Ukrainian heavyweight boxing world champion Wladimir Klitschko (C) celebrates with his brother Vitali (R) after winning the fight against Polish challenger Mariusz Wach in the IBF, IBO, WBO and WBA title bout at the O2 arena on November 10, 2012 in the nothern German city of Hamburg .
Born in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan respectively, with a five-year age gap (Vitali is the older at 36), the Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir have pretty much destroyed the heavyweight division in boxing. Vitali, aka Dr. Ironfist, has won 45 and only lost two of his professional fights. And while Wladimir, aka Dr. Steelhammer, has one more defeat to his name, he’s also won more fights – he has 59 victories. The Klitschkos have more than punching power: they hold doctorates in sports science and are fluent in four languages.
Both brothers now reside in Hamburg, which is the city in which they made their professional debut, on Nov. 6, 1996. As for the question often on fight fans’ lips – will they ever face off against each other? – the answer is “no.” Why? It’s because of their mother and the promise they made her. “I wouldn’t do it, even for $1 billion,” Wladimir has said. “You can’t put a price on your mother’s heart.”