us fight. — Wladimir Klitschko

I will teach you how to behave yourself in the ring. — Wladimir Klitschko

It was like a musician playing notes. Everything we trained worked. — Wladimir Klitschko

My goal is not getting hit and to knock the other guy out. Some people might complain because they want to see boxers beat up on each other, but you cannot last long in professional boxing if you take a lot of punches. — Wladimir Klitschko

My father told and taught me that the word, can hit harder than the fist. — Wladimir Klitschko

If I am 100% prepared for the fight, my opponent has no chance to win the fight. I am saying what I mean: He has a 0% chance to win the fight. There is going to be no luck involved; there is going to be nothing else to stop me from winning the fight. — Wladimir Klitschko

I prepare for my fights to well that I don't wanna give a chance to my opponent to crash my 'glass chin' as they say, so I'm knocking them in the way that I like. — Wladimir Klitschko

It is up to the people and boxing fans to give me the respect I deserve once I have finished my career. I personally do not think about my legacy. — Wladimir Klitschko

The first thing I learned in boxing is to not get hit. That's the art of boxing. Execute your opponent without getting hit. In sports school, we were putting our hands behind our backs and having to defend ourselves with our shoulders, by rolling, by moving round the ring, moving out feet. — Wladimir Klitschko

Only younger brothers will understand me. We're following in the footsteps of older brothers. You are looking up to your brother. You want to do the same things. You want to do as good as he and do it even better. — Wladimir Klitschko

I'm playing right now a role, and the role is called the 'Heavyweight Champion of the World.' And it takes all of the time. And I love this role, and it takes a lot of attention for me for the sport, and I just don't want to lose the title, so that's why I have to stay focused and not become an actor. — Wladimir Klitschko

I Was Psychologically Sick For 3 Days Afterwards. — Wladimir Klitschko

This guy [Tyson Fury] really wants to prove himself in the ring and confirm what he keeps telling everyone, that he's the best in the world. — Wladimir Klitschko

Earlier in my career, I never thought of boxing as a chess game, but I confirm that they are, in fact, very similar. You can plan your fights and strategy just like you would in chess. — Wladimir Klitschko

I respect the IBF obligation to fight Povetkin, but I would like the exception to fight David Haye. That is the only title the Klitschkos don't have. We have them all except the WBA, which is why Haye is such an interesting cookie for me to eat. — Wladimir Klitschko

I learned in my Ph.D. the discipline I needed to be successful. Most boxers are not that disciplined. They have talent, but the self-organization - the ability to schedule yourself and your priorities - is lacking. My studies were about the control of training on both the psychological and the physical side. — Wladimir Klitschko

There are 49 guys that got bored to sleep on my record, so they got knocked out by it. — Wladimir Klitschko

I would compare it to an actor. I drive myself into the character that later on is in the ring. — Wladimir Klitschko

I think that there's only one nationality and one language in the sport, and you call it performance. — Wladimir Klitschko

You have to learn the opponent psychologically inside out and mental strength is one of the important makers. You're either gonna break it or make it. — Wladimir Klitschko

With this magazine, you could change the 'H' to 'G', it may be funnier and better for sales. — Wladimir Klitschko