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Sunday, July 20, 2014

Wladimir Klitschko's Sparring Profile: A Sparring Partner Reference List




This page is designed to be as complete as possible a reference list and guide to the sparring of heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko as can be found. It is part of our main page list for finding sparring partner history, to be found here:

Who Were Their Sparring Partners? A Boxing Reference List For Research Purposes

As always, for any corrections you think you have, please post a source with your comment, unless it's something like a simple typo. If you like what we do, please, bookmark, share, etc. The more traffic we get, the more likely we are to keep going, at this stage.


Klitschko, Wladimir: 

1. Vitali Klitschko: Wladimir says: "The last time we sparred, and that was years ago," he said, "I broke my leg. After that, we said no more."
Source: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/22/sports/la-sp-dwyre-20110723

2. Francesco Pianeta: For Thompson rematch. Pianeta would later get a chance to challenge Klitschko and would say about sparring him "I was in Wladimir’s camp as a sparring partner last year. I saw his weaknesses and will use them for me. I know many experts see me as the underdog but I like this role and will shock the boxing world when I knock out Klitschko!“
 Source: The Sweet Science

3. Steve Cunningham: For Haye
Source: http://www.boxingscene.com/forums/showthread.php?t=488009

4. Corey Sanders: For Jameel McCline: Wlad says: "I have had seven or eight sparring partners, guys like Corey Sanders, Julius Long, Ty Fields, and others."
Source: http://www.boxinginsider.com/interviews/interview-with-wladimir-vitali-klitschko/

5. Julius Long: For Jameel McCline: Wlad says: "I have had seven or eight sparring partners, guys like Corey Sanders, Julius Long, Ty Fields, and others."
Source: http://www.boxinginsider.com/interviews/interview-with-wladimir-vitali-klitschko/

6. Tye Fields: For Jameel McCline: Wlad says: "I have had seven or eight sparring partners, guys like Corey Sanders, Julius Long, Ty Fields, and others."
Source: http://www.boxinginsider.com/interviews/interview-with-wladimir-vitali-klitschko/


7. Jordan Shimmell: For Francesco Pianeta
Source: http://www.boxinginsider.com/headlines/jordan-shimmell-is-training-with-wladimir-klitschko-to-help-prepare-for-pianeta/

8. Ola Afolabi: For Haye:
Source: http://rt.com/sport/boxing/klitschko-haye-unification-america/

9. Simon Barclay: For Alex Leapai
Source: http://www.boxnation.com/boxing-news/barclay-spars-with-heavyweight-great-klitschko/

10. Deontay Wilder: For Mariusz Wach: Wilder says: "They loved it so much that I became the head sparring partner. I did 45-plus rounds with that man. Sometimes, everybody would be ready to spar, but it was just me."
Source: http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/176045-wilder-2

James Ali Bashir, Wladimir's co-trainer, says he was working the corner with Deontay Wilder and Richard Towers in sparring Wladimir and both were knocked down trying to be aggressive and that he was impressed with their aggressiveness against Klitschko.


Source: From a great interview with Ingram Jones on the BaylorIC Youtube Channel, published March 09, 2013



11. Sherman "The Tank" Williams: Leading to his brief sparring for Klitschko's match with Alex Leapai, he'd sparred twice with Wladimir and six other times with Vitali Klitschko.


Has sparred twice with Wladimir and six other times with Klitschko’s brother, recently retired world champion Vitali, at the time of this source's article:
Source: The Sweet Science


12. Vyacheslav Glazkov: For Alexander Povetkin
Source: Stated on NBC Sports Broadcast leading into Glazkov's fight with Tomasz Adamek

13. Michael Sprott: For David Haye and Alexander Povetkin

Leading up to Haye:
"For a heavyweight, he is a very technical fighter."
"Wladimir is up there with the greats of boxing, like Lennox Lewis"
Source claiming he spent three weeks with Haye for this match.

