Wladimir Klitschko is a Ukrainian former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2017. He is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having held the WBA (Super), IBF and WBO titles, as well as the IBO, Ring magazine, and lineal titles. A strategic and intelligent boxer, Klitschko is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time. He was known for his exceptional knockout power, using a strong jab, straight right hand and left hook, as well as excellent footwork and mobility, unusual for boxers of his size.
Throughout his career, Wladimir defeated 23 fighters for the world heavyweight title, beating a record previously shared between Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali at 21 beaten opponents. Klitschko also holds the record for the longest combined world championship reign in heavyweight history at 4,383 days; the most wins in world title bouts in the post-war heavyweight history at 25; the most wins in unified title bouts and the longest unified championship reign in professional boxing history at 15 title bouts and 14 consecutive defenses respectively; and has the second most total successful title defenses of any heavyweight boxer with 23 (including his first reign as WBO champion), behind Joe Louis (25) and ahead of Larry Holmes (20) and Muhammad Ali (19).
Klitschko fought in 29 heavyweight title fights, more than any heavyweight champion in the sport’s history. He also holds the record of having defeated the most boxers with an undefeated record, at 12, and also defeated 10 current or former world champions throughout his career.
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During the times her parents thought she was in her bedroom, 14-year-old Cecilia Braekhus would creep towards her window, silently climb out and shimmy down the high fire escape on the side of the house to go training. Each time she wasn’t thinking about making history. She just didn’t want her parents to find out. She wanted to immerse herself into something that caught her attention on a TV commercial. A brief 30-second spot that launched a 10-year boxing career, changed a nation’s attitude toward professional boxing and continues to make history.
Today, the Boxing Writers Association of America is proud to announce that Cecilia Braekhus, the undefeated 36-year-old Norwegian superstar, undisputed welterweight world champion and recognized by most women’s boxing experts as the No. 1 pound-for-pound female fighter in the world, is the 2017 winner of the Christy Martin Award, which is given to the BWAA Female Fighter of the Year.
Braekhus becomes the first woman to be named female Fighter of the Year in the 92-year history of the BWAA. A select group of women’s boxing experts choose Braekhus from a distinguished list of nominees that included Jessica Chavez, Naoko Fujioka, Mariana Juarez, Amanda Serrano, Claressa Shields and Katie Taylor.
In 2017, the “First Lady” successfully defended her five world titles three times, defeating world-class contenders Klara Svensson and Mikaela Lauren, as well as world super lightweight champion Erica Farias. She’s never lost a fight, with a record that currently stands at 32-0, with 9 knockouts. Braekhus is also the only undisputed champion in women’s’ boxing.
Christy Martin, who placed women’s boxing in the foreground in the 1990s, was greatly pleased that Braekhus is the first recipient of the award that bears her name.
“First, to have an award named after you is really flattering,” Martin said. “I felt I gave a lot to the sport, so I’m very grateful for this. I’m really happy that it’s Cecilia. This is someone who has put in a great body of work. She’s had great support behind her in her country, and she’s the perfect and logical choice.
“I’m honored Cecilia would ask for me to present her and meet her. She’s a great choice, she’s deserving and I’m happy it’s Cecilia—and she still has plenty of her career left.” Braekhus never met Martin in person.
“I can’t wait to meet her,” Braekhus said. “My parents are very proud now, and I’m very fortunate to have a whole country behind me.”
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The Boxing Writers Association of America is proud to announce its 93rd Annual Awards Dinner took place on Friday, May 11, 2018, at the Copacabana in New York City. The event started with cocktails at 5:30 PM and dinner and awards at 7:00 PM.
This year’s winners included: Vasiliy Lomachenko , as the Sugar Ray Robinson Fighter of the Year, and first Ukrainian fighter to ever win in the 80 -year history of the award; Cecilia Braekhus as the Christy Martin Fighter of the Year; Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko , as the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier Fight of the Year recipients; Daniel Franco, as the Bill Crawford Courage award winner; Dr. Margaret Goodman , as the Barney Nagler Long and Meritorious winner; Anatoly Lomachenko, as the Eddie Futch Trainer of the Year; Lou DiBella, for the Sam Taub Excellence in Broadcasting; Mike Rosenthal as the Nat Fleischer winner for excellence in boxing journalism; Wladimir Klitschko and Ed Keenan as the Marvin Kohn “Good Guy;” and Egis Klimas as the Cus D’Amato Manager of the Year.
The BWAA is also proud to announce it will be honoring HBO ringside judge Harold Lederman.
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