Did Vitali Klitschko cost brother Wladimir a victory against Anthony Joshua in 2017?
Well, big bro might’ve played role in the failed attempt to take Joshua’s heavyweight championship at Wembley Stadium in London, according to the story trainer Johnathon Banks told Sky Sports.
Klitschko, 41 at the time, hit the canvas in Rounds 1 and 5 but stormed back to hurt Joshua later in the same round and then put him down with a big right hand midway through Round 6. Joshua survived but was still shaken between Rounds 6 and 7.
Banks told Sky Sports that between rounds, “I said: ‘Wladimir, you’ve got to finish this guy. No more boxing. Go get him! He’s still hurt. You’ve got to finish him!’”
Vitali Klitschko also was in the corner. And he had difference advice, given in Russian.
“When Wladimir almost knocked Joshua out, I gave him the wrong advice,” the elder Klitschko said. “I was positive that Joshua, with his huge muscle mass, would not be able to last [the distance].
“I advised Wladimir not to rush anything. I had hoped that after the seventh, the eighth round … Joshua would really slow down. Now I think that maybe it was a mistake, maybe it was necessary to finish him off sooner.”
Banks said he got the gist of what Vitali said even though it was in Russian and became alarmed.
“I understood Vitali say that in Russian,” Banks said. “I jumped up! The security guards told me to sit down but I was shouting, ‘Finish him, finish him!’
“I knew Vitali’s voice would reign supreme over mine. I tried my best to override.”
Wladimir didn’t attack Joshua with the urgency that Banks wanted, Joshua recovered and the muscle-bound Englishman stopped Klitschko in the 11th round. The big Ukrainian never fought again.