Vitali Klitschko Vows to Return to Boxing and Avenge Brother Wladimir’s Loss to Joshua

For Vitali Klitschko, boxing remains a family affair and he wants to make a sensational return to the ring to avenge his brother Wladimir’s defeat to Anthony Joshua.

Joshua, 28, won a knockout over Wladimir in their epic heavyweight clash April 29, and now Vitali fancies a crack at the Nigerian-born Brit whom he described as ‘lucky’.

Vitali takes some of the blame for the loss, saying he feels guilty for telling his brother to not be too active in round six as he felt Joshua would tire out with his muscular physique, Sun writes.

Wladimir dropped Joshua in the sixth round but didn’t do enough to end the tie, allowing the younger fighter to recover from the knockdown in round six to come back and stop him in round 11.

“It was great fight of Wladimir and Joshua, great fight,” Vitali said on FightHubTV.

“I feel a bit guilty, because I told to Wladimir in the corner please don’t be so active in round number six when Wladimir sent Joshua to the floor.

“I expect a big-muscled athlete to not recover, I was surprised, Joshua recovered so fast and stopped Wladimir.

“If I didn’t tell him to stop, then Wladimir might have knocked him out, six or maybe round number seven.”

A former WBC heavyweight champion, Vitali, 46, defended the title ten times before retiring in 2012 to focus on a career in politics.

He pointed to times in the past he and his brother have defended each other against heavyweight opponents, adding he wants to bring the belts back to his family.

“A fight against Joshua is my best wish. I have a feeling I can do it better, I have to fight Joshua and bring back the belt to the family.

“Wladimir was for a long time the best heavyweight in the world. Joshua stopped him and this means he is the best one.

“But that was just a lucky fight, a lucky day for Joshua.”

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