Sources: 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-1263339/Klitschko-brothers-hot-David-Haye-says-British-rival-Michael-Sprott.html
http://www.boxingscene.com/wladimir-klitschko-taste-british-sparring--70273


14. Sam Sexton: For Alexander Povetkin + Alex Leapai
Sources: http://www.boxingscene.com/wladimir-klitschko-taste-british-sparring--70273

http://asia.eurosport.com/boxing/klitschko-i-m-not-going-to-take-alex-leapai-easy_sto4208547/story.shtml

15. Dillian/Dellian Whyte: For Alexander Povetkin
Source: http://www.boxingscene.com/wladimir-klitschko-taste-british-sparring--70273

And for Klitschko's September bout with Kubrat Pulev, August of 2014
Source: Fight News

16. Tony Thompson (became opponent, twice)
Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3484672

17. Eddie Chambers, sometime in 2006, for "a couple weeks". He became an opponent of Klitschko in 2010. Eddied said:

"There were times I saw things, like with my jab, honestly, I was outboxing him. I was moving around - pop! I was like 'Man, it's working.' If I can keep going like that, you never know."

Source: http://articles.philly.com/2010-03-19/sports/25215111_1_wladimir-klitschko-eddie-chambers-heavyweight-title-belts

Chambers became Wladimir's opponent in 2010, shut out on the cards heading into the twelfth round, knocked out by a single left hook, unconscious, in the final seconds of that final round.

18. Richard Towers:
Source: http://www1.skysports.com/boxing/news/12183/9003657/richard-towers-faces-a-crossroads-fight-against-lucas-browne-says-trainer-dom-ingle

James Ali Bashir, Wladimir Klitshcko's co-trainer, said: "He surprised me, because, one day, Wladimir knocked him down, I mean sat him down, with a hard-a** hook-a hard hook. Bam! I mean, FOOM, he's sitting on the floor and he's like, looking up like 'What the hell happened?' You know, he was just sitting on the floor looking, man, he was just like 'What in the world?' and we had to help him up, say 'Hey, man. You come on out this ring, man, before you get killed.' You know? And he wanted to keep going. I said 'No, no, no, there ain't no shame in that. Get out this ring, man.'

Bashir says that Towers had given him the surprise of saying that Wladimir was only the tenth fighter he'd ever sparred in his life. He also says Richard Towers is a really good person and he loves him. Bashir says he was working the corner with Deontay Wilder and Richard Towers in sparring Wladimir and both were knocked down trying to be aggressive and that he was impressed with their aggressiveness against Klitschko.


Source: From a great interview with Ingram Jones on the BaylorIC Youtube Channel, published March 09, 2013

19. Jarrell Miller: For David Haye (2011): Jarell says: "His defense is superb, with his head movement and a lot of people don't know that, don't see it the way-how we see it." He says it's his second camp with Wladimir.
Source: Told Sky Sports News, mentioned: http://www.boxingfutures.com/opinion/0609-klitschko-training-camp

20. Michael Hunter: For David Haye (2011), while still an amateur. He'd become a 2012 Olympian. He says Wlad hurt his back and had him out of fighting shape for a little while from leaning down on him. Says he's a "big and smart dude." and "actually pretty fast". He says that he's been working with him "a couple weeks now".

Also for Jean Marc Mormeck, 2012.

Source: Sky Sports News Interview
Source: Ring Polska

Later, in a 2013 interview, when asked by Elie Seckbach "Who's the toughest guy you ever sparred" he would reply "I would have to say Wladimir Klitschko."
Source: EsNews

21. Tony Harrison: For Alex Leapai
Sources: EsNews
http://asia.eurosport.com/boxing/klitschko-i-m-not-going-to-take-alex-leapai-easy_sto4208547/story.shtml

22. Joshua Tufte, for Alex Leapai
Source: http://asia.eurosport.com/boxing/klitschko-i-m-not-going-to-take-alex-leapai-easy_sto4208547/story.shtml

23. Johnathan Banks, Wlad refers to Banks in the lead up to his match against Mariusz Wach as "My main sparring partner - my man, Johnathan Banks"
Sources: http://www.boxingscene.com/w-klitschko-emanuel-stewards-spirit-always-here--58618

24. Malik Scott: Malik calls him a "supreme athlete".
Sources: EsNews

Later: For Klitschko's September bout with Kubrat Pulev, August of 2014
Source: Fight News

25. Kevin Johnson:
Source: http://www.boxingscene.com/johnson-discusses-artur-szpilka-vs-bryant-jennings--73361

Later also for Klitschko's September bout with Kubrat Pulev, August of 2014
Source: Fight News

26. Phil Jackson: Phil mentions Wladimir is a harder puncher than Vitali Klitschko and Lennox Lewis both. He mentions sparring with Klitschko at the time of Klitschko's fight with Ray Mercer. He said of the Klitschko brothers "They're just real polite, real good people, man."
Source: East Side Boxing


27. Andy Lee: First record of this partnership that I have is when Wladimir was training for his second match with Chris Byrd in 2006. Emanuel Steward, then Wladimir's trainer, said:
"Wladimir told me after beating Byrd that Andy was much harder to hit than Byrd and much faster, too. For the first day, Andy's speed really gave Wladimir problems and by the time we got Wladimir to the actual Byrd fight, Chris Byrd was slow in comparison to what Wladimir had been having with Andy in sparring."
Source: Seconds Out

The second specific match Lee worked with Wladimir for was his unification bout with Sultan Ibragimov.
Source: HBO

The third specific match I am aware of is for Lee's scheduled match against Daniel Urbanski and Wladimir's match against Dereck Chisora. Neither fight happened at the time.
Secondary Source: RTÉ (Raidió Teilifís Éireann)

28. Charles Shufford: (former opponent) for first Samuel Peter match.
Source: Interview transcript with Wladimir Klitschko aired on episode 36 of On The Ropes Boxing Radio, August 24, 2009

On The Ropes Boxing Radio


29. Samuel Peter (unverified, for Charles Shufford)
Source: The now defunct Bragging Rights Corner, in my notes, from a writer listed as Stephen Jones.

30. Teke Oruh (unverified, for Charles Shufford)
Source: The now defunct Bragging Rights Corner, in my notes, from a writer listed as Stephen Jones.

31. Jakarta Nakuru (unverified, for Charles Shufford)
Source: The now defunct Bragging Rights Corner, in my notes, from a writer listed as Stephen Jones. Nakuru is assumed as he's mentioned only as "Jakarta" and a local heavyweight, from where Nakuru did fight.

32. Tony Tubbs (unverified, for Charles Shufford)
Source: The now defunct Bragging Rights Corner, in my notes, from a writer listed as Stephen Jones. 


33. Travis Walker:
Source: Fight Hype


34. James Toney: Pepper Roach says: "James Toney, he sparred both Klitschkos at Freddie's gym. He looked good with both of them. He didn't dominate them. But he looked good with both of them. . .You know James plays with people. . .He spun both of them around, patted them in the a**. They were mad but that's how James is."
Source: EsNews interview with Pepper Roach

35. Anthony Joshua: For Klitschko's September bout with Kubrat Pulev, August of 2014
Source: Fight News

36. Emmanuel Nwodo: For Klitschko's September bout with Kubrat Pulev, August of 2014
Source: Fight News

37. Dorsette Barnwell: For Klitschko's September bout with Kubrat Pulev, August of 2014
Source: Fight News

38. Iago Kiladze: For Klitschko's September bout with Kubrat Pulev, August of 2014
Source: Fight News

39. Wladimir/Vladimir Tereshkin: For Klitschko's September bout with Kubrat Pulev, August of 2014
Source: Fight News

40. Natu Visinia: For his match with Alex Leapai.
Source: Courier Mail

41. Rene Dettweiler: This was meant to have taken place in Klitschko's training camp in Mallorca/Majora, a Spanish island with a gym converted from a ballroom, and one Klitschko would use again later. Boxing Scene has this mentioned in a 2006 article, saying Dettweiler went to Klitschko's camp in March, so it's assumed the camp was for the Chris Byrd rematch, which took place in April of 2006.

Source: Boxing Scene

42. Willie Chapman:
Source USA Today

43. Maurice Harris: Harris says that he worked with both Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko in the same year, 2005(read further). He worked with Wladimir for Wlad's match with DaVarryl Williamson and Vitali for his match with Danny Williams. To make a slight correction, Harris likely worked with both in 2004, when both of those matches took place. Harris says this is the last time he worked with them, up until the time of a 2012 interview with Boxing Talk.
Source: 2012 interview for Boxing Talk


44. Joseph Parker: Parker was apparently invited to Klitschko's next training camp. I have no record of them sparring before, though there is record of previous invites to the Klitschko camp.
Source: TVNZ

Parker was apparently asked by Wladimir's camp to spar two earlier times, including for Wladimir's match with Kubrat Pulev but both other times the timing coincided with his own matches very poorly and it wasn't feasible. Parker's trainer, Kevin Barry, mentioned "I want Joe to work with Klitschko because he is the measuring stick. I think it would be a huge growth thing for Joe and a very good mental test for Joe to be with the elite of the elite. There's no doubt about that. There's Klitschko, then there's the rest. That's our yardstick, so I'm very keen for him to go."

Source: Boxing Scene
Update: The sparring took place and it was for Klitschko's match with Bryant Jennings.

45. Aaron Pryor Junior:
Source: Boxing Insider

46. Murat Gassiev: For Klitschko's match with Bryant Jennings and Gassiev's match with Felix Cora Junior. Abel Sanchez says Gassiev "did" well, according to FS1's commentators during broadcast of Gassiev's match with Cora Junior. This was meant to be at least one 3-round sparring session with a few others scheduled. 
Source: FS1 commentating, PEC,

47. Domonique Dolton:
Source: Commentator Ray Flores mentioned that Dolton had sparred Wlad, twice, during Dolton's match with Jamontay Clark. While I have no source for the fighters mentioning the sparring themselves, directly, Domonique mentions being a fan of Wlad in an interview where he mentions that he's a cool guy who told him a joke he laughed at all day, the first time he met him in the gym. He noted that Wlad was serious about training but cool outside the ring.

Extra notes:


1. For the first match with Sam Peter: Emanuel Steward mentions to those covering the camp that Wladimir is closing in on 120 rounds of sparring for the fight and “The most I’ve ever had a fighter spar before a fight.”
Source: The Sweet Science


2. For his bout with Alex Leapai, Klitschko's camp made an offer to hire David Tua, who could've used the money, but decided out of loyalty to Leapai to reject the offer.
Source: Courier Mail


3. At some point, a Klitschko's camp, likely Wladimir Klitschko's camp, but possibly Vitali's, offered contender Bryant Jennings a spot as a sparring partner. Jennnings' camp declined, despite knowing the money was good.

Bryant says: “I think you have to go to their camp (as a sparring partner) so they can test you, see what you’re all about, so they can figure out what they’re getting into … whether or not they can handle you. . . That seems to be the only way. A lot of their opponents have been their sparring partners, so that’s one strategy (for moving to the front of the line). But I don’t want them to figure me out just yet. I want them to find out what I’m all about when we get in the ring.”

Source: The Sweet Science

4. For the Kubrat Pulev bout, it is mentioned that Wladimir had a total of fifteen sparring partners, in his Austrian training camp.

Source: East Side Boxing

5. For his bout with Wladimir Klitschko (2005) Eliseo Castillo sparred with Michael Grant (Former opponent of Lennox Lewis at the time), Lance Whitaker and Jameel McCline (former opponent of Wladimir's at the time) to prepare him for Wladimir.

Source: East Side Boxing

6. Bryant Jennings prepared for Wladimir Klitschko with Gerald Washington. Jennings and Washington had said this, while Fred Jenkins, Bryant's trainer, told Ingram Jones he would not confirm it, coyly. Washington complimented Jennings conditioning and intelligence.

Source from Washington: https://www.facebook.com/GeraldWashingtonFanPage/photos/a.456948307755771.1073741831.254265691357368/743102835806982/?type=1


